The Washington herald., 1920-12-23
Ellen OGrady's Reward for Service
Extravagant Era Slowly Giving Way
BY RAYMOND G. CARROLL.

NEW YORK, Dec. 22.-For a score
of years Mrs. Ellen. o'Grady has
been engaged in social welfare work
among the youth of Gotham: a fine
splendid. understanding woman with
heart as wide as the largest court
room. She began her labors after
the death of her husband to sup
port her three daughters. and 1 re-
baton officers appointed to the diff
ficult Job of warding first offenders
back into the paths of right living.
In another three weeks she would
have filled the position of fifth dep
uty police commissioner exactly
three years. A few days ago she
resigned. 1 talked with her today
at her home. 247 New York avenue,
Brooklyn. She was most down
spirited. her gray hair a bit tousled
from the hurried combing it had
received, so early had she beeIr
reused by persons who came from
all parts Of the ,city to sympathize.
REFUSED TO BE
A RUBBER STAMP.
Richard Enright, police commits
sioner, was never in accord with
my work." she said almost wist-
fully He has all the instincts of
policeman with not much tender
ness in his makeup. He cannot
seem to comprehend a person who
tries to go honestly through life.
If l had been willing to sit down
and sign papers blindly, he prob
ably would have let me alone. But
my motto always has been. right
thou feelest. rush to do l rusheu
to do too much. l worked too hard
to suit them. l simply would not
be a rubber, stamp.
Never since / have been in the
department has Commissioner En-
right come into my office to see
what 1 was doing. Three times my
office has been moved, and ] wasn't
even told of it in advance They
made me feel all too plainly that l
was In their way. When 1 went to
see the commissioner, he made me
stand like criminal at his desk:
he never asked me to sit down.
There were, twenty-eight women in
my department of probation, and
again and again they were assigned
and shifted from over my head o.
Mrs. O'Grady particularly object
ed to the use of her women to col
lect from the public for the police
Dement'S and a police hospital.
Her eyes flashed as she said: "Po-
licemen, and that means policewom-
en- as well. should never be used
in drives not even for Liberty
bonds For they are clothed in
the. garments of power. and when
they ask people for money for any
object whatever, some will give be-
cause they are afraid to do sother-
wise. 1t is an outrage to send out
policemen as beggars-hundreds of
them proud feIlows-turning them,
into collectors"
The system" could not use Mrs.
O'Grady, whose blue eyes were al
ways wide open at police head
quarters. So 1t fell to, and hec-
tored, and and nagged and harried
her until, like any self-respecting
person would do, she got out. The
Hylan administration Is going to
have a lot Of explaining to do over
the O'Grady incident. which is in
every mouth.
CASH XMAS GIFTS '
NOW PROPER FAD.
1t looks blue Christmas ahead
Tor some Of the retailers. The stand
ard gift this year is going to be
money, which the recipient will
probably use at the January sales
We have been through a half
dozen of the leading department
stores today, and listened to the
talk of 'See-ers''> who ordinarily at
the present time of the year are ex-
travagant shoppers. Don't these
stores know the war is over?" said
one matron, who impaired the in
formation that she had walked
miles of eisles and bought nothing.
Il have, told my husband to give