The New York herald., 1920-12-25
ENRIGHT RESIGNS,
BUT NOT AS CHIEF
Commissioner Orders Retire
ment of Himself as Lieuten-
ant on $3.50 Pension.
SPEEDS UP PROMOTIONS
Report He Intends to Quit
Present Job Is Denied
Changes Announced.

The news ticker suffered out this
startling piece of information yester-
day: Police Commissioner Enright
has resigned" The words that fol-
lowed reassured an alarmed city, how
ever. The post that Mr.. Enright has
vacated is not the Commissionership
but his lieutenancy in the uniformed
force. which he retained while tech
nically on leave OF absence, since
Mayor Hylan put him at the head of
the department. His explanation is
that he did not want to stand in the
way of promotion of deserving men
TO the rank of lieutenant and so on
down the line, especially as the de-
partment is short handed.
Commissioner Enright retired Lieut..
Enright on Tuesday on a pension of
$3.50 a year. Yesterday Commits
sioner Enright made the facts public
and said that the pension would not
take effect as long as he is Commits
sioner. In other words. he has no in
tention of drawing both salary and
pension at the same time.
What the Commissioner has done is
TO protect himself against any contin-
gency by avaling himself OF a law
passed by the Legislature. with his ap-
prevail in 1918 This law permitted any
man who had served twenty years in the
uniformed police force and who also had
served six months as Commissioner or
| Deputy Commissioner TO retire on pen
! sion equal to one-half of the chief in
| spector's salary The chief inspectors
salary Is $500 year. Half of IL is
$3.50. Hence the figure set by Com
missioner Enright for the pension of
Lieut.. Enright. retired, who has been a
member of the force twenty-four years
and Commissioner nearly three years.
Tried to Get Pay Boosted.
Tho Commissioner recommended to
the Board of Estimate that 1t increase
the nay Of chief inspector TO $4,000 in
the 1921 budget. but IL did not do so.
The Commissioner acquainted the
force with his retirement and pension
in General Order 90. sent yesterday to
ALI precincts. After directing various
transfers and assignments the order
says:
"The following members Of tho force
are relieved and dismissed from the
police force and placed upon the roll OF
the police pension fund and are
awarded the following pensions. The
nan % Of several men follow and then
| this:
ITO take effect II VI. December p.
1q2c-Lieut. Richard +. Bnright. 1920
precinct. at $3.50 per annum in ac-
cordance with Chapter 65i, the Laws of
1918 Amounted November 2, 1896"
The order IS signed Richard f. En-
right. Police Commissioner" In the
law 10 which he refers one finds that
the retiring authority I'm the case or
the man risen from the ranks and en-
titled 70 draw pension Of one-half
I chief inspectors pay. is not the Police
commissioner but the Mayor. Section
s5i of the Laws OF 1915 is an amend
mcnt 70 the city charter and reads as
/ follows
Pension Of member Of force after
service as Police Commissioner or
Deputy Commissioner.
section 355-A. Service as Police
/ Commissioner or Deputy Police Com
missioner by a member Of the police
force shall be deemed the performance
Of duty on such force. Any member
of the police force who shall have per-
formed duty on such force for a period
Of twenty years. and for at least six
months as Police Commissioner or
Deputv Police Commissioner, may be
retired by the Mayor and placed upon
the pcnslon roll Of the Police Depart
ment and granted the pension allowed
TO chief inspector in such depart
ment."
Authorized by Mayor.
Commissioner Enright explained last
/ night that the law had been observed
10 the letter. as he had received from
/ Mayor Hylan a letter directing him TO
| retire Lieut. Enright in the manner in
/ dicatcd. Mir. Enrght said that the only
/ reason FOR his retirement from the uni
/ formed force was TO permit n sergeant
10 be promoted TO lieutenant and a
/ patrolman 10 sergeant. and patrolruan
/ 10 be appointed from the eligible list
/ He already has made the promotions
and will appoint a patrolman on
| Monday.
There was no use keeping three men
out OF Jobs when the city needs
more policemen" the Commissioner ex-