New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-01-15
Hyla1l Broke All
Election Vows.
Says W llstein
Counsel for Citizens Union
Charges Mayors Rule of
pull and Revenge Has
Ruined the Police Force
PledgesMade in ignorance
Stupidity and incompetence
in Administration Are
Evident, Lawyer Writes

criticism OF Mayor Hyian for hay
ing "broken every pledge he made to
she people before election" and for
conducting the Police Department by q
policy of pull and revenge" is made
by Leonard NJ. Wallstein, counsel for
, the Citizens Union, in an article pub
lished yesterday in The Metropolis, a
weekly magazine devoted to civic af-
fairs.
"Not single problem" says Mr..
Wallstein in reviewing the Hylan adj
mlnistratlon, has been solved to the
advantage of the city Not a single
CRISIS has been met OPPORTUNITY or
avoided with sagacfty. Where states
manship was demanded we have had
stupidity; where economy was neces-
sary we have had costly incompetence:
where unsetish patriotism was required
we nave had exploitation of the oypor-
tunlties Of public Office.
Pledges Made in Ignorance
"Mayor Hylar has broken almost
every pledge he made to the neonle
before election. In many intances he
could not do otherwise. Many pledges
were made in Grass IGNORANCE Of the
SUBJECT matter or in utter misconccp-
ton OF the powers and duties of the
ONCE he Was to fill. Such PLEDGES
should never have been made. 1t was
the part of a demagogue to mislead
the people by undertaking to do things
ne knew or should have known were i'm
possible.
As candidate Mayor Iylan prom
Ised to cut down 'dish0nestlv ex
travagant budget of $23S, 100000. The
BUDGET of 1921 shows sn increase Of
Sl0i,o00,OO0, and at that is a fraud,
Ior 1t makes no provision for nearly
$4,000, 600 confessedy required bv thle
Board OF Education
Alter listing among the failures the
Mayors promise to solve the problem
OF garbage disposal and to sell the new
courthouse site, Mr.. Wallstein declared
that lone day of investigation by the
Lockwood committee was enough to
compel the Mayor to withdraw the
award for the courthouse.
The people seldom have been sub
jected to the humiliation that came
upon them when the Lockwood commit
zee unearthed the relations between
Mayor Hylan and John T. Hettrick."
says the article. ION a subject as to
winch his ignorance was complete, he
accepted tie exaggerated statements Of
an Interested party at their face value
aud signed official letters exactly as
prepared for him by Hettrick, atYectine
the expenditure Of large sums of money
TOR city school buildings. Assume that
he was fooled, as he alleges. Give him
the benefit of every doubt. A Mayor so
easily victlmized is not the man for the
job.
Collapse Shown In Police
nartment, such as the resignation Of
Deputy Commissioner O'Grady, as well
AS the undoubted crime wave in this
city arc Nut the necessary results Of
the decentralization which has been pro-
gressiye in that department since Fred
erlck Bugher found it impossible to
continue as Mayor Eylan's Police Com
missioner. Nowhere has the collapse
of the present administration been
moro clearly shown than in he Police
Department.
"Ihaa came Nh, Enright, and ever
since favoritisn and hate, political and
personal, have been the governing prin-
oiples of the administration. Efficiency
and merit have counted for nothing
Pull and revenge have determined pro-
motions, demotions, assignments to
duty and retlrements from the force
No matter how serious the offense
tor which an officer was dismissed, nor
how Dong ago; no matter il the courts
had held he was properly dismissed;
no matter that the law prohibited his
reinstatement. Let him have the right
influence at work and he has been re
instated Let a policeman brutality
heat an innocent citizen; let the courts
find him guilty of assault and suspend
sentence because he must still face
trial before the Police Commissioner,
who may dismiss him from the force
why worry il he has the right friends
The Police Commissioner will but fine
him fifteen days pay.
I'm a word, to the burden of an
anticipated form OF government has
been added all the mischief and waste
Of an inefficient administration How
LONG must the city suffer without re-
lief"