New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-14
Hy]an Regime
Makes Late Bid
ForP olice Vote
Enrigllt Announces Restora-
ton of Lunch Period and
Ten Squad System and
Gives Force a Surprise
Ballot Reprisal Feared
Privileges We're Abolished
When Men Refused to
Uphold Hospital Project

Restoration of the half-hour lunch
time on each eight-hour tour of dut-
and reestabli shment of the ten-souad
system for patrolmen were announced
yesterday by Police Commissioner En-
right through Chief Inspector Lahcy.
In political circles the Commission
crs action is considered as the first
move to win back to the Hylan admins
tration the vote Of the city employees
alIenated through radical changes anG
wage cuts by various department heads,
under orders from City Hail, in order
to stit1e charges Of extravaganza made
against the administration.
Only three weeks ago, The Trib-
une has learned on the highest au-
thority, the Patrolmen's Benevolent
Association secretly adopted resolu-
tons to vote solidly against the reelec-
ton of Mayor Hylan. The uniformed
hremen, it is understood, have taken Il
similar attitude, and SO have the Street
Cleaning Department employees and
those of the Department of Gas, Water
and Electricity.
Enright's First Police Move
When Enright became Police Com
missioner he Immediately inaugurated
the half-hour luncheon time for pa
trolmen on each eight-hour tour Of
duty. He then worked out system of
patrol which gave to each patrolman
the right to be off duty thirty-two hours
every week. Heretofore they were off
under the nine-squad system-brr
thirty-two hours every twenty-seven
days.
The rank and file Of the department
touted their Commissioner as the best
ever. Newspaper criticism caused
them to become willing aids to En-
rights plan to keep from the newspa-
per men all stories of public interest.
Suddenly there was a tremendous
awakening. Mayor Hylan and Commits
soner Enright had been intensely in
terested in building police hospital
a monument to their admins traitor.
The policemen rebelled. They insisted
that when they were sick they should
be given the privilege of choosing their
own doctors. They revolted, too,
against the assessment which they
would have to pay to build and main
tain the hospital.
Enright called for referendum.
The members of the department voted
about 90 out of 100 against the
proposition. Enright cast about for a
the benefits he had put through
Immediately he discontinued the ten
squad system. In other words, he
changed the patrol system so that the
men again went back to the plan
whereby they have thirty-two hours of
only every twenty-seven days, instead
of every seven days.
He Immediately followed this by
abolishing the luncheon period on each
tour of duty. And then he abolished
the four-day reserve duty and in
creased the time to be spent in the
station house to eight hours.
Uneasiness was felt at Tammany
Hall over the police situation long be-
fore it reached City Hall and Police
Headquarters. When it finally was
decided by Tammany to again back
Hylan as standard bearer, he was told
some plain facts One of the most
important was that of the police dis
content.
Effort at Cancellation
1t was pointed ont that there are
about 10000 men on the force. Each
can control at least five votes in his
Immediate family. Sixty thousand
votes, Hylan was told, was not to be
passed up. He was told to patch up
The officers of the Patrolmen's
Benevolent Association, after suffering
repeated rebuffs from Hylan and En-
right in their attempts to have the
systems revived, were amazed when
they received word from the chief in
spector to send delegation to talk to
the Commissioner.
The patrolmen were represented by
eighty men when they called at head
quarters yesterday. A long confer
ence was held. At o'clock Chief In
spector Lahey announced that, begin
ming with the midnight tour tuesday
morning, the old system would go into
effect.
AS the delegates left headquarters
they were cheerful, but with 'T-can't-
say-aword" attitude. They did say,
however, with no attempt to hide the
grins, that Commissioner Enright did
not say anything of the expected po-
litical effect the sudden change OF
heart experienced by him and the
Mayor would have on the policemen
and their families.