The New York herald., 1921-07-07
RECORDS OF FUNDS
RAISED FOR POLICE
GAMES DESTROYED.
Senator Meyer Charges
That There Are No Docu-
ments or Books Show
ing Exact Figures.
ESTIMATED AT MILLION
Captains of Larger and
Richer Districts Unable to
Make Accounting to
Committee.
WILL NOW ASK ENRIGHT
Gov. Miller to Confer This
Morning With Investiga-
tors on Their Work in
Detail.
WILL NOW ASK ENRIGHT

Gov. Nathan L. Miller will come to
New York this morning for a confer
ence with members Of the Meyer legis-
lative committee which is investigat-
ing the Hylan administration and will
be told in detail just what the COM
mittee has accomplished since it be-
gan It's work. Elon r. Brown, chief
counsel for the committee. will also
be here, and 1t Is understood that it
will be decided whether to appeal from
the recent decision of the Appellate
Division concerning the holding Of Sc
cret sessions.
One OF the things Of which 1t Is
expected that Senator Schuyler M.
Meyer. chairman of the committee,
Will tell the Governor in detail is the
charge, that he made yesterday against
the Police Department Senator Meyer
declared that practically all of the
records of the department dealing with
the fund of $1.000,000 or more collected
from the annual police field games at
sheepshead Bay in the last three
years have been destroyed.
There are no records in existence
as far as we have been able to find to
show how much money was taken in
for the games. what was done with
It. who handled 1t or where it went"
Senator Meyer said. The records
which would show receipts have been
destroyed. When or by whom we have
reen unable to find out
I'VE have had every police captain
before the con,rsSfttce in our efforts to
find out something about the field game
funds Perhaps half Of the captains
have some kind of records accounting
for the tickets they handled. The sales
were all made through the captains.
who turned over the tickets to the
policemen. The men In uniform COW
cred the city in their eager efforts to
make big sales.
Every Omcial Passes Buck.
Captains OF the larger and richer
precincts. where the sales were heaviest.
have no records of any kind. We have
asked Deputy Police Commissioner
Leach and police inspectors and Of
ficials at headquarters for records OF
the department making clear how the
big receipts were handled. Every Of
ficial so far questioned has passed the
buck No one knows anything about
it and no one knows what has become
OF the records. We shall ask Commits
sioner Enright to account for the records
and the fund.
THE committee has been unable to
get anything definite. The accounts ap-
pear to differ as far as we have been
able to check up"
Early in 1918 the police reserve
force was organized from the defunct
Home Defence League. and the Police
Commissioner directed that the proceeds
from the field games for that year be
used mainly to provide equipment and
uniforms for the reserves This was a
war time emergency force and great
drive was started to obtain a big sum
as war measure for the adequate pro-
tection of the city.
Policemen proved to be good sales
men. Every man In uniform carried
his pockets full of tickets. Every traf-
nc cop waved the tickets in front OF
every passing automobile. Every store
statesmen.
Assessments Are Reported.
The Meyer committee investigators
are trying to run down a report that
aliotments of 100 or more tickets were
made to each saloonkeeper In the city
Few saloonkeepers balked at the levy
and few took less than ten or a dozen
tickets, 1t Is said. The rest were re-
sold.
Another story which the committee
Is trying to verify Is that every man
connected with the gambling profession
was assessed for $1,000 and paid the
levy. As there are no lists Of names OF
the purchasers the committee has been
unable to check up those reports.
The committee will investigate a
charge that a prominent uptown hotel
was framed" following the refusal Of
its proprietor to purchase $50 tickets.
Tho reporr states further that sub
stantial revenue was received for the
Police Relief Fund from the proceeds
OF the held games held during the years
1919 and 1920"
The statement given by the Commits
sioner OF the Police Relief Fund sets
down this item: 1920 police game re-
ccipts. $41s.71s." The account shows
receipts for this special fund amounted
10 $6S5.204 at the end Of 1920, and that
there was $4s6.945 cash In the bank.
Senator Meyer said last night that II
had been decided definitely that the
finances Of the city would be the first
matter taken up when the committee be-
gins Its public hearings. Last Tuesday
II was said that these hearings would be-
gin next week, but last night indications
we're that they probably would not get
under way for about two weeks. as II
will take that long for the committees
lawyers to prepare their case. Comp
troler Charles l.. Craig will be one OF
the witnesses at the first session. which
will be held In the Board OF Estimate
room at City Hall.