Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-29
Walker Charges Dismissed.

Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt has dis
Affairs Committee against Mayor
James j. Walker Of New York. He
acted on the theory that the charges
were not specific as they related to the
mayor; that they dealt with subordinate
officers, and that no evidence had been
submitted TO show that the mayor was
connected or sympathetic with the al
legged acts of his subordinate officers
The decision of the governor creates
much less excitement in the metropolis
than it otherwise might simply because
it is known that searching inquiry is
TO be made by legislative committee
into the very matters of which the City
Affairs Committee complained to the
governor. In a statement issued fol-
lowing the announcement of the dis
missal of the charges against Mayor
Walker the City Affairs Committee it
self admits that it did not expect the
governor to remove the mayor, but that
it did hope for an investigation by the
governor, in effect, trial of the mayor.
with evidence submitted by both sides.
Had the governor followed such
course, the result would have been to
bring about the investigation of the
mayor by two tribunals practically at
the same time, one set up by the legis-
iature and the other by the governor.
IonOcay0it'- r1l of
the charges is hailed by the mayors
friends as Vindication, it can scarcely
be so termed correctly. The charges
were submitted and answer was made.
That is as far as the matter went. No
inquiry into the administration of the
city government of New York was made
by the governor. He contented himself
with pointing out that the charges were
not specific in their application to the
mayor While the governor did not say
so, he may well have been influenced
in part by his knowledge that legis-
lative committee had been ordered to
look into the city government of New
York and has as its chief counsel the
very man whom the governor picked
to conduct an investigation of District
Attorney Grain, former Judge Samuel
Seabury.
With the legislative committee inyes-
tigation hanging over its head, the
Walker administration in New York can
only be said to have won skirmish in
the decision of Gov. Roosevelt not TO
proceed with an inquiry Of his own into
the mayors Office. The real battle is
coming The City Affairs Committee
has announced that it will turn over to
the legislative committee all the evidence
it has accumulated and will aid that
committee in its Investigation as far
as it may Go so.
Doubtless the decision of Gov. Rocse-
welt will be interpreted in many quar-
tiers as a friendly act TO the Tammany
and which elected Walker mayor. If
the legislative committee, in the course
of its inquiry, turns up evidence dam
aging TO Mayor Walker. the governor
may be placed in an awkward position.
But when that evidence is presented, if
it Is, the governor will still be in
position to remove the mayor for NAL
feaSance in Office, just as he is today.
The opponents of Gov. Roosevelt for
the presidential nomination of the
Democratic party ncXt year will make
the most Of his dismissal Of the City
Affairs Committee charges against
Walker. In view Of the approval gwen
Coy. RooseTelt's decision by the Re-
publican as well as the Democratic
press Of the city, however, it does not
appear that such criticism will harm
the governors prospects. If, on the
ether hand. the governor should under
take TO defend the mayor In the event
that the legislative committee obtains
damaging evidence against Walker,
there would be a very different reaction.