Evening star., 1932-09-02
|M'KEE TAKESOVER
DUTIES AS MAYOR
Walkers Successor Regrets
Circumstances of His
Advancement.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, September 2.-Joseph
v. Mckee, erstWhi,e president of the
Board Of Aldermen. slipped unobtru-
sively into City Hall tcday. tock of
his coat and began work as the mayor
Of the City of New York.
There was no ceremony. nor will there
be, = for his succession to James j
Walker. resigned, is automatic and net
even the formality of taking an oath OF
ofiiee Is necessary.
Although Mckee took up the mayors
work today, he did not take over
Walkers former office. Instead he went
ID the Office he occupied as aldermanio
president, large white room decorated
with the portraits of former mayors
and sat at his own old f1at-topped desk
Regrets Circumstances.
II won't move into the mayors office
until Tuesday ct east" he said. but he
gave no reason for his delay.
II am exceedingly sorry about the
Walker resignation" he continued. land
I regret that I have been injected into
cumstances."
win you confer with John r. Curry
leader Of Tammany Hall?" the new
mayor. often referred to IS q member
of the new Tammany element" was
asked.
Il wcn't discuss politics." Mckee re-
piled. Il sm going into this with my
eye on just one thing which Is not per-
sonal or political ambition, but the best
interests of the city,
He said his first endeavors would
be made in connection with city
finances and drastic trimming of the
city budget.
Cutting the budget to the bone Is
an old phrase" he said, but this time
it is going to be done.
Mckee said he had not been in
formed Of any intended designations
among city officials.
Wanted 10 Be Fireman.
II intend to get along well with every
one in the city government" he said
land If ! don't 1t won't be my fault.
How long he would hold Office
whether his term would extend to the
regular time for another mayoralty
election, a year from this Autumn. OIL
whether a special election for mayor
would be held In connection with the
general election this November, Mckee
said he did not know as yet.
Born in the Bronx 43 years ago. Nc.
Kee wanted to be fireman, but be-
came mayor instead.
In between those boyhood years wher
he loitered, fascinated, around the ole
fire house on East fremont avenue
and today when he became mayor
Mckee was in turn an instructor ir
Greek, Latin and literature, q part.
time newspaper man, an assemblyman
City Court justice, a lawyer ant
president of the Board Of Aldermen.
They call him Judge" not so much
because of his year as City Court
justice MS because Of his dignified bear.
ing and appearance.
For the most part he has, as president
OF the Board Of Aldermen. been a sup
porter OF the Mayor walker policies
though he has not hesitated to take
an opposite stand on several occasions
Ceremony Doesn't Appeal.
He dresses neatly but conservatively
He is good-humored. but does not pos
seSs the faculty of quick, witty rejoindef
which was so noticeable In Mayor
walker. His nature Is retiring, and he
Is comparative stranger to the Broad
way places so familiar to the man he
has succeeded as mayor. He has said
that the ceremonial side Of the mayors
Office. made much of by walker, does
not appeal to him.
During the numerous occasions when
he served as acting mayor owing to the
mayors absence from the city, Mckee
was punctilious in hours, arriving al
the City Hall each morning at 9:l5
o'clock and remaining until s at night
He was married In 1918 to Miss Cor
nelia Z. Kraft of New Rochelle. They
live In the Bronx ana have two chill
dren Joseph. jr., IL. and Richard. 2.
Mayor Mckee demonstrated In 1895
surprising ability as vote getter;
surprising because his quiet, dignified
manner of campaigning was markedly
different from that of many other can.
didates His speeches were informa-
tive, but were not distinguished, as were
those OF walker, by quick spontaneity
and biting wit.
Mckee has been described as "tht
type of young man the new Tammany
is drafting" but by most political OBJ.
servers he Is not regarded as Tam
many man at all He has not hesi-
tated on numerous occasions to dis
agree with Walker, self-called Tam.
many Hall mayor" and he has spon'
sored legislation of his own without
regard to Tammony.
Graduate Of Fordham.
Fis method of conducting boarC
meetlrgG has been called brisk anC
businesslike" He has been especially
concerned with city expenditures, and
has earned something of watchdog
of-the-treasury" reputation.
McKees vote-getting strength wa.
demonstrated in 1929 when he had O
plurality of 50e,000. which was 5000
votes better than Mayor Walker. Nc
Kee led the ticket in four of the i've
boroughs.
He was graduated from Fordhan
University in l911 with degrees oi
A. B., A. M. and LIB.
Both McKee's parents were natives
of Scotland and he Is one Of seven
children.