O'Brienisms (Cont'd)

When Mayor John Patrick O'Brien, Tammany's big-bodied, lantern-jawed stopgap, moved into New York City Hall fortnight ago, he promptly hung up in his private office a picture of Rev. Michael Earls who had taught him English at Holy Cross College. Last week the O'Brien English continued to make front-page news as veteran reporters, accustomed to the neat nothings of James John Walker, attempted to extract sense from the new Mayor's utterances.

The Board of Estimate pledged a $40,000,000 budget cut--half in salaries, half in other expenses--to bankers who had helped the city out of a hole. After the salary cut had been made, Mayor O'Brien began to muse aloud to the Press to the effect that the rest of the reduction was just a "hope" which did not bind the city and that increased revenue from bridge tolls would be "very appropriate." From such talk the impression was inescapable that Tammany was weaseling on its economy promises.

When he saw what manner of news his words had made and how city securities slumped, Mayor O'Brien summoned newshawks to his office to lecture them on "accurate reporting." A stenographer took down his words of correction:

"The papers, the morning papers, carried, so far as I read them--I had to read them hurriedly, with all the other things I had to do--carried over that same idea. It is not accurate. How much we would be able to cut in further economies other than personal service, I said I could not say what that amount is going to be. . . . And I thought I made it clear that in answer to the requests I sent out to department heads to save and have before me when I took office a statement of further economies they were going to effect, and that I had received many letters, some of which showed further economies and others have gone to the limit in the matter of those already made. The queries were put about when the time was up and what would be done before the budget was closed.

"It is hurtful to the cause of economy and to the ideas that ought to prevail in public circles as well as in business circles, to have an idea get out that there is something confusing, or hesitancy or what not, as you can see, something went out on a ticker that I read to you . . . Now we'll take a little rest."

Mayor O'Brien to the Men's Hat Trade & Allied Industries: "You men who have risen to the pinnacle of industrial success know that you have been helped to success by faith in yourself. I've got some of that."

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