WALKER RESIGNS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 209, 3 September 1932, Page 9

WALKER RESIGNS.

MAYOR OF NEW YORK. Sequel to Inquiries Into Graft Allegations. TAMMANY VOWS VENGEANCE. (United r.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright) NEW YORK, September 2. The Mayor of New York, Mr. James J. Walker, has resigned that office as a sequel to the, inquiry by a committee into civic administration and a hearing of the case by the Governor of the State, Mr. Franklin Roosevelt. ' - The resignation wae announced after a day of many rumours that it was impending. Nevertheless, it caused a sensation and threw the city's affairs into turmoil, as well as considerably confusing the national political situation. Mr. Walker accompanied his resignation with a remarkable statement. He said: "Shall I permit myself to bo lynched in order to eatisfy prejudice or political ambition? Why, then, continue to appeal to the Governor when therj it unother forum open to me, that forum being the people of New York? "I have not been given an opportunity to prove my record of service to the city as Mayor for two terms. To the people of Now York I leave my case in a spirit of true democracy, conscious of the rectitude of my official acts and with faith in the fair judgment of my fellow citizens." Whether Mr. Walker can stand for re-election this year or must wait until the regular election in 1933 has not been decided, and the question may be eubmitted to the Courts to determine. The chairman of the City Council, Mr. Joseph McKee, automatically becomes Mayor, but his tenure of office is uncertain. It is a. matter on which there is legal disagreement whether an election must be held immediately or whether Mr. McKee should complete the term until 1933. The latter course eventually would make Mr. Walker's personal fate more unsettled than it fe torday, since time may completely change the political situation.

" Tammany has sworn an open vendetta against Mr. Roosevelt, and there is every prospect that he will lose New York State in the Presidential election. He will gain supporters, however, in other parts of the country. ' The commission of inquiry under Judge Samuel Seabury was set up in April, 1931, by the State Legislature to report on grave allegations of graft and bribery against Mayor "Jimmy" Walker, who has twice been elected to his -present poet, on the second occasion (November, 1929) being returned by an unprecedented majority of 500,000 votes. He i.s New York-born, and n Roman Catholic Irishman, and, as euch joined the Tammany Society early in his career. Through this organisation he gained his first entry into municipal politics, being elected Mayor for the first time in 1925. Within a year he was made the target of "vice" allegations of all descriptions, but his jaunty, easy-going manner and cheerful personality kept the etaunch support of his large body of admirers, and the attacks went for naught. The Mayor's opponents revived the allegations of financial scandal to such an extent that the State Legislature appointed the Seabury Commission of Inquiry. The report of this body, issued about a fortnight ago, condemned Mr. Walker os the "fountain of graft" of New York's corrupt administration. Mr. Seabury requested the Governor of New York State, Mr. Franklin D. Roosevelt, to remove Mr. Walker from office and to prefer charges of graft against him. The findings of the Seabury Commission, followed by the strong agitation of the Mayor's accusers for his dismissal from office, assumed national importance in regard to the pending Presidential election, as Mr. Frank, Roosevelt was called upon to make the decision. Mr. Roosevelt was placed in the unenviable position of incurring the opposition of Tammany (the Democratic Party rulers) in the Presidential campaign, and also of offending the substantial, popular following of Mayor • Walker, or, _on the other hand, of ignoring the scathing disclosures of the Seabury report. Whether the action Mr. Roosevelt has taken will have the damaging consequences on his Presidential chances that Walkeritea indicate remains to be seen.