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required of me but anything but loyal service to what you conceived to be the best interest of New York City, and I well know that had I followed any other course it would have met with instant and sharp rebuke from you. I know also the almost incredible difficulties with which you have been surrounded,and the impossibility of your acting so as to please every one. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that people are now realizing that you have given us far and away the best administration which this City has ever had. In this Department we, as well as you, have been hampered by unwise legislation, and the undefinedso called bipartisanlaw, under which the Department itself is administered, is of such absurdly foolish character that it has been impossible to achieve the results which would have been achieved had you had your hands free with reference to your appointees, and had your appointees in turn possessed full and proper power over the Force.