The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-16


Councils yesterday on their reassembling, is
an able document that deserves the thought
full consideration of every citizen. The
Mayor confines himself to the discussion of
two points, but these are of the highest i'm
portance, and that portion of the message
especially which points out the insufficiency
of the police force demands from Councils
prompt consideration. The Mayor states
that our police force, all told, numbers but
500 men, of whom 73 are superior officers
and those men on detailed duty not directly
connected with the watch, and that the
largest number on patrol duty at any one
time is less than $780, while the territory
over which they are placed on guard em-
braces nearly one hundred and twenty square
miles, with 800, 900 inhabitants. In the
built-up portions of the city the day-beats
average 81 squares and the night-beats 10
squares, while in the rural districts the beats
range from four to seven miles. These fig
ures are sufficient proof of themselves that
the police force is too small, and it is impos-
sible to expect that men who have to travel
over such an extent of ground while on duty
can perform their functions as guardians of
life and property as they ought to be per-
formed. The Mayor, while pointing out the
inadequacy of the police force, very properly
insists that it is the duty of all citizens
to exercise due amount of care and vigilance
in guarding their own property, and where
yard gates and the doors and windows of
houses and stores are left opened and un-
fastened during the darkest hours of the night
direct invitation is held out to burglars, and
the police cannot properly be held response
bic if advantage is taken of such careIessness
by the criminal classes.
The other point alluded to by the Mayor
was the Importance of making a change in
the mode of electing the engineers of the
Fire Department. The engineers are public
officers, and are charged with important
public duties. Notwithstanding this they are
not elected by the people or appointed by
competent public authority, but are chosen
by private associations The natural conse-
quence of this state of affairs is that the
engineers consider themselves the represent
atives of the particular fire companies which
elect them, and they are not in position to
perform their whole duty without fear, favor,
or partiality. The Mayor thinks that if
the mode of electing the
engineers was different, the outbreaks
which have characterized the Fire Depart
ment would cease. We have very serious
doubts on this point, but if the engineers
were elected by the people or, perhaps better
still, appointed by the municipal authorities,
they would be in better position than they
are at present to hold in check the turbulent
element among the fremen, and to aid in
Ir;, 20 he
outrages that are continually bringing the
volunteer Fire Department into disrepute,
and forcing all the friends of law and order
to fall back upon paid department as the
only sure remedy for existing evils.
IMPERFECTTON5 OF THE CENSUS.
WE have received some communications in
response to our recent appeals for informa-
tion concerning the alleged imperfections of
the census enumeration in this city, and
again invite such of our readers as have been
neglected by the enumerators, or imagine
that they have been so neglected, to send us
their names and addresses. There has been
widespread belief that the present popula-
ton of Philadelphia is considerably
over 100000, even if it does not reach
thus far given to the public indicate that the
result of the enumeration will show these
anticipations to have been without founda-
ton. 1t is of the utmost importance that
the exact truth of the matter should be ar
rived at, as near as possible. If Philadelphia
is the most populous city in the New World,
the fact should be placed beyond all doubt or
cavil, and the only way in which this can be
done is by faithful enumeration of its in
habitants. We therefore urge all who have
cause to believe that the assistant marshals
have ignored them in their task to commani-
cate with us at once. We will inves-
tigate each case of alleged neglect,
and, after ascertaining whether
it has a good foundation, give the result
publicity. In New York there has been so
much complaint of the careless manner in
which the census work has been done, that
Mayor Hall has proposed to have the whole
enumeration done over again under municipal
authority. But the United States Marshal
for that district has appeared in letter
which shows many of the complaints made
to be without foundation, and the same may
| be the case in this city as well. But whatever
the truth may reveal concerning the popula-
ton of Philadelphia, let us get at it if