The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-03-16
and uprightness with which their ofiffsl . q.

Il 4
0ne square two months. !. Is iSG
One square, three months az ID
and uprightness with which their offsfspsd1 IN.
ties have been performed. eats - - e
II / am, gentlemen, very respectfulsy. ycrss
), fellow.citizen,7 -. NJ. ,KE1hEy, Mayor,
| Onmotion of Dir. Bargamin the message
was received without being read, laid on The
table, and ordered to be printed. '",'''.s
/ 1Hs PAY OF PoLIcExEs WHEN SICK. =
| The following communication from the
Mayor, president OF the Board or Policf
i Commissioners, was submitted and read :st
1 To TIE C0sslaca Council: 4d3 Il .'lg
| Gentiemen,--I am in receipt Of the follow
ing resolution from your body, concurred iu
by the Board OF Aldermen : "Thaf the
| Mayor Of this city be requested to report 70
sEe CoUne!l the reasons which controlled
tSs' Board OF Police Commissioners In pass.
Ing their recent, order stopping the pay Of
the policemen during the time that they
sre sic |" ~ sl'.' f''i
Irreply,. ! have the honor 10 say that this
was done In pursuaBce of the desire of the
Bosgd 70 prevent the money of the x.payers
of Richmond from being squandered with.
out cause or equivalent.
-
the fOdoW wing paragrap ph occurs with respect
to the police force "In one respect alone
am unable to report any material improve
nlent-so Wit. in the loss OF time from sick
ness. This amounted during the past wear
20 eleoe,p hundred azns hhrhet,eo dozs.
AS the compensation Of the force is unaf.
fectetl by sickness this amount of lost titne
represents an outlay BY the city of nearly
$3, 600, for which she received no equiVa-
lent. ! have communicated with the author
tiles Of foEf northerp asd four southern
cities, and EId our proportion Of sickness In
the force considerably iu e1re:s Of the most
unhealthy OF the eight cities.y
Ihoped that calling attention to this mat.
ter would haycthe effect Of diminishing this
evil. - Il: a 80 81 = r@,
For while tie msjoritF Of the force are In
capable Of shsrsing duty by feigning sick
Aess or throwing extra duty on the con-
seiensious by avoiding duty for trivial causes.
1t is manifest that some afe-iess scrupulous.-
TIE police are examined by a'surgeon, and
preaoDnced, physically fit before accepted
ana their duties are not specially unhealthy ::
yet there Is no body of men In Richmond.
paid by the day which loses half as much
tiu,s. .-H .t il .~
As the year 1S74progressed the evil show
ed 10. sign of diminution ;.but when the
monthly report for January, 1875. was pre-
sentef to me, showing that Ltarty:JSoe OF tie
force had reported sick, and that l75 days Of
public tinse had been lost to the city ia !.
single nleDah from this cause, Lfott that the
provision ]. have sworn TO.
wit To see that the duties Of
the various city officers are faithfully per-
formed and my responsibility to tho peo-
pie, who have right ta every effort OF mine
to prevent the wastingof their money, left
me no alternative but 10 bring the matter to
the attention OF the Board OF Police Com
missioners- 70
Prior se.that I bad hadan interview with
the Police Surgeon in the hope that with his
aid the eyil could be renedied ;. but, as he
remarked. there are many diseases incapaci-
tating nam for work which give no external
signs, or such as can be easily simulated;
and while he had little doubt that some
were not sick enough to refuse duty, it was
Impossible to distinguish. them with Ger.
tainty. ..
The matter thus being brought to the atten-
ton of the Board, an order was unanimously
made, modelled after the New York rule,
providing that for the first two days Of sick
ness no pay should be received, and for the
subsequent days half pay. At the same time
the Board unanimously resclyed that in
every case where an appeal was made for full
pay which was meritorious the Boasd would
allow II. This modification was not ap--
pended 10 the resolution in writing Ia order
to give the attempt at reform fair trial
The result of this order has been the most
ample viudication Of its wisdom. 1t was
adopted on the 9Th of February, and the
official monthly report now before me shows
that since that time the loss OF time In the
force has been but thirty. fur Days, and OF
these twenty-five were lost by the chronic
illness of one man. The total number OF
sick men during the month wa, eleven.
These figures tell their own story. In
twenty-five average days Of January, before
the order was made, the city lost one hun
dred and tcentyfour days Of anne; IN
twenty-five days OF February, after The order
was made, the loss was thirty4our days.
The number Of sick men In january was
Mrty,four, in February eleyen- The loss
OF money TO the city treasury from twenty
two days of sickness in ehnuary among the
police was 1910. The loss dur.Bg twenty
two days of February WIS $50.
Forty three per cent. Of the force reported :
sick in January; hirteszu pen amt. In feo-
ru4ry! These figures present the best an.
sWer / can give to the resolution above re-"
ferred to. and, | cannot doubt, satisfactory
one. Hitherto the Board hus taken the iact
that policeman calls himself SICK ana 49,
visited by the surgeon as e0ncludlng INC
question. The objees OF the present rule is
10 require the absentse 10 show that ne was
not only sick, bnt aiBo,that his sickness was
such as, in the optimism Of ttDs surgeon, l9stt-
fies the city in paying him fer service ne does
not render. The people baye right 10 ex-
pect the best service for this pay. NO posi-
tons in the gift Of the authorities are SO
much sought after. ,.......,....
The policeman, unlike the city employ 6
generally. is paid whether sick or wen,
whether absent o furiough or at hona, ano
finally he il usu ally buried out OF the con.
tingent fund. During my incumcency OF
over four years 20 policeman has resigned, so
far as no " rer oember, except TO escape exc
pulsion, and in recent vacancy tne cieih
numbered the applicants and found them 70
be one humid led and eigbty.three' inese
circumstances are mentioned 70 snoW'tnSt .
have the pow er to secure good material, ana
the public ha We right to the besl atlaihaoie
for this imDe rtant place. WNb proper suoor'
dina,ion the force will answer every Juse ex'
pectation, a I'D the Board OF Police Commlss
sioners can 1ot be suspected o:apy: other PVT
pose than och as looks to the securing 10 tneit
fellO w-c!i Eens the best service 10 this depaf..
ment viii ch their chartered authority WIZ
allow. he second resolution, adopteds with
that res ponded to in th!s COMMUNICATION
looking to action Of the Council consequent
in this csponse, has been con!osmed 20, tna'
your ht ,noratle body might have the opport9i
nifty of considering tho facts here presented
Yer respectfully, your obedient servant
\. II. KELLEY, Mayor.
On motion of Mr.. Christian, the report
was received.