Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-04-24
FAIRLY INTERESTING.
AN EXTENDED AND LIVELY NETTING OF
THE POLICE AND FIRE BOARD.


The REGISTER intimated yesterday that
the session of the Board Of Police and fire
Commissioners, to bsheld last night, might
be interesting.
The meeting came of, as announced ana
it was interesting, as had been surmised.
In fact, it was more than interesting.
1t was exciting at times.
The four gentlemen constituting the
Board met in due form ct half-past seven
o'clock, in the room of Police Court CLERK
Thompson, and proceeded to business with
unusual despatch. After some little routine
matters had been disposed Of, REGISTER
reporter sent in his card, and after the lapse
of about three minutes the door opened,
and the newspaper man was invited to
enter the apartment. Mr.. Hoffman then
took the floor and said
"Mf. Chairman, 1 rise to q question Of
privilege. / see by the papers that at q
meeting held the other evening this Board,
and myself in particular. were subjected to
criticism, and desire to take this method
of putting the position Of the Board and
myself upon record. The minutes
of the Board will prove what
am about to say. When the matter Of
the increase of the police force was first
brought before this Board, it gave it care
fol consideration, and finally recommended
to Council that there be an increase oil
eight men-six officers and two detectives
After that stand had been taken the &C
ton of the Board was communicated To
Council, accompanying the report being Q
resolution appropriating five hundred dol
] lars for the pay of the new officers during
the month of March. This latter resoln'
ton Council refused to pass. The hands
of the Board were thus tied. i could moi
then see, and can't see now, how the
Board could have properly acted under ths
circumstances existing after the rejection
of that resolution.
"Matters ran along thus until the Board
came to make up its appropriation for the
Finance Committee, when enough money
was incorporated in the estimate to psy
the salaries of the additional men fol-
the year. This matter hung fire tol
a good while before the COMMITTEES
and Council, and only short time
ago was the appropriation ordinance
finally passed. Since that passage
this Board has held but one meeting, and
at that meeting there was not quorum
so that the present meeting is the only ont
at which this Board could properly take
action on the increase in the number o
officers. How could this Board be ex
ted to act when Council had made NJ
provision to pay the additional men, ant
not only that, but had rejected resolution
sent in by the Board, providing for the
first months pay Of the new men? Yet al
meeting held the other night, an attemp
was made to bulldoze this Board. / have
all along been favorable to this increase
but want to tell this Board that no meet
ing, public or private, can crack a whiI
over my head. They are mistaken, if they
think so. propose TO act accordingly
Chief of Police Smith, who was present
in the room, said
az was at the meeting the other night
but it was only for ten or fifteen minutes,
at the first part. / knew nothing of thu
passage of any resolutions until saw then
in the paper the next morning"
Mr.. Hoffman,
There has been but one meeting o.
this Board since the passage OF the appro
priation ordinance, and then there were
but two members present-myselfa and Mr.
Wolf"
Mr.. Miller:
81 was out of the city, so could not BIZ
here"
After pause:
Mr.. Miller:
"The matter of the consideration of the
additional officers is now before you. IL
has been brought up by Mr. Hoffman"
Mr.. Hoffman:
mo, don't bring it up. If any other
gentleman desires to bring it up, let him
do So"
Mr.. Travis:
''I have another little matter to present
10 the Board, if the reporter will with
draw"
President Miller:
"Does it relate to the increase
Mr.. Travis
"Well, not exactly. If the reporter
will with6--"
President Miller
81 think the matter of the increase
ought to be brought up"
Chief Smith,
'The force is entirely insufficient. There
are statistics before the Board which show
that in other cities there are many more
officers both in comparison with the mum.
Der of inhabitants and the area TO be GOV.
cred. We are always receiving calls te
send officers to all parts Of the city, and
the men can't get over the ground"
Mr.. Travis
Captain, do your present officers dc
their duty?"
Chief Smith
al think So"
"WelI, they don't. 1 was notified by q
gentleman oday that an officer had beer
Informed of an open saloon, on Sunday
but had refused TO look into the matter
He turned on his heel and walked off,"
Chief Smith
1.-THE police do more work than evel
before in the history of the city
If the citizen had complaint to make
If there was violation of the ordinance:
why didn't he come here and swear out
a warrant, and the officers would have at
tended to it ?"
Mr.. Travis
That's Just the point. Your officers try
to throw the responsibility elsewhere
This man went across the. street to the
officer and pointed out the salOor-Frank
Healy's-and the officer refused to do any
thing. Then there ia another case of pretty
near the same kind. A citizen-Mr. Isoti
was insulted by the same officer-0ficeI
West"
Chief Smith
'I don't think Officer West would insul,
anyone The officers can't take orders from
everybody"
Mr.. Travis
''They ought to attend to complaints
Chief Smith
"These people ought to remember that
Pm Chief of Police, and they ought to come
to me with their complaints"
Mr.. Travis
sGVas and tbia Ia tha Poard -