The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-02
CHARLESTON ITEMS.
The CITY Infested by Burglars-The
Phosphate Interests.

CHARLESTON, S. c., Jan. While the
new Council is not such as a great many
Democrats would have chosen, they never
theless rallied manfully to its support and
elected it, They could scarcely do anything
else seeing that the only objection that
could be urged against it was the quantity
of new timber that had been used in its
building.
The air is now thick with rumors of clean
sweeps and sweeping changes in city offices.
The 'ins" are tremblings in their boots, or
i'll their offices, and an eager army of outs
are impatiently awaiting the annual turn IN
the wheel that contains the fat offices.
Certainly one great mistake has already
been made by the new administration.
The entire system Of police government has
| been changed. Inc appointment of the
police officers is vested in the Mayor, and
that of privates in the Chief of Police, in
stead of in q board of commissioners, as
under the old system. This is so far good
change but its deSirability is coupled with
very serious drawback These appoint
ments are subjected to the approval of the
Council, and are to be made annually. Men
versed in the methods of municipal govern
nent say that this will utterly subvert
the usefulness of the police department.
No police officer can become a thoroughly
useful and practical officer if he is subiect
TO the process of reelection every twelve
months. Political influences are bound to
interfere with the perfect discharge of duty,
ana the efficiency of the force will be greatly
impaired, Instead of being a strong con
servator of the public peace it must necessa-
rily become a political machine. Hence a
great pressure is being brought to bear upon
the Council to change this feature at least
and to make the tenure of office of the police
officers co-equal with that of the Mayor, four
years, subject of course to removal for
cause.
GANG OF BURGLARS.
Apropos of the police it may be mentioned
that the city has been infested with a gang
of burglars. who for more than six months
have been terroriZing the community and
who have baftled all the efforts of the po-
lice Their operations are conducted on a
very daring scale. They enter house, light
the gas, go into the larder feast themselves,
deiile the finest carpets in the house in a
shocking manner and then make off with
all the silverware, jewelry and such
other portable articles as can be convert
ed into cash, That the same gang
commit all these burglaries is proven by the
fact that the horrible defilement of the
premises always accompanies the theft and
is i'll every case done in the same manner,
the parlor or drawing room and dressing
room being usually selected for the outrage
The latest victim is Capt. Thomas Young,
the wealthy stevedore. They only enter the
houses of the wealthy, The community is
now clamorlng for an intelligent and capa-
BILE detective forc9, and this is one of the
problems that confronts the new admins
tratiOn.
THE PHOSPHATE BUSINESS.
The phosphate interest still languisnes,
and the effects of the depression are be
ginning to be felt in business circles here
The holiday business was not what was ex-
pected TO have been, but this was owing in
great measure to the wretched weather
that prevailed on the eve of Christina .
The small dealers too are beginning to suffer
from the depression in the phosphate in
dustry. These people who have shops in the
upper wards had a large trade with the
phosphate hands. Since the discharge OF
nearly 5000 of these a month or so ago
their trade has fallen Off considerably,
and to these the outlook is as gloomy as the
phosphate people say it is to themselves.
There Is some talk of a syndicate on the
line proposed by the Legislative committee,
but the matter has not yet taken definite
shape. The plan talked of is in the nature
of a combination between the land and river
companies to limit the production, and thus
to get an increase in price Another plan
is the one proposed last summer to form a
pool, each company mining as much as it
desires, but to intrust the sale of the pro-
duct to an agent, who shall be limited 70 a
certain price per ton. The matter is said
to be under advisement.