Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-18
THE wARRIHG COMMISSIONERS.
A Sharp Reply From Mr.. Hine to Re-
ported Remarks Of Col Robert

A Sharp Reply From Mr.. Hine to Re-
ported Remarks Of Col Robert
THE DIVISION OF Duties DrscrsEp-rHE IN
siSkEB COMMISSIONERS oPISIoS-NR. BISE
THINKS HIS COLLEAGUE MISTAKEN ABOUT SOME
THINGS Oh TIE REpoRrER MISUNDERSTOOD HIM
Everything was as calm and serene nj the Dis
trict building today as possible. Commissioner
Hine was on hand early in the day. and went to
work with will dispatching the business tina,
had accumulated during his brief absence. He
was shown by STAR reporter the interview
porting to be with Col Robert, and asked what
he thought of it.
COL ROBERTS TALK.
In that interview Col Robert is reported to
have said:
In relation to police matters my attention
was necessarily drawn to them when. at the
instance of Commissioner Hine, 1 was called
upon to act with him on the subject Of
licenses, a branch of business which. under
the order of the three Commissioners. had
been assigned to Commissioners Douglass.
Out of some 702 applications for licenses Mr..
Douglass had rejected all but some l70. and IL
required the affirmative action of Commits
sioner Hine aud myself to grant them. No OBJ
lection was then made TO the interference of
one commissioner with the duties Of another.
Quite the reverse.
lin order TO act intelligeutiy upon these
eases IL became necessary TO examine some
ten thousand questions and answers. made
mostly by police officers, and the necessity
became apparent. in order TO act intellIgently
In granting or refusing a hceaso rejected
by the Commissioner having official charge
OF that branch of business 10 see some thing
as to the character OF the policemen making
the Endorsement, the record. good or bad. Of
their precincts, and in some special instances
to make a personal inspection of the places
sought TO be licensed. So. YOU see, that the
very FIRST necessity for my police investig atoms
arose from cooperation with Mr.. Hlne IN the
matter OF licenses. which were under the presi-
dent OF the board.
concerning the several police precincts. and
when considered that the Commissioners
ali three OF them-were clothed with the
powers Of the old board of metropolitan police,
by the organic act OF 1873 creating the present
form OF government, did not consider myself
as going outside of my duties in making myself
acquainted With the force aud what it was do
ing. wear the badge OF the metropolitan po-
lice, as do the other Commissioners, aud police
matters SO interviewer with many of the
functions of the Commissioners that they can
not be ignored by either one of them.
Possibly the first cause of disagreement be-
tween my colleague and myself was the case of
the policeman tried for drunkenness and who
ives fined few dollars for the offense. Mr..
Hine evidently did not consider drunkenness
on duty very serious Offense, for he approved
the finding of the trial board and secured the
signature of Dir. Douglass. When it was
brought to nae for signature | declined to APP
prove, and after examining the ease
erased his signature of approval. ] regard
drunkenness on duty as very serioHs ofiense
in policeman. Apart from moral considera-
tons, man who is clothed by law with the
duty of keeping the peace. aud who is armed
for that purpose, should keep his head cool and
his body IN condition for any emergency.
When such a person becomes drunk he is
a danger to the community. To fine man
few dollars for such an offense IL the height
of absurdity. He should be promptly dis
missed. In relation to the Guy case and
others. the statement that ex-Lieut Arnold
had anything to do with my Investigations is
incorrect. He neither spoke TO me concerning
the police at the outset except TO ask me to eN
| anime his case, which declined AT the time
nor was lie sent for by me until after had al
ready obtained substantially the information
for which l was looking. He only answered
under compulsion the questions l asked him,
and SO when sent for him the second and the
third time, What his motives may have been
is another matter.
II was in the neighborhood of 18th street
and New York avenue one evening, near the
locality raided by tue police few nights be-
fore, and accosted a policeman, who upon ny
disclosing my identity became quite communi-
catiye. He told me- among other things, that
a certain house, about mile distant from the
beat, was to be raided on certain evening.
This set me TO thinking. II the
knowledge of projected raids was COM
muncated to subordlnates so far in ad-
vance of the time what an opportunity
was afforded for warning the law breakers in
time to escape. And when L investigated the
subject further it was found that this fire.
quently the case. One investigation led to an
other. until / became acquainted with facts
concerning the police which il my Judgment
needed correction. 1t was much my duty to
help TO apply the correction ms that of any
other of the Commissioners, and what | did
was, as understood it, with their appreciation.
What have done with the testimony gath
cred by me? / have had il burned | would
have been willing to SO on the stand and pro-
duce 1t, SO far as was concerned. and thought
of doing SO, but concluded finally TO destroy II.
have the stenographic notes, however, in my
possession.
Now in relation 10 the point that the Engi-
neer Commissioner gives no bond. L cannot
see anything in that The commission of a
lieutenant colonel OF engineers is certainly
worth more than SJ0,0OO, TO say nothing of the
matter of reputation ana in case Of dereliction
Of duty he could and would be tried and his
commission might be vacated.
That is not all, however" continued Col
Robert. taking down a copy of an order of the
will see that no purchase can be made and no
Indebtedness incurred without the approval of
at least two Commissioners, and when IL is 20 be
paid for it has to pass through the hands of the
auditor. and then a check has to be signed for
it by two Commissioners at least. And the
auditor is under the special department of
business conducted by Mr.. Hine.
LAS to the question of contracts. The law
specifically provides that all contracts for the
construction, Improvement, alteration or re-
pairs of the streets, avenues highways, alleys.
cutters, sewers. and all work of like nature
shall be made and entered into only by and
with the official unanimous consent of the
Commissioners of the District The Engineer
Commissioner can, therefore, make no con-
tracts and he has nothing TO do with disburse-
ments. aud the auditor who audits the accounts
ID under Commissioner Hinc. | do not see
where the point made comes in.
"a great deal has been said about the state
of the law authorizing the detail by the Presi-
dent of the United States of two officers from
the engineer corps of the army to act assist
ants to the Engineer Commiss ioner and some
stress has been laid upon the proposed altera-
ton of that Law SO as to have
these officers act as assistants to the
Commissioners. Well. suppose this change
i'll the law should be made, would that add to
the security of the civilian Commissioners? l
do not see how il would. These assistants have
no power tosmake contracts, purchase anything
or create any Indebtedness. nor to disburse a
dollar, and the change OF the law to have them
detailed as assistants to the Commissioners in
stead Of to the Engineer Commissioner would
not add to or detract from the responsibility of
the civilian Commissioners.
'As matter of fact it is proper to say right
here that the engineer assistants have done