Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-27
POLICEMEN WANTED,
Major Moore Asks for Additions to
His Force.
HIS ANNUAL REPORT SUBMITTED.
Marked improvement in the Eff
cheney Of the Department.
RELIEF FUND EXHAUSTED.

police annals Of the District as one which
showed marked increase In the efficiency
OF the department Maj. Moore submitted
his annual report to the Commissioners To.
day.
AT the close of the fiscal year, he says.
the effective police force doing patrol duty
throughout the District Of Columbia was
depleted not only by the usual number of
sick and disabled members, but Furthermore
to the extent of forty-six men, whose sery-
ices were demanded in different locations
Of the city for post duty.
Ihese details seriously impair the effec-
tiveness Of the department as a whole. yet.
In the absence Of any other provision for
the performance Of the duties to which they
are assigned, there is no other recourse left
In the premises. As q consequence he has
estimated for ten more privates Of class
!, involving an additional expenditure OF
>S'ooo per annum, and ten more privates
Oh class :, which would require a further
expenditure Of $1OSOO. While the proposed
increase Is not equal to the number detailed
for post duty. and is twelve less than that
asked Tor by the neutenants in command
OF precincts. the department feels assured
that 1t would be enabled to secure q much
more satisfactory condition of affairs were
the force aided by this small accession.
The efficiency of the force is also weak
ened by the daily requirement of the sery-
Ices OF It's members as prosecuting witness
es IN the Police Court. With the establish
ment OF a magistrate system those Dis
trtct cases now requiring disposition by the
police judges could be determined at the
several station houses each day at an early
hour, thereby enabling the officers needed
as witnesses TO return, without serious de-
lay. to active duty upon the street A
speedy trial would follow arrest, the ex-
penditure for meals would be reduced and
the cells would not be inhumanely over
crowded.
The Depleted Pension Fund,
The report says: 1t is required by an &C.
OF Congress approved August 6, 1861, that
all lines imposed by the board of police
upon members OF the police force by way
OF discipline and collectable from paw or
salary and all rewards. fees. proceeds of
girts and emoluments that NAV be maid
ana given for extraordinary services of any
member OF the police force, EXCEPT when
allowed to be retained by such member
snaH be paid to the treasurer of the board
~ tha ponce. unless otherwise appropriated by
tne board" and with "all moneys arising
rom the sale Of unclaimed goods shall
SSonsstute the policemen's fund" The
uoaru OF police were made the trustees of
tney should see fit. The same law nro.
Vioeo that whenever any member ~ ,ha
ponce force. IN the actual discharge VI his
necsssa srai axn oeoome actually disabled his
easaonlty, on the certificate of a competenf
surgeon. should be charged upon the po,tna1
sI'nh ST nund. but the board may discontinue
MI, ahoWance Tor any satisfactory reason
Inns law being incomplete In that r.
laoe no allowance for officers who might
Die Se ai,sscnarged on account of permanent
fosiow,ns , n In the line Of duty. the
.Snowing provision was incorporated tnto
aie act making appropriations for the ex
pehses OF the government of the Dfstr,c,
S Solumoia Tor the fiscal year ending June
So 1880. approved February n ISa.
That hereafter the Commissioners
oeouct one dollar each month from the nsv
OF each policeman, which sum 40 da,,,,c,aJ5
S nr.sI pe aaded to and form a part OF the
states or District bonds by the trea surer
Oh tne United states, and be held bv him
SUBJECT to the drafts of the Comris.tnn-
,a, TOT expenditures made in pursuance of
law, ano such expenditures shah be ac-
counted Tor as required by law for othsr
expenditures Of the District. 'e'
And said police fund shall be usea far
r rae enei OF any policeman who by injury
.sGNeo OF oisease contracted in line ~
uuty' or having served not less than AZ
Teen years, shall become so permanentIy
disabled as to be discharged from service
sncS ,n,,,, ana IN case of his death from
such injury or disease. leaving a widow or
Shiioren under sixteen years for their ra-
ne1; provided further, that such relief shau
f 70. SAeeed Tor any one policeman or his
and sum hot exceeding seventv-6va Al
lars may be allowed from said fund to de-
10y VIC iuheral expenses OF any policeman
oyrhs IN the service of the District
ms law became Immediately orarat;,.a
ana as, at the time of its passage This a.
partrnent had been in existence nearly
Iwenty-rour years, there was already a
,;u OF IT'S members available for re-
tirement Since then ninety-one allowances
nave been made upon the recommenda-
ton OF an impartial board, composed of
the captain of police and two lieutenants.
OF 80 to the minimum of so per month.
ana an examination Of the papers SUBJ
United to the accounting officers of the
government in each case will reveal the
only to those by whom II had been justly
earned. Physical condition, cause of dis
ability, length and kind of service were
taken into consideration. the evidence of
the police surgeon who attended the ap-
plicant during his active career or at the
time his disability occurred. furnishing the
principal basis for the award.
In the eight years which have elapsed since
the law went into effect but nineteen DO
licemen have been granted the maximum of
$50 while one has been allowed $40. four $50
and five SIS per month; one widow has been
given $50. three SIS and twenty-six $50 per
month; thirty-two dependent children have
been awarded so a month until they should
reach the age of sixteen years. During this
time twenty-nlne Policemen, thirty WIDOWS
and thrty-two children have been benefit
ed-a yearly average of eleven persons,
thirty per cent of whom were policemen
and sixty per cent widows and children of
deceased members.
These details are given in view of the
present condition of the police fund.
Payments Exceed Receipts.
During the fiscal year $780, for the fist
tiAe, the payments exceeded the receipts.
and since then the monthly acquisitions
have steadily increased. resulting in a re-
duction of the securities in 1881 of Ss7S7os;
in. 1892 Of Ss37.s7, and in 1893 of SO, Sss il
This state Of affairs will cause a deficiency
for the current year Of $s.S4s.5O. which adj
ded to the amount of the present roll
Go5oo, will necessitate an appropriation for
the next fiscal year Of $24 i6S So This esti-
mate is reached by aggregating the average
amount awarded in each individual case
during any one of the past eight years and
Is based upon an addition of eleven to the
pension roll, with an allowance Of four
funeral expenses of policemen dying in the
service of the District.
In calling attention to this subject in my
annual report dated July ], 1889 II was sug-
gested that the amount required to continue
In effect the law of February g. 1856 could
be allowed from the receipts from fines
imposed by the Police Court in District
cases, which during the year Just ended
reached $i0,167.75.
The Work of the Year.
The larpaSt mum her ~ casos raoor5aa 10,