The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-01-21
MAY MEAN EXPERIMENTS.
MEETING OF POLICE COMMISSION FRS ITO BE HELD TONIGHT.

l T
 Department Much in Need of Funds--Th' Present Ambulance is Unsafe lover Five Thousand Dollars Behind on the Payroll
 Superintendent smith on the Situation
 The police department is in sore
 straits financially, and it is a serious question with the department how they
 can carry on the work of the depart
 ment during the present fiscal year,
 Although every effort has been made to
 curtail all possible expenses, the depart
 ment is confronted with a shortage of
 oyer $5,OOO on the payroll alone, and un- less some heroic measures are taken by
 the court of common council in refer
 ence to this deficiency there is no tell
 ing where the matter will end.
 Not only is the department crippled
 in it's payroll but elsewhere it will be found impossible to make greatly need ed improvements in the service. The | department especially needs new pa- trol wagon and ambulance, but from present indications it will have to get along, during the present year at least, without either. In fact, this is the only way the department can possibly run through the year unless the court of common council can be induced to make
 an extra appropriation for the uses of | the department.
 The ambulance is almost a total
 wreck and is sadly in need of repairs.
 The under timbers are rotten, and the whole affair should be thoroughly over
 hauled. Unless something is done eith-
 CT in the line of repairing thoroughly
 the present ambulance or in securing a
 new one, there is liable to be an aeei- dent some day which may cost the city in damages many times the price of a new ambulance.
 The present ambulance is practically unsafe for use and ought to be abandon ed. In speaking of the matter yester- day Superintendent Smith said: Well, We will have to use the present ram shackle affair until it breaks down in the middle of the street some time with it's contents. and then we will have to drive off and leave 1t wherever it may happen to be. The depaEment has never been so crippled for money within my recollection as it is at the present time. The city is all the time asking us to give 1t better police protection, and yet every year they cut down our appropriations, until finally we are com- pletely tied hand and foot. Last year we had to economize in every way, and then only managed to just get through he xKfff rtffa fy1tr Tn, now we are compelled to start in the new year with over $5,000 less than we had last year and all the improvehents to come At present it is hard to see how we can give the public during the coming year even as good police ser vice as theythHve had in the past"
 The police Commissioners will endeav4 or to secure an additional appropriation from the city for the use of the depart ment and will present the facts in the case to the board of finance. The city fnanciers,1it is said, have been unable to discover any place where they can secure any more money for the needs of the depabtrient. In this connection, 1t fs Suggested that the settle ment of the longtcontested debt between the town and city having been satis1 factorily settled, the treasury of the city will be enriched to the tune of about $6,OOO in consequence, and it is thought that this amount could not be used more efficaciously than in the police department An eff fort will be7hfade ito secure it for the use of the department, but 1t is a ques- ton whether or not the effort will prove 
 A special meeting of the board of po- lice commissioners has been called for this evening, at which some definite ac- tion may be taken on the matter. The meeting has been called to finish up the for the year. and it is also thought that some retirements may be attempted Among the men who it is hinted may be retired are two sergeants and four patrolmen. It is possible that the retirements may not be made, but 1t is believed that they will be attempt ed.