The San Francisco call., 1895-07-17
GRIPPING THE POLICE.
How the Patrol Horses Are
Farmed Out to Insult
able Stables.
TOO FAR AWAY FOR ANY USE.
Astute Liverymen Bring Patronage
to Themselves Regardless
of Expediency.

In the recent shake-up among the
smaller sources of patronage, the police
patrol, as usual, came in for share OF
the disturbance. Formed originally to
expedite the arrest of criminals and the
relief of suffering, it appears to have been
shamefully crippled by the political in
fuence of some stable-keepers and the
Willingness of the Supervisors to assist In
filing their stalls. 1t has come to be a
settled thing with new administrations to
farm out the horses of the police patrol to
whatever stable has the most influence,
and not to the one nearest and handlest:
it has become an understood thing to
make the police patrol system, by the ap-
pointment of the drivers and the placing
of the horses, as much means of gaining
political friends, as an adjunct to the
Police Department. This anomalous
condition of affairs is presented-a patrol
system whose horses, drivers and wagons
are under the control of the Supervisors
and under the orders of the police.
So far as the drivers are concerned, the
police have long since ceased to object, for
the drivers are appointed and removed by
the Supervisors and the police had their
objections for their pains, but the farming
out of The patrol horses, first to stable
near at hand and then to one blocks away
causes daily complaint.
Just now the North End station on jack
son street, near Polk, is the heaviest suf-
ferer. Up to the beginning OF this month
the wagon was kept at the Van Ness sta
bles on Pacific street, near Polk, and with
in block and half of the station. On
July L DR.. Westphal, veterinary surgeon OF
the Police Department, came to the stable
with an order from Supervisor Benjamin,
chairman of the Health and Police Com
tor to deliver up the four horses OF the
North End patrol wagon.
He took the team down to Michelson'S
stable on Ellis street, near Larkln, twelve
blocks away from the station. Since then
the wagon has stood outside the station
during all weather. 1t has been the GUS
tom when the nights were raw and cold to
send the team to the stable around the cor
ner, but with the stable down on Ellis street
this would render the wagon practically
useless, for so much. time would be con-
sumed in getting it up from the stable that
it would be more profitable to hire an eX-
press wagon at once should any emergency
case come in. This would be going back
to first principles in spite of all the money
that has been spent on the patrol. To pre-
vent such an emergency the wagon must be
ing all weather and all hours, and the
effect on the horses can be readily seen. 1t
would soon kill man to stand motionless
during the foggy nights which are found
here and the horses can fare no better.
Down at the Southern station Mr.. Ben
jamin's order has also placed the stable for
the patrol horses out of all reasonable
reach of the station. There, however,
there is shed which shelters the horses
during inclement weather, but whenever
there is necessity for changing horses the
wagon must go to Brannan street, between
Second and Third, a distance of five long
blocks. There are plenty of stables within
block or a block and half of the sta
ton, but the proprietors are not politicians
enough to secure the patrol horses.
The horses at the station at the City Hall
are now stabbed at DR.. Westphal's place on
Park avenue, near Larkin street. They
were taken from Michelson's stables Just
before Nicholson was given the horses
from the North End. DR.. WestphaI keeps
a stable for sick horses, and he has in it
two ambulance horses, four patrol horses
and two extra horses, all sound and we'll
and ready for work. They each pay him
$25 month.
The station on Seventeenth and Howard
streets has stable of it's own, and so far
the horses of the patrol wagon for that
station have been allowed to stay in it.
The horses doing duty at the California
street station are quartered at the st,
George stables on Bush street, two blocks
above. They might with advantage be
stalled at a stable just around the corner;
but they are not.
To each patrol wagon there are four
horses--two to each watch. For caring for
these the stabIemen get $25 horse The
places where they are kept are supposed to
be known to the police headquarters, but,
so quiet has been the change, the upper
officials still have on their books an item
for the North End horses at the Van Ness
stables and the City Hall horses at the
Nicholson stables. 1t was not thought