St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-17
MUST HAVE MONEY
MEMBERS OF THE POLICE FORCE
DECIDE TO SUE THE
CITY.
CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER.
CREDITORS ARE PRESSING THEM
FOR THE OBLIGATIONS THEY
HAD TO INCUR.
EACH TO BRING SEPARATE SUIT.
One Hundred and Eighty Actions
That VIII Cost the City $40
Each.
CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER.
EACH TO BRING SEPARATE SUI,

The members of the police force
have decided to bring suit against the
city to recover their back salaries. as
a result Of the action of the common
council in hanging up the reduced pay
roll of the department and the refusal
of the assembly to pass the old scale
of wages. The feeling of satisfaction
with the methods which have deprived
the employees of the department of their
salaries for the past three months, and
which promise to keep them out of
their pay for three months longer, has
at last assumed such proportions that
1t is claimed the delay Will be tolerated
no longer. The police say they have
earned their pay and in all justice
ought to receive it. They claim they
have waited patiently for something
to be done that they might be reim-
bursed for their services, incurring
debt in the meantime for the neces-
saries Of life, untsH patience has ceased
to be g. virtue. Nearly every officer
on the force, it is said, has been forced
to seek credit during the differences of
the council and the assembly over the
salary question. and their creditors are
now beginning to demand a settlement.
The officers have no money coming
in, and in many cases cannot meet
their obligations. This condition Of af-
fairs is given as one of the main rea-
sons for seeking legal assistance. 1t
has seemingly been customary in the
past to pay little attention to asser-
tions as to what the police will do in
regard to the collections of their sal
aries, but it is given out in the present
instance that the men are all Of one
mind, and are determined to secure
their rights. Attorneys have been con-
suited, and in every case have advised
the immediate instituting Of suits The
determination of the police means that
the city will be made defendant in
1S0 actions, as each officer has been ad-
vised to bring suit individually. The
department, as a whole, regrets that
such action should be necessary, but
maintains that there is absolutely no
other way of obtaining justice.
Chief Clark was asked yesterday If
it was true that the police intended
suing the city for their back pay.
Yes" he replied, ''it is true, and
action toward that end has already
been taken. We have been contem-
plating such a course for some little
time, but have hoped against hope
that we would not be driven to it. 1t
reflects little credit upon city to be
constantly embroiled regarding the
pay Of it's officials, and we have been
loathe to institute proceedings which
would cast any reflection upon our
municipality, but it ha scome to
point where the policemen have sim
ply got to have their pay or go into
bankruptcy. Most of them live up
to their incomes, and when the in
comes stop what are they going to
90? The city attorney has given it
1t lit
titled to their pay at the old rate un-
til this present difficulty has been set
tied, but in spite Of this and the fact
that the money is laying piled up in
the city treasury, the department is
refused it's just dues.
This sort of action" continued
Chief Clark, mot only works individ-
ual hardships among the officers, but
also seriously interferes with the ef-
ficiency OF the entire police depart
ment Merchants are coming to me
daily complaining that some policeman
or other owes them money which they
cannot collect. AS a matter of fact, they
are right, for they cannot collect mon
ey from men who have none. AS
result, credit will be refused the men
from time to time until finally they
will be unable to provide themselves
and their families with clothes and
food.
For the past two years the salaries
of the police force have been constant
ly jeopardiZed by some technicality
o" peculiar construction placed upon
the law by different officials through
whose hands the pay roll has had to
pass, but the present delay has
brought matters to crisis. 1t is no
longer a question of waiting. The
men must live, and to live they must
have the wages they have certainly
earned. Disregarding the fairness and
patience which the department has
manifested up to this time, those who
are depriving the men of their pay
give it out cold that their present mode
of procedure will be continued until
new officials are elected to fill their
places before one side will give in to
the other. 1t will cost the city $40 each
to defend these suits, and then where
will all the proposed economy Gomez"
1t would certainly be better for the
city's exchequer to pay the policemen
their salaries at the old rate of S75
a month than get into such dilemma.
as 1t certainly will, by the institution
of these suits.
1--WE need our money" concluded
Chief Clark, "and, as the only way to
get it is through the courts, we pro-
pose to take advantage of that alter