The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-12-03
PRACTICAL REFORM WORK
ADDRESS BY POLICE 60 COMMISSIONER
ROOSEVELT OFNEW YORK.

Vigorously Denounced.
Theodore Roosevelt, New Yorks re-
form police commissioner, who is also
wen known as political reformer of
the practical kind, and as the author of
several books, spoke before the Yale
| Civil Service Reform club last evening
in College street hall
! The hall was filed with a large au-
dience, including students and towns
people, who listened with the keenest
appreciation to the speakers explana-
| tion of the reform work of the reform
! police commissioners in New York, and
| his sarcastic characterization of So
called practical politicians of the old
school. He said in part: People will
tell you that the work of reforming the
police force in New York is impractical
but after an experience of two years in
the reform work, it is idle to tell me
that the reform will not work, for it has
worked You will read the lament in
some of the esteemed papers of the city
like the New York Sun, and / will hear
it from my esteemer friend Kruger as
to the folly of asking a hard working
man who wants to be a policeman
about the geography of Timbuctoo
Now, the fact is, we don't ask these
| Timbuctoo, but they still keep up the
old lament.
Under the old police commission, if
a man wanted to get appointed police
man, there We're two ways in which he
could do it; by getting some 'practi-
cal" politician of the so-called "influen-
tiaP' kind to use their influence with
the examining board
The second method was to get the
assistance of a small politician, and
this sometimes cost them $500.
by January / we will have appoint
ed more men on the police force than in
the last ten years; 1000 in all. Our
method of marking all appointments
are as follows: Anyone who applies
for a position on the force must first
show that he is of good moral charac-
ter by the attestation of four or five
reputable citizens of his vicinity. The
police captain of the vicinity then in
quires into the general fitness of the
man for the force He Is then subject
ed to a severe physical examination, al
most severe enough to enable him to
get a place in the rush line. Then
comes the mental examination, about
which there is so much adverse criti-
cism. We believe that it is of high
Importance that an officer should know
how to spell with a reasonable deg.ae
of accuracy, and that he should be
able to write readable report. In a
report which 7 had to get interpreted to
me the other day, burglar was so mis-
spelled that it looked as much like the
name of a popular character in police
novel as anything.
Then we ask a few elementary ques-
tions as to the history and government
of the United States, believing it to be
important that a policeman should
| know a little at least of both subjects.
Some of the answers are very amusing
One applicant, when asked to name the
six New England states, gave, England
Scotland, Ireland, Wales and New
York. Another when asked as to what
congress is, said, Congress is composed
Of twenty-four members who meet once
month to revise the laws passed by
Another, when asked to name five
states of the southern confederacy
gave Utah, Nevada, Montana, Wash
ington and Wyoming.
Abraham Lincoln was said by one
to be the president of the southern con-
federacy, and there are a large number
who locate Chicago on the Pacific coast
I'VE only require that they should
have the knowledge that a common
school education would give them
They do not have to do that most de-
basng thing-kick their heels together
in the chamber of some politician
but instead each man Is given a show
on his own merits.
"This, it seems to me, is a common
sense, practical American method OF
reform work Formerly one third tc
one-half the force were bartenders
who are the natural aristocracy' o1
New York. Now less than one pei
cent. are bartenders. OF the appoint
ments we have made thirty or forty
have been men who have served in the
army or navy, and a large proportion
of the rest are taken from those posi-.
tions which require hardihood and
| courage, ana so are We'll Ut men u
serve as policemen.
Greed and political affiliations have
no weight in making the appointments
AS far as possible the efficiency of the
police force is increased by making
promotions when deserved. One mar
who had rescued twenty-five lives ir
his twenty-one years on the force, ant
had received two medals by special ac
of congress, but had never been pro
NOTED by the old board is an instance
of one of the promotions made by tht
reform board.
"The old board did not make the pro
motion because they were apostles o.
the old school and did not consider
such promotions practical but we, be
ing impractical, promoted him. coult
give you many instances in which
these deserved promotions have beer
made.
I'VE have no sympathy for the Grim
inal class. If a man commits crime h,
must expect the consequences, and i
is the duty of all honest citizens Il
help enforce the law It is one of tht
worst tendencies of our times, thi.
sickly sympathy which is so common
ly expressed for criminals. the carry
ing of flowers to murderers, or the Sc
lection of some particularly hideoui
crime and making a hero of its per
petrator The effect of this sentimen
. is also seen in the press, the so-callet