The herald., 1897-10-27
BADGERED BY AP-
PLICANTS FOR POSITIONS
What the Funds for the Fire Depart
ment, to Be Raised by Bond
Election, Will Be Spent For

|
hours service per day, has placed the
board of police commissioners in {
quandary. The opinion of the city at
torney was presented at meeting of TIL,
board yesterday, and the result of it i.
that the board is undecided whether
they must put on duty three sets of mer
to serve for eight hours each, or whether
they will find it necessary to decrease
the salaries now paid policemen, in order
that additional men may be employed
within the appropriation. If any ac-
tion at all is taken and if there is any
objection by members of the department.
day, the reduction in salary will be the
| solution of the matter.
There would have been no trouble
about the matter had not some member
of the police force complained to Mr..
Hutchison that he was compelled to
work more than eight hours per day.
The resolution in the council followed,
and when the board of police commits
sioners We're in session yesterday morn
them by the city attorney:
THE application of the eight hour law
TO the police department is very deli
cate matter. as a policeman, as police
officer, like a fireman, is always pre-
sumed to be on duty and subject to call
in any emergency which may arise re-
quiring his services. l am, however, of
the opinion that regular and stated serv-
ices should not be exacted from police
officers in excess of eight hours per day."
The commissioners did not know what
to do in the matter, and for time they
looked at each other, each waiting for
the other to break the ice. At the sug-
gestion of Chief Glass the opinion was
filed and and then the discussion began.
The chief asserted that if the men were
to do police duty for only eight hours
per day the present force in this city was
not large enough to do half the work re-
quired There is not city in the coun-
try where such a rule obtains" said he.
In many cities the men work twelve
hours and even more at salaries of from
$50 to $50 per month, and there is no COM
plaint The eight hour law is all right,
but no man who has carved out fame
has limited himself to that length of
time. The application of the law to the
police department would seriously Grip
pie it's efficiency"
IF we cannot work the men more than
eight hours we can reduce salaries so
that we can employ more men," said
Commissioner Preuss. In this view he
was supported by the other commission
ers and the chief. 1t was stated that
if the salaries We're to be reduced from
$1,000 per year to $50 or s65 per month
the money saved would pay for the serv-
ices of large number of additional po-
licemen. While no action was taken in
the matter it was understood among
the members that if action became nee
essary a reduction of salaries would be
certain to follow.
UNIFORMS AND HELMETS
| The matter of furnishing helmets to
| the department, which had been ex-
pected to cause a clash was disposed of
easily Henry Siege, who had bid for
furnishing Knox helmets, withdrew
his offer in a tart letter in which he
openly asserted that the board had dis
regarded the interests of local business
|
| firms. The letter was filed
FILED IT AWAY
| Police Surgeon Hagan's report on the
physical condition of the ten men re-
Gently appointed regular policemen was
presented to the board. 1t will be re-
membered that several weeks ago it
was stated that the commission had
violated it's own rules in selecting men
| who were under size and over age. Pa
trolmen Roller and Rosso We're stated
to be under size and Loomis over age
and otherwise disqualified physically.
DR.. Hagan prepared no special report
in the matter as had been contemplat-
ed by Commissioner Wyman, who pre-
sented the resolution calling for the
report. Instead the reports filed long
ago when the men were first appointed
were sent to the board These showed
that Roller and Rosso were each five
feet eight inches in height. 1t was ad-
mitted that Loomis was over age but
nothing was done in the matter The
reports were simply filed.
SALOON LICENSES
When the application of Henry w
German for license for saloon at the
new Armory building at Eighth and
Broadway was returned to the board il
was discovered that it lacked the con-
sent of the required two-t thirds frontage
of property on that square. The neces-
sary frontage is 79014 feet, while Cor
man has but 644.5 feet, or less than what
is needed by 1855. Contrary to expect
ations there We're no protestants in at
tendance and the application was re-
turned to German to allow him to fill the
deficiency if he can. If he gets the
necessary number Of feet of property he
will probably get the license.
Judge j. N. Phillips appeared before
the board in behalf of J. II. Green, whose
appointment as a special policeman is
desired He was appointed, and will be
on duty at the Orpheum theater. 1t was
reported to the board that Patrolman j
N. Baker had been sued for damages by
a number of Chinese whose place he
had entered in the discharge of his du-
ties while looking for gamblers. The
city attorney was asked to assist in the
defense Of the suit. He will act as one
of Bakers attorneys.
The applications Of A. L. Rutherford