The San Francisco call., 1897-11-29
THE NEW hats
CAUSE TROUBLE
The Action Of the Police
Commissioners Severely
Criticised.
Manufacturers Association Sur
prised and Thoroughly
Disguised.
Police Officers Are Made to Stand a
Fixed Price on Eastern
Made Headgear.

There is what may be termed big kick,
with a subIued noise, over the new he'll
NETS worn by the police in this city. The
ma ajority of the people who witnessed the
parade on last Tuesday in which that
splendid body of men were made to ap-
pear more than usually attractive by hav-
ing donned the blue helments for the first
time little knew that the blue helmet was
not only decidedly distasteful to the men
that were compelled TO wear them, but
also 20 the Merchants Association and
the hatters of this city.
The cause OF this "big" kick dates back
to the time when Police Commissioners
Nose Gunst. shortly after his appoint
ment, had the headgear of the force
changed from an ordinary stiff hat TO
helmet.
The hats worn previous to this change
were made and sold by San Francisco hat
| ters. The change to the helmets deprived
| the trade in San Francisco of the priv
| lege of entering into competition and
| threw the business into the Eastern mar
kets.
The first consignment of hemetswas
| sold to the members OF the force at 50
apiece. This price was not considered too
much, but second consignment, few
there was considerable grum bling by the
men. the additional so cents for what
| they considered an inferior article was
! looked upon as an impo ition and hard
ship, so much so that X. A. Lundsirom
| sent East for block pattern or the hel-
met and also a case OF impressed felt,
| from which he produced a much better
helmet than the New York one and
which he offered for sale at So
But to his astonishment he had no GUS
| toners 10 speak Of. Having invested
about $500 in this line, and with no pos
| sIble returns appearing, he consulted the
! Manufacturers Association, OF which he
| is mem Der, to lay the matter before the
! Police Commissioners in the hope that,
| inasmuch as the police force, including
| the Commissioners, salaries were contrib
| uted by the people of San Francisco, 1t
would be no more than fair that the mer-
| chants should have at least an equal show
with Eastern hatters. Accompanying this
| petition Two helmets were sent from
| Lundstrom' store, which, it was admit
| ted, were very superior to the ones In use.
No answer was returned to thet Manu-
| facturer>' Association or to Lunds rom on
! this request, and The matter, helmets and
| petition have been lost sight OF IN the
| labyrinths of the Police Department at
the City Hall.
But an answer was given through
| columns of The CALL in which it appeared
| few days previous to the big parade that
! the officers would don their new helmets S
| .or the first time on that day.
| This announcement was correct. The
blue helmets did appear. and with their
appearance the last hope of the Manufac-
| turers' Association and Halter Lundstrom
| passed into space.
| The ''kick,' this time, comes not only
| from the Manufacturers Association but
| from the officers who were compelled to
m arch into Korn's store and have their
| craniums measured and the figures for
| warded 10 New York, and when the he'll
NETS arrived step into the store and de-
posit So 80 for the privilege OF wearing the
| blue string that could be had from San
| Francisco halter for $3.
| The change in the helmets bad been
kept profound secret by the Police Com
missioners until the consignments had
| arrived anu the men all supplied.
| This is what has made the kick" with
! the hatters in this city. They say that,
| inasmuch as they help to support the po-
| lice officers by lakes and licenses, they
should at least have had an opportunity
of bidding on the sample, and by that
| means have an opportunity of competing
| with the Eastern factories.
This has been done by the Fire Com
missioners who have ordered change in
the firemen's caps. This body had circu-
lar letters sent 10 every cap and hat store
in the city notifying them of the proposed
change and inviting bids upon the san pie
in the Chiefs office at the City Hall.
This is spoken of as being fair and hon
orabIe, but not so with the Police Com
missiouers. who have com mplete!y ignored
the San Francisco business men on the
In met deal.