The San Francisco call., 1897-01-24
WOLFE'S POLICE
BILL IS FAVORED
Measures to Increase the
Efficiency of This City's
Department.
Larger Salaries for Officers and
Creation of Inspectors Pre-
vided For.
Merchants Approve the Pan to Raise
the Standard of ;he San Fran
cisco Force.

| SACRAMENTO, CAL, Jan. Ex-senator
| Wolfe has introduced measure provid-
ing for an increase in the salaries o; the
officials of the Police Department of San
Francisco. The proposition has the ap-
| proval of the Police Commissioners and
is said to be generally favored by the busi-
ness people Of San Francisco. AS the bill
| now reads it is objected to by Senator
| Bulla, for the reason that it may be con-
| strued to apply to Los Angeles. Aside
from this it has the approval of the Com
mittee on Corporations, which is expected
to report it favorably on Wednesday. after
an amendment making it applicable to
San Francisco only.
| In addition to increasing the salaries of
certain officials itprovides for new grade
of official rank, to be known as inspector
of police, which official is to be second in
authority to the Chief. Two such in
spectors are provided for at a salary of
| $4,000 each per annum.
at present the salaries proposed to be
changed stands as follows: Chief $4,000,
captains $500, clerk of Chief $500, prop
erty clerk $500, detectives $780, Wolfe's
bill fixes the respective salaries as follows:
Chief $4,000, captains $780, clerk OF Chief
$500 property clerk $500, detectives $500.
Police Commissioner Gunst, before ad-
vocating this proposition, entered into
correspondence with Theodore Roosevelt,
chairman of the New York Police Depart
ment, and received communication
| from that gentleman in which occurred
the following:
''We pay olr men very we'll here in New
York, giving a patrolman $1,000 for the
first year and gradually raising that to
$14O0, while the next grade, that of
roundsman, gets $500, sergeants $1,000,
captains 5000, inspectors $500 and the
chief $4,000. I suppose this would be
higher than you would care to pay, but
they ought to be well paid"
$50 far as 1 have heard" said Senator
Wolfe, speaking of the bill to-day, "there
is no opposition to this bill. While there
is some general criticism to measures in
creasing the salaries of officials in San
Francisco, those criticisms do not apply
to the Police Department.
'It is matter of fact that our police
officials are paid about the same salaries
to-day as they were when the department
was not third as large. The captains OF
police, such as Whitman, Splllane and
Gillen, have an average of nearly 200 men
under them, while in New York City and
other large Eastern cities captains of
police have only about eighty men under
them and receive salary of $27O0
The position of captain of police is
very responsible and important one Fre-
quently they are compelled to entertain
visiting police officials from other cities.
AS there is no contingent fund for this
purpose the expense has to come out OF
their salaries.
I'VE have an honest and efficient Police
Department at present and We want to
keep it SO. | believe in paying men what
their services are worth. To the proposed
| increase of the salary of the Chief of
Police | find no opposition at all. l have
spoken to a numb of leading merchants
of San Francisco ana it was generally
| favored by them. l take it that this was
not the result of their friendly feeling
| for and satisfaction with Chief Crowley,
! but because uf the responsibilities of the
work connected with that position. The
same holds good relativea to the other
officers"
Senator Wolfe is also the author of
bill extending the powers of corporations
| SOlS. uc Ouly TpOIdIlDu SO.S now IN
the State is Arch bishop Riordan of the
Roman Catholic Church. 1t is question
with many attorneys whether under the
existing law the Archbishop, in his ca
| pacity as a corporation sole. has the legal
| right to transfer real estate and perform
other legal duties without first securing
an order OF court. In order TO make him
| free to act without this preliminary step
the act proposed by Senator Wolfe pro-
| vides as follows:
! Every corporation sole shall, however have
power to contract in the same manner and to
the same extent as natural person, and may
sue and be sued, and may defend, In all courts
and places, in all matters and proceedings
whatever and shall have authority to borrow
| money, and give promissory notes therefor
and to secure the payment thereof by mort
gage or other lien upon property, real or per-
sonal to buy, sell, lease or mortgage, and in
| every way deal in real and personal property
| to the same extent and in the same manner
| that natural person may, and without the
| order of any court; to receive bequests and
devises for its own use or upon trusts to the
| same extent as natural persons may; and to
appoint attorneys in fact.