The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1897-06-19
PAYING THE POLICE.
How the Thing Is Done in the Great
City Of Chicago.
The Money Is Distributed by a Wagon
Built for the Purpose, and
1t Has Never Been
Waylaid.

II takes over 100000 every month to
run the police department of Chicago.
| The amount varies according to the
! zines imposed at police board trials CT
| extra men employed on extraordinary
| occasions. For the month of May
| checks were drawn for S295, ,53O.24. From
| this amount there was the usual reduc-
| tor for the pension fund; for May the
amount was $2,34S.S6. The actual
amount paid to the force, from the
chief down TO the lowest in the depart
ment, was the difference between the
pension fund and the amount given.
The 18th of each month is pay day in
| the department., unless Sunday falls on
that date. On that day wagon con-
tanning paymaster, two specially de-
tailed officers and the driver, the last
also a policeman, leaves the city hall in
the morning. The wagon contains a
safe, and it IS full of checks-not cash.
The driver knows the route. The pay
master has the payroll. The first step
is made at Battery D, of the First pre-
cinct. All ;he men of that precinct
not on their beats are lined up when the
wagon arrives. The paymaster goes in
with the payroll of that station and
checks for each man. The desk SER
gcant calls the roll and as each man an
swcrs he steps out of the ranks and re-
ceiyes the city treasurer's check for
months services, according to rank, un-
less there is deduction for fine. Checks
for absentees and men on duty are left
10 foin hn inc oh
is for $3.50; the lieutenants' checks are
TO- S125 each; sergeants', S1O0; that for
each patrolman, $S3.33, and of the in
spector, $210.
The chiefs check is always handed to
him personally, if he is in the city, and
he always scrutinizes it to see if it calls
for $500. That is his monthly salary.
Then he deposits it in his bank.
The pay wagon of the department is
gay outfit, puilt for the express pur-
pose, and if some of the bold highway
men of Chicago should conclude to hold
it up as they do the cashiers of stores it
is not likely that they would be able to
'-blow" the cafe before assistance ar!
rived, and the police are unusually alert
on the 18th. If the wagon should be ten
minutes late at station the whole force
would be on the qui vive.
The check Of the city treasurer of Chi
cago, according to an attache of the po-
lice department, is good at any bank,
saloon, or brewery" If there is a bank
near the station the former always
stocks Up with cash the day before the
monthly pay. If there is no bank in the
vicinity, the saloons, or brewery, if there
be one, cash the checks, as that usually
means ''litt1e business
There are 5000 names on the payroll |
of the police department of Chicago. |
The chief comes first, with a salary of |
$500 a month. The assistant, or deputy, |
follows with 5000. The inspectors, four |
in number, get $21O each. The chief of |
and captain rank alike ON the
payroll, each getting $1S7.50 a month. |
The ieutenants in the detective depart |
ment get $141.66 each. The lieutenants |
of the regular force get $125 each; |
sergeants, 500 each; custodians $116.- |
&c; secretary of the department., $751;
so; private secretary to the chief, $50; |
S100 each.
The depar tment, like similar depart
nents in all cities, comprises represen-
tatives from The principal nations of the
earth. The Irish are in the majority;
then come the Swedes and Norwegians
md Scandinavians. There are some
,olored men on the force, few English
md Scotch, and now and then an Amer
can. 1t is said by one who knows that
here are not 100 men on the police force
If Chicago who come under the head
Usually known as genuine Americans"
every man would resent being
,alled anything else. The head of the
department. and his assistant and most
If the captains are of foreign extrac-
ion, if not foreign born. - Chicago
Chronicle.