The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-07

of the present year in the appropriation
 for the department for 1900.
 Alderman Dove, a member of the
 finance board, asked if that statement
 was made on the assumption that the l whole amount of the estimated income
 of 1900 was collected He said that as
 a matter of fact the entire estimated income was not collected and that there
 would be no money unexpended at the end of the year and no money would be turned over to departments except
 for bills sent in, not to exceed the
 amount of the appropriation.
 MT. Holcomb said that he meant that | the unexpended balance of $1,200 was | in the payroll account, but that out of
 the entire appropriation for the depart
 ment there would probably be no un-
 expended balance
 The estimates of the police depart
 ment were next taken up and President 1 Mix of tha board was called upon to
 speak concerning the needs of his de- i partment. MT. Mix said that the po-
 lice board asked from the board of
 finance only what was actually need
 ed, He believed that nothing touched
 the pockets of taxpayers so much as | lilC ollI POlICe SGINlCG anu lHdl dll
 wanted good service in those depart
 ments. For the payroll $1S6,303 was
 needed in order to pay the salaries with 1 grade increases and if the city couldn't
 give the department any new men it was to be hoped that money enough would
 be given to pay the men they already have. The amount asked for provided | for the addition of fifteen new men to | the police force. To pay the depart
 ment payroll next year for the men ! actually on duty s4,99S9S less than the amount appropriated for that purpose
 would be required. For police alarm
 nearly $3000 more would be needed than was appropriated. In case of storm the overhead police wires would be
 broken and the fire service and police service must be cut off The board ask ed for an appropriation of $1 900 for the
 laying of 30,000 feet of underground
 wires. This $1,O0O was allowed, but
 nothing was allowed to pay for the wire, for which $2,392.50 would be re- qured Not enough within $200 was al- lowed to pay for telephone service for the police department next year. For new signal boxes $1 200 was asked, but the board of finance allowed only $500. Since there are not men enough to cover the beats signal boxes must be used great deal and there would be an ac- tual deficit of $500 in that account. For the sundry account $1000 was asked, but only $500 was allowed. During 1899 $500 was appropriated for the account and that has been expended, and $500 more has been used in that account having been transferred from other ac- counts. For special detective service $500 was asked for, the same amount al- lowed during 1899 but only $100 was al- lowed an amount entirely inadequate.
 He said that these things which he had mentioned were actual needs of the department and needs that should be supplied in order to enable the depart ment to give efficient service.
 Alderman Dove called attention to the fact that the payroll actually need ed for next year, according to MT. | Mx's statement was about $5,000 more | than was needed last year. Mir Mix 1 said that this increase would be caused | by going back to the old system of time service grading. He said that statis- | tics show that more men are required | to police seaport town than an inland | town. During the last year about ten | square miles had been policed, the { area being practically the same for 1899 i and 1900 In the western part of the city and on the outskirts beats were neglected because of the lack of men.
 Alderman Donovan said that it had been suggested to him that there were too many officers in the department that some of the sergeants could be do- ing patrol duty.
 MT. Mix in reply said that the police board thought that there were no more sergeants than were needed, as on their efficiency depended the efficiency of the force. The sergeants were to see if | the policemen were doing their duty, and the only way the board had of knowing whether or not patrolmen did their duty was through the sergeants.
 Superintendent Wrinn said that there was no question in his mind but that more men were needed particularly in stations and 4. He had endeavored to have precinct No. 1 fairly well policed, and it is. There are in several cases two beats which must be covered by one man. This is true in stations Nos 2, 8, and 4. He asked for twenty new men, and even with that number of men anportioned among the stations the result would not be appar- snt. He did not think that there were 100 many sergeants. Each officer and each patrolman of the department per- 'orms at least ten hours duty a day, ! except the drivers, and they are on 1 1uty twelve hours a day. The older 'ergeants who are incompetent he had ( detailed for desk work and the others ] Ire all doing street duty. Alderman Donovan asked if it was customary for policemen in other cities o try the doors of private buildings as he police here do. The superintendent bought that it was proper to do this $ f the police didn't do this there would i 'e many more burglaries than there | Ire at present. He thought that this t vas good sense and said that it didn't ' ake great deal of time. 8 President Mix said that the police ; ules in Boston and New York requiro i d policemen to try the doors of build : rgs of which the main entrances are I eft open.
 Superintendent Wrinn told of one in- tance wherein trying the back door D