The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-12-30

Mr. itf.N n Ri\S Ol iulnollltlon
ana cenSure addressed OH
Il Saturday by Recorder Con-
nell to the assembled MEM
oership of the Scranton police force
We're pointed and severe but they were
made necessary by conditions which
had grown intolerable and they must
not be miSinterpreted.
Every syllable in those remarks was
meant and will be carried out to the
letter. Men serving the city under oath
o enforce peace and good order will be
l"ld to firm accountability and either
neglect or defiance of duty will be pun
ished summarly. The new charter
gives to the recorder ana to his depart
ment chiefs sweeping power to enforce
discipline. and it will not be spared. In
the city's transition from the old to the
lew order of things many pressing
problems have arisen, which could not
all be met and mastered in Il day. Per-
haps The most urgent of these was the
bringing of order out of chaos in the
fire department. TO a satisfactory de-
gree and in n comparatively brief time
thiS problem has been solved. The
Scranton fire bureau today is more ef-
1cient and better prepared for hard
duty than it has ever been. This is
generally admitted. Then came the
task of adjusting assessments ana rev
cnues and it likewise took time. Upon
it depended all the estimates for the
coming year-thc vital problem of
ways and means. That earlier atten-
tion was not directed publicly to the
reorganization of the police force was
partly due to the pressure of other du-
ties apparently coming first in the or
icr of necessity. and partly to local
conditions rendering it of doubtful
wisdom to swap horses amid-stream.
nut the eyes of those in charge We're not
blind nor did they fail 10 note where
deficiencies and delinquencies occurred
and who were responsible for them.
Saturdays admontory talk to the
men, Introductory to the appointment
,f a new acting superintendent, sig
nalized that Il new order of things
is to be evolved in an arm of the city
service which for five years has been
partially paralyzed. The personnel of
the police force, we believe, is excel
ent: its capabilities great. There are
mcn ON it who, in the face of discour-
isement and sometimes lack of proper
support from above, have done their
duty manfully and deserve special
credit. There are Others on the force
who have good stuff in them but have
permitted it to deteriorate. In spite of
complaints, we are reluctant to believe
that there is an officer on the pay roll
who, if made to know his duty and held
by intelligent discipline to just account,
man will go. Neither politics nor pull
can save him. Upon this point the de-
termination of those held responsible is
fixed and absolute
During the more critical period of the
street car strike police ineffectiveness
justly. provoked public criticism and
ccnsure, which in many instances, how
ever, was not informed as 10 the diff
culties under which The department of
public safety labored nor prepared 10
credit it fairly for what it did, Much
of this was necessarily kept out of view
and will appear hereafter. But on the
face of things the showing, when COM
pared With street car strikes in other
cities, is not so diSCreditabe as may
hastily be assumed. Destruction to
property has been slight Loss to life
has resulted in one instance only and
that Through no fault of the police
Small annoyances have been many
and easperating, but n regiment
of police could not wholly have stopped
them;s ana on the whole, taking into
account how much worse other cities
have Jared under circumstances some-
times, less irritating, while criticism
here has had warrant, ii can easily he
overdraWn.
This, however. Offers no excuse for
police negligence or ineiiiciency. There
has been both and both must disap-
peiir. For five years Scranton has not
known what 1t was TO have u well disci-
plined and systematized police force
TO bring this about after so long an in
terval OF deterioration. much of it UNI
conscious and not due TO negligent in