Evening star., 1902-01-16
POLICE PATROL BOXES
FUNDS NECESSARY TO PLACE SER
VICE IN coon ORDER.
Report of Electrical Engineer Show
ing Changes and improvements
Character of Circuits.

A number of complaints having recently
been received by the District Commission
ers from the police department in regard to
alleged defects in the working of the po-
lice patrol box system, the electrical en-
gineer, Mr. Walter C.. Allen. has submitted
a detailed report to the Commissioners on
the subject. He says the police patrol box
service was placed in his charge in July,
1898, and proceeds to give a summary Of
the number Of boxes and character of the
circuits on that date, and the changes. i'm
provements and extensions that have been
made up to January /, 1892. Mr.. Allen de-
clares that an appropriation Of 500, $50 Will
have to be secured before the service can
be placed in proper shape.
with the limited funds at the disposal
great many improvements have been made
in the patrol service. The new boxes and
the wires and labor for connecting them
with existing circuits were paid for from
the appropria tions for the extension OF the
patrol system but several of the lines were
rebuilt from the general appropriation
Since the fiscal year 1881 this general ap-
preparation has been increased only $500
although in that time a new, enlarged and
more expensive fire alarm system has been
put In service, an underground cable sys-
tenn inaugurated. and the fire alarm. police
patrol and the District telephone systems
greatly extended"
That the appropriation is wholly made
quate for the bare running expenses of the
department Is shown by the fact that there
have been the following DEFICIENCIES:
Year ending June 30, 1ooy. $7.43O.S1: year
ending June 80. 1900. s.. 396O O0; year ending
June 30, 1901 s.. AIS. 13: year ending June 80,
1902. $257O.46 (estimateo).
The Aggregate Cost.
1t is estimated that 1t will require 90
new boxes at $135 each C$12 ,1oo) and &c.,
OC1 for rebuilding the lines Ia total of ST.
150), before the patrol service can be
placed in proper shape. 1t is impossible
to pay for any Of this work Of improve
ment from the general appropriation of
1900, the above deficiencies show 1t
to be insufficient for the running expenses
alone.
Mr.. Allen incloses photographs. show
ing what are styled "booths'' and wall
boxes" and says: The booths are merely
box containing the signaling and telephone
apparatus.
These are not suitable for city use. as
they are unsightly and somewhat of an OBJ
to some extent in the outlying sections
where the patrolmen have no refuge in
times Of severe storms. The wall box now
adopted is of the latest type, placed on
posts, with underground cable connection.
Insufficient Salaries.
u would take this opportunity to call the
attention Of the Commissioners to the serv-
ices Of the repairmen of this department
There are three repairmen and one expert
repairman constantly engaged upon the
overhead wires Of the fire alarm and patrol
systems. The regular hours of these men
are from until each week day, while
seme one of them is required to be on duty
each Sunday. Besides this regular work.
they are frequently called out during the
night to repair broken wires and clear other
troubles from the lines.
That the salary of S72o per annum paid
the repair men is insufficient for the serv-
ices they render is evidenced by the fact
that vacancy having occurred by the un-
fortunate death of Martin Donaldson, over
year ago, | was unable to secure a COM
petent and reliable man at the above sal
airy, the men claiming that they could make
more money on the outside. Two changes
have already been made in the past year.
and the position is still without a COM
petent incumbent. The work that our men
do requires more experience than that DOS
seSsed by the regular Iineman, as they
must often work independently in repairing
instrument as well line troubles would
urgently recommend that the salaries, of
these men be increased to 5000 per annum."