The Washington times., 1903-11-08
Three Men Are Now Receiv-
ing Pay of LabOrers-
THEIR DUTIES ARE ExACTING
All information Passes Through Their
Hands-WoIkings of the
System.

System.
While Major Sylvester was chief clerk
OF the Police Department. under for
mer Superintendent of Police w. G.
Moore, his practical ideas began to in
nuence departmental methods. Perhaps
no other single feature introduced by
Major Moore at the suggestion Of Chief 4
Clerk Sylvester has rendered more to- /
ward the efficiency of the department I
than the establishment, on November +
s. 1897. of the central telephone bu- /
reau.
Prior 20 the establishment of this bu- |
reau Police Headquarters was dependent /
for its Information Of the general police /
news of the city upon the morning re-
port from the several precincts. II
seemed to Major. then Chief Clerk. Syl- /
vester that headquarters should be ap-
prised Of all police news concurrent 4
with the happenings. a view shared by /
Major Moore. when the plan was un- 4
folded to him.
Accordingly, three men were appoint /
ed TO divide the day of twenty-fOur /
hours between them in receiving instant !
reports. This system is still in vogue.
Present Incumbents.
Inc LlIRe present lEtullDEnlH nA NtAAS |
important position are F. J. Hewston, |
w. r. Knlmon and William Coghill. /
who relieve each other at o'clock in
the morning. o'clock in the afternoon
and midnight, so that one or the other
IS always in the bureau room. When
an arrest is made, when an accident or
fire occurs, when an assault is per-
petrated, when property Is reported
stolen. when a child or dog strays, or
even when a dead cat or a break in the
street paving is noted by patrolman.
the fact Is Immediately telephoned to
the bureau by the desk sergeant Of the
patrolman's precinct.
The bI,-eau operator on duty makes
two rough copies of the message, one
OF which = furnished TO the representa-
tive of the press, and the other OF which.
after being duty copied upon the smooth
record. goes 10 the captain of detectives.
In the event of a serious assault. a
murder. suicide of prominent person,
a large robbery. or a great FIRE, Major
sylvester and Commissioner West are
also notified.
Duties Exacting.
BY this means the officials are Kept in
constant -ind accurate touch with every
section o. the city at all times. so that
out their immediate knowledge. They
are thus enabled to properly direct the
police force to the detection and pre-
vention of crime. the recovery of stolen
property and apprehension Of the thief.
and the control OF life and priority in
the case of fire or like calamity
That such duty requires judgment.
accuracy. and speed goes without say
ing. This is especially true now that
the business Of the department has in
creased four-foId since the establish
ment of the bureau. The numerical
strength Of the bureau mas not been
augmented. however. neither has the
salary Of the operator been increased.
When the bureau was established and
the work was largely experimental,
nothing ike it existing in any other
metropolitan police department The
salary OF the operators vas fixed at $500
per aanurn, and it remains at this fig
ure today.
Fixing Of Pay.
The clerks employed at Police Head
quarters draw from $40 to 100 per
year. IN his estimates for the next
fiscal year Major Sylvester fixed the
minimum pay OF these clerks at 81 900.
which was reduced by the Commits
sioners to $500 The twenty-four desk
cinctss and whose duties are almost
identical with those Of the bureau Op-
orators. now draw $50 each. Major
Sylvester asked that their pay be
raised 20 H,Is0. The Commissioners
compromised on $1,000 per year for this
position. The janitor who sweeps out
the building at Headquarters draws
$40. or $40 more than the bureau oper-
ators
The lowest wage payed any OF the
labOrs-s is the same as that payed the
operators. Even the senior messenger
at Headquarters. whose main duty IS
10 carry papers between Headquarters
and the District Building, a distance Of
about fifty feet. draws 800 more per
year than the bureau operators
In view Of the responsibility resting
upon these operators. the various re-
suits which would follow an error in
the transmission Of any important re-
port. the confidential and secret nature
Of much OF the information which
passes through their hands. il is re-
garded as singular that they are so III
paid This fact has appealed TO Major
Sylvester. who, in his estimates fur
nished She Commissioners asked that
their pay De raised 10 $500 per annum
assigning the following reasons:
a few years ago, TO be IN keeping
with the demands of the times and in
order 70 facilitate the gathering OF In
formation and concentrating the work
OF the deDa -tment. II was deemed ad-