The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-08-18


 Chief wrinn and Captain cowIes
 Recommended by Dean Rogers and
 c. B. Martin--They Also stand for
 Single Headed Police Commission Judge HarrisOn's Report = Radical
 Changes Suggested.
 Yesterday forenoon the police investi- gation commission, composed of Judge Lynde Harrison. Dean Henry Wade Rogers of the Yale Law school, and George B. Martin, made two reports of their findings to Mayor studley. The majority report is made by Messrs. Rog- CTS and Martin; the minority report by Chairman Lynde Harrison. The first report is a voluminous document ern- bracing over 25.OOO words. The other contains about 5000 words. The maJor- .ty report differs in material respects from the report of the Hon. Lynde Har- rison, chairman of the commission.
 The majority report, among a series of other suggestions. recommends that Chief of Police Wrinn should be retired on account of age; that Captain cowles of the detective bureau should also be retired, and that the bureau should be reorganized; also that there should be a single headed police commission and that the constitutionality of a bi-parti- san commission is doubtful. The report also finds that the force is composed of a worthy set of men and that evidence does not support any charges of deterio- ration in the department.
 The majority report commences by stating what action the commission had taken in procuring it's evidence, such as public and private hearings and the searching of records. It then states that the testimony submitted covers more than 2,500 typewriter pages This does not include all the information pre- scented, as a number of communications were received and considered which did not seem necessary to spread upon the records.
 The report states that the commission encountered some difficulties in procure ing testimony. Some citizens who had made sweeping charges against the de- partment which in part led to the ap-S pointment of the commission, did not appear to sustain them with any speci- fic proof The commission not having the power to issue subpoenaes could not compel the attendance of these people, nor could they compel those who did testify to answer any questions which 1 they did not want to. Although the com mission had promised, before the hear l ings commenced, that any officials who testified should not be injured for so do- ing, the commission believe that a num- Der of the witnesses were nevertheless guarded in the giving of testimony
 The report states that throughout the hearing the police commissioners ap- peared desirous of rendering the inves- tigating committee all the assistance possible.
 Iii reference to corruption the report says: We found no evidence Of cor Iruption. There was not a particle of evidence to substantiate the oceasiona- al rumor that money is used to secure appointments. We have no reason to believe that there is any foundation to the report
 Concerning the force, the report says: l''The police force is composed for the most part of good and worthy men who are able to do their duty and willing to l perform 1t. Some of the men are to old to do efficient work and ought to be retired Not all of the men are compe- ltent, and not all of them are trustwor- I thy, but that no doubt is the case in most police departments.'
 The report then goes on to describe the condition of police departments in European countries.
 Tn reference to single-headed conn mission, the report says: sThe govern ment of a department of police may be entrusted to O a partisan commission; I CD a, bipartisan commission; (S) a sin gle headed commission, or (4 a chief or superintendent without commission Tn this country commission is com posed of two, three, four, five or six persons, as the case may be- AS be- tween 5 partisan and a bipartisan commission it is probable that the pref terence should be accorded to the Iat- ter. But as between a bipartisan and a single headed commission we have reached the conclusion that after con- siderable study of the subject, the sim gle headed commission is to be pre- ferred. To this commissioner the work of the department should be intrusbed. l We prefer single commission with a I superintendent under him. rather than a chief with a commission over him. I The reasons for preferring a single l lheaded commission to one that is bi- l partisan are:
 I 1. A bipartisan commission is of l doubtful constitutionality.
 \ 2. It is lacking in responsibility. Whatever responsibility exists is weak ened because it is divided.
 3. It is also lacking in yigor energy J and efficiency, I 4. Experience has shown that the principle os 3 bipartisan commissions,
 bad in theory, is worse in practice.
 The report then gives the various provisions made by the charters of New
 Haven for the government of the police force. and the revisions which have
 been made from time to time, stating
 that bipartisan commission is of
 doubtful eonstitutionality. Continuing
 the report gives sections from the con stitution of Connecticut concerning.
 finds that the office of police commits
 finds tha tthe office of police commits
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