The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-03-24

.tlREMEN AL READY
UNDER RESTRICT CTl0|Na
sMclnbcr#. & Of Police l;'t Board Says Us.
Better. Public Service Requires
THAT Men Shall Not be
Diverted From Duty
BY Political Ac-
tivity..435 3.4Ss Il.

Il The day of n political activity IN the
SRichmond police department is In tho,
past, and the board has determined l'i1' that
the officer who displays any partisan
spirit, either for or against any cam
yd.datc for public office, shall 5be prompt
" dismissed fron,Fths force. yS5 58s
5i This lis the gist Of one OF the sections
sImati1c new books Of rules, prepared by
the board last fall for the government
'ct the department., and at n meeting held
2Tnesday night Il vas emphasized by y
resolution offered by Commissioners Nc
,Gnrthy+ and unanimously adopted, direct
Ing the chief to see that itSls u rjgidlyi
enforced and relIgiously lived UP to by
ali. from the highest officer down to pa
3trolmen. This innovutiun4i Is sweeping
one. but is mado In the interest OF bet
tor public service, andgis deemed nigl,ly.
Important by the mem be..s Of tho board
III discussing the mat ter With a repre-
sentative Of rfr. Times Dispatch last
night, ono of the members Of the board
said: AZ. an 5&g 53 II
iag ..1Ys placed this rlction In our new
look oe rules adopted last Octpb ber and
was being viola ted !. The resol,lt ion uer-
ed by Nr..S Mccarthy was designed 70
direct special attention TO 1t. and TO In
struct the chief to see that il Is strictly
enforced. This is oura III TINA tum. .Ss we we
formulated the rule del libcrntely In the
Interest OF better public service. and II
III shall be violated. the position Of tho
offender Is to be Il he penalty. s
On the Same Footing.
Some time ago the fire board took sim
1Nr,e4
not thought best for the interests OF that
department that the men should partici-
pat, actively in political contests. Of.
curse, this new departure does not mean
that the police and firemen may not
freely exercise their choice between can
dldatss for office or express their wishes
through heir ballots at the polls, b.lt
tittends to remove tho two depart Hlents
sfrom the whirlpool Of political contests
and 4 directs their attentinE more undi-
3videlly to the city S business Tor Whlch hIl
they are employed.
4 While 1t Ia not so sta ted, 1t Is believed
from what can bo gathered that the talk
concerning the attitude OF the police to-
ward certain councilmcn in the coming,
iprlmarkes, based on the positions OF the
latter " til rcferenccS to the propose seds Ten
per cent. Increase tn ! the department. hau
something II not n Grea :, deal, TO 90 Win l
the on forcing resolution offered by. al al.
Mccarthy and adopted by the board Z
! il said that some of the more lndiscreet
members OF stlle force had talked & % s
knitting certain councilmen3 who did not OF
se,. lit 10 vote for the amendment to the m
budget designed to make8thc proposed
increases. Time was In Richmond and
1T has not been n great many years aso,
vixen II was said ~ ca dida g, 10y
y fficc gets the police and firenep actively
for him, he is already elected. u. HI
Bt$ While tho 5chunge appears to be quit g
drastic one here It Is not sat8 al new new
Gin tho larger cities. where u has long ago
been found mot only cHpcdient, hut a.:
most necessary III, the interest Of sound
ggovor:mental policy to remove Y he IRE, ire,