Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-12-15
SHY AT A MATRON
Disposition to Stave Off Appoint.
ment to Next Coun.
Gil.
WOMEN ASK A TRIAL SIMPLY
Believe They Can Convince Authori.
ties and Public Of Need
of Officer.

The finance and police committees
OF the city council to whom was re-
ferred the petition of women of the
city for the enforcement of the general
ordinance providing for the appoint
ment of a police matron at a salary of
s35 per month has not held a meeting
yet, and therefore nothing has been
done in the direction of supplying this
officer
Mayor McConochie stated this
morning that he expected that the
committees would get together at an
early date, at which time it would be
well for the women who have been
interesting themselves to put in an
appearance and familiarize the COM
mitteemen with their views on the dut-
les and demands of a matron. The
mayor said personally he believed that
every large city should have such an
officer, but he did not agree with the
women that there was. need for a mat
ron in Rock Island.
Not This Year, Mayor Says.
He said that il was only rarely
that woman was brought in by the
police then it was usually a drunken
woman of the town. These characters
it was of the opinion of the mayor.
had almost passed the point where
the influence that a matron might
WELD would be of good. However. he
agreed that the time was coming when
Rock Island should have a matron;
that is, when the city grew larger in
population. and there was more evil
in which the women shared. He said
the sentiment of the council, so far
as he had learned. was not favorable
10 the appointment at this time, and
he did not believe that the petition
would be considered during the pres
ent fiscal year, at any rate.
Member Police Department.
There is a state law empowering by
cities of 10000 to create the Office
of police matron, and this law has
been embodied in the general ordin-
ances of Rock Island. Under the head
of police department. il is stated that
the department shall consist, in addi.
ton 10 the chief and given number
of patrolmen. of police matron. But
appointment. Why is not just plain
to the people of the city. The salary
is only S35 per month. More than
one woman known TO be qualified for
the position has expressed a willing
ness. even a desire. to enter upon the
work at the compensation stated. One
of the chief excuses offered is that
there is no place in which matron
could be quartered at the police sta
ton. but a committee of women who
went through the building some days
ago with the mayor picked out room
that. small outlay. could be fitted
of the matron.
Experience In Other Cities.
Other cities that have not seen the
need of a police matrol have had rude
awakenings when they have put. the
right kind of women in the position
as an experiment. That is all the
women of Rock Island ask. They
want a trial of a police matron here.
They are confident they can convince
the city authorities and the public that
there is work for one here. So the
least the council can do is to grant
the petition presented for the appoint
ment Surely the financial outlay is
not a consideration that can be allow
ed to interfere. 1t would not require
more than a month to prove that a
matron was a profitable investment.
The outlay would be s35. Appoint the
matron. The public wants to see such
an officer here.