The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-07
Doesn't Know Whether McCOI-
Ium viii Resign.
HE ISN'T UNFRIENDLY.
Chief Says He Has No Ill VIII
Toward Green.
Mr.. Howe May Remain as Chair
man Police COMMITTEES

council committees, at the Friday night
meeting. Evidently the difficulties of
the undertaking have not yet been sue
cessfully ironed out.
I won't be ready to appoint any COM
mittees Friday night. Don't know when
I will appoint them," said the mayor
today.
1T is reported that you have already
selected the men for the police COM
mittee. Is this true?"
If anybody knows so much about it,
they ought to go ahead and tell who
they are" said the mayor.
Has McCollum resigned as chief of
police?"
No said the mayor
viii he resign?"
4 don't know" was the mayors re-
Chief McCoIum was asked today
whether or not he will resign his posi-
ton. He said:
I have no intention of resigning.
want to say that I am not unfriendly to
Mr.. Green, the newly elected council
man. OF course, L hoped that Mr.. Wolf
would be elected, because he is my
friend Mr.. Green opposed me for the
position of secretary of the Grocers' as
ISOLATION solely for the reason that the
man who was running against me was
a personal friend of his. But I have no
i'll will for Mr.. Green"
Samuel t. Howe, who is likely to be
retained as chairman of the police
committee, said today:
Il don't have any idea who will be
placed on this committee. 1 am will
ing to serve wherever the mayor puts
rs Chief McCoLum to be let out?"
Il don't know a thing about it."
In spite of the general air of inno-
cence which all three of these gentle
men assume. it is known that there is
something doing" of Importance in
police circles, and it would not sur
prise anybody familiar with the stu
alton to hear of Chief McCoIlum's
resignation at any time.
Ihefe is one report that Frank Stahl
IS to be reappointed as chief of no.
lice Mr.. Stahl is living in town, and
is eligible to appointment He took
a great deal of interest in the recent
election, and supported G. v Wolf
Mayor BergundthaI has certainly
reached crisis in his official career.
and false step will be disastrous
one prominent city official said today:
II Bergundthal retains McCollum
as chief of police he might inst q :
well give up all idea of being a can
d1date for reelection. People have
got this police department sized up for
exactly what it is. and they are go
ing to hold the mayor responsibIe
His plan of turning control of the de-
partment over to the chief and the
police committee will not work Tho
law places the responsibility on him
and ne Will have to stand the racket
IN my opinion, Bergundthal has Just
one cnance to square himself with the
temperance people of Topeka and that
is to make a complete change in the
police department, and close the Joints.
There are more joints running now
imam when Parker was mayor, and
they are running Just as wide omen q &
they did then. Then the city was get
ting $4,000 month from them. and
they were paying it willingly Who is
getting that $4,000 a month now? That's
the question. If Mayor Bergundthal
would keep his skirts clear of this
/ mudGle, he must act. and act mighty
promptly, too. I, for one, do not be-
lieve that Bergundthal would take a
cent of money improperly, but the way
| things look would be enough to queer
him as a candidate for mayor.
THAT deal in releasing McCollum
from bond will hurt Bergundthal. It
SavorS too much of scheme to eYade
the laws. Law and order people can
not afford to be parties to such trick
cry.
Law and order people have express
ed their lack of confidence in Wolf
and if they had a chance, they would
condemn McCollum even more en-
phatically. Things are too suspicious.
Bergundthal will have to cut away all
this shadowy portion Of his admins
tration.'
New Police Rules.
One of the most gigantic jokes con-
nected with the present police admin
istration is the code of rules which is
being considered with view to adop-
ton. There are ITO of these rules,
some of them covering several pages
of typewriter matter. To publish
them all would require a book of up
wards 100 pages. They were drawn up
by Chief McCollun, on the plan of the
rules for the Kansas City, Mo, police
force, and some of them are very
laughable.
Mayor Bergundthal and Samuel T.
Howe have been going through these
rules and cutting out the rubbish, but
eli tod oh
third of the original list, there is moth
ing of much value in the other two
thirds.
The rules seem to seek to set up some
sort of a reorganization of the police
department, establishing the supremacy
of the police committee by inference.
The law makes the mayor the one who
is really responsible for the police force.
It would cost large sum to publish
these rules in book form, as proposed,
and they would not last to exceed one
year. Every change in administration
would consider it beneath it's dignity to
adopt anything of the sort as heritage
from it's predecessor. In Kansas City
under metropolitan police rules it is an
entirely different thing. There the
board is a permanent organization, and
the rules are of some real value.
of course when you get right down
to it." admitted Mayor Bergundthal, 1t
is the mayor who is in control of the
police department. The police commit
tee can make these rules If it wants to.
but I suppose I could put these rules
into effect without the consent of the
committee. if I desired. The object is
to give sort of basis of permanency
to the police force, and allow it to be
managed more on the civil service
plan"
Mayor Bergundthars idea is all right,
but his system of rules seem to be too
theoretical for any pra ctical use. If the
MAYOR is as anxious to save money as
he processes to be, he can save some
by sticking this mess of rules into his
waste basket. and writing out on a
sheet of foolscap, to be posted at police
headquarters. all the rules" which are
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