The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-22
DISGRACE TO CITY.
Councilman Green on Topeka's
Police Policy.
DIR. Ryder Calls the Statements
ViIlainOuS.
STANDS BY HIS GUNS.
Third Ward Alderman Refused
to Retreat.
Trouble Came About Over Police
men Salaries.
STANDS BY HIS GUNS.


night raised by the council from $1,000
a year to $500; the salaries of police
sergeants and plain clothes men went
up from $65 to SIS a month; the pay of
patrolmen, drivers and jailers was in
creased from $50 to $40 a month; the
salary of the assistant city engineer
rose from SIS to $50 month; the pay of
the office draughtsman was raised from
| $50 to $40 a month. An effort to increase
the pay in the city electric light depart
ment was defeated and the councilmen
| gave expression to the sentiment that
the pay of some of the employees in the
water service department should be in
creased.
The report of the special committee,
| to which was referred the salary ordi-
nance, reported favorably on the ordi-
nance, which meant that they reported
| in favor of passing an ordinance fixing
salaries as they now stand. Then two
members of the committee, in the open
council, voted against that report. The
! council voted down the ordinance to re-
| duce the licenses on billiard tables from
$1S to So year.
| Councilman Green, who opposed the
| raising of salaries, welded the prod.
] The ordinance was read and was to
| be considered section by section. All
went we'll until the section relating to
/ the police department was reached and
! then the jacks, the levers and the prizes
went under the section and the friends
of the police force came out for in
| creases in pay
ITO raise these salaries as proposed
| means that the Increased expense to the
! city will be about 81 500 a year." said
| Councilman Green. There are other
places where we have greater need for
/ this money One of them is a detention
| hospital 1 do not see why we should
/ raise the salary of the chief of police
He is not especially qualities. He has
not spent years in study to perfect him
self for the work. We need fire sta
ton in the southwest part OF town
where people have to stand by, when
there is a fire, and watch their houses
| burn
Councilman Ryder was of the opinion
athat the salaries in the police depart
ment should be increased. Not long
ago we voted the superintendent of the
water department a salary of 81, 800 a
year and his chief clerk salary of
| 800 a month"; said Councilman Ryder.
| That is a greater salary, for this clerk,
than our chief of police receives. I be-
lieve in civil service on the police force,
that men of ability may be raised in
rank and salary What ambition can
there be on this present force. We want
men on the. force who have moral cour-
| age enough to enforce all laws"
On the question of raising the salaries
of the police department, in voting on
For, Ryder, Simms, Holiday. Nipps,
Horne, Swendson. Simmer and Hughes.
Against, Green Howe.
Mr.. Green Speaks Up. r
1t was after this vote was taken, and
after the matter seemed to be settled
with his broadside which took the
breath away from the victorious eight
Who outvnted the minority of two. On
! d motion to refer the ordinance to a
committee for further consideration
| Councilman Green said:
| THE police department has Inaugural
| ted d policy that is a disgrace to the
city and the state. If we increase the
salaries of the force we endorse this
policy I hoped l would not have to say
this aaa 1-7Fa
1t was Councilman Ryder, of the po-
| lice committee, who grabbed the gaunt-
let Councilman Green had thrown down.
| IF the gentleman will verify his viii
| famous instinuations 1 stand ready to
purge the force" Numbered Ryder.
Unless he can prove them he should
make no insinuations. He owes it to
his colleagues to bring it out in the
| open. If anything is wrong let's bring
| it out and meet it squarely- If he will
show me any evidence of guilt on the
police force 1 will prosecute the offend
ers and carry on the prosecution my
| SELF
Councilman Ryder's speech was ora
torical and defiant He remarked, dur
ing his remarks, that Councilman Green
probably spoke hastily and he gave the
| speaker a chance to withdraw his re-
marks. Councilman Ryder was much
offended, he said, because he is a mem
| Der of the police committee, which, he
said was responsible for the acts of the
police department.
Makes Direct Charges.
GAS far the police department is
| concerned the police committee has
nothing to do with it," replied Coun-
Gilman Green. THE mayor is the au-
tocrat of the police department The
members of the committee simply act
as committee. AS to what I said, I
will say that joints are running wide
open in Topeka. The police know
that this is true. You gentlemen know
it to be true. The chief of police has
drank in half of them, I dare say
Councilman Ryder and the other
lcouncilmen who expected retreat
from Councilman Green, were sur
prised. 1t was for the mayor to reply,
he being the "autocrat."
1.-THE conditions in Topeka are bet
ter now than they have been in the
twenty-four years that I have lived
here" said Mayor Davis There is
no policy different now than before
The council did not request Council
man Green to come into the open with
any more insinuations.
Councilman Green failed in his
efforts to have the ordinance recon-
sidered for the purpose of considering
the raising of all salaries.
j, Inc cOuncll ueclueu that the OH
lard and pool table license of SIS a
year shall stand. A committee report
recommended for passage an ordi-
nance reducing the license to SIS a
year
Five cents a day, which the SIS a
year amounts to, is little enough said
, Councilman Sinner.
Councilman Holiday. who never
plays pool or billiards, gave an inter-
esting discourse on the good that bill
lizard and pool Dlaying does for the
muscle, Drawn and brain of young
men.
Ralph E. Kirby notified the council
that he thought he should be paid IS
for damages to his bicycle, and $25
| 60, ~ ii