The Washington times., 1906-02-24
POLICE ENEN WANT
PAY INCREASED
Also Object to Authority of
Commissioners.
APPEAL TO CO M MITTEE
Attorney Lambert Makes Strong Plea
for Bluecoats Who Had Been
Before Trial Board.

An attack on the amount of authority
said to be exercised by the District Com
missioners in dealing with offending
policemen without giving them hearings,
was made today by Wilton j. Lambert,
representing the policemen, before the
House District Committees subcom-
mittee, which is now considering the
bill to give better pay TO the District
policemen.
Edward Curry, of the force, spoke
only a few minutes, asking that the
policemen's salary be raised immedi-
ately So well did he make the request
that members Of the subcommittee.
after the meeting, congratulated him
on the convincing manner in which he
had talked
In the course Of the hearing, at
which Commissioner West was also
present. Major Sylvester admitted that
the trial board had not always proved
satisfactory.
The Commissioners have. Mr.. Lam
bert said, put a provision in the new
police manual saying that, while
policeman has a right TO appeal to
them from the findings of the trial
board, they shall determine whether or
not the policeman shall be heard by
them on the appeal
Let me explain" said Mr. West,
the new manual says the appeal shall
be made to the Commissioners either
orally or In writing"
THAT is" said Mr. Lambert, the
Commissioners make themselves judges
of whether a policeman has the right
to be represented orally before them.
They can say whether they shall hear
him or compel him 20 submit his case
only In writing.
What I want is TO deprive the Com
missioners OF their power to say TO a
policeman You shant be heard by
as. To show the slight right of trial a
policeman has, take this Tor instance.
THE trial board may nne a man 30.
| The man, satisfied with the sentence,
doesn't appeal Then the Commissioners
! can say they prefer 10 dismiss him.
/ Commissioners. The man had. waived
/ his right Of appeal, and the sentence
Of the Commissioners came as total
surprise. That sort of thing isn't right.
Defeat for Commissioners.
This man. having gone to the court.
| secured an order compelling the Com
| missioners to hear his case. This was
| done. and he was fined $50 instead Of
being dismissed
| This happened under the old law. II
| this bill is passed. tie Commissioners
| think, the courts cannot interfere with
/ them. and they can dismiss a man even
without giving him a hearing"
| What would you think Of the propo-
| sitiOn 10 give the trial board the abso-
lutte right to fix the punishment
asked Mr.. Campbell.
u would be satisfied with that" said
| Mr.. Lambert. Il don't think the Com
/ aEGEs n a rfCrh n
! increase the penalties of the trial
! board
MI West explained here that the
Commissioners. on the other hand, often
decrease instead OF increasing a penalty.
/ There are so many cases before the
| trial board. he said. that the Commits
! siOneTs have TO have some way of saw
ing their time and saying whether they
shall hear appeals orally or have them
/ put in writing.
Il would suggest said Mr. Lambert.
| that the trial board be given final voice
/ in the fixing OF penalties. and the Com
missioneTs be allowed only to set aside
| q penalty. If they are dissatisfied with
it. and order another trial Deprive
them Of the right 10 increase the trial
. boards findings"
In this connection" said Major Syl-
vesteI, 4 Will say the trial board has
always been unsatisfactory It's the
| wrong way of getting at things. Men
often ask me 10 near their cases in
| stead of their going before the board.
But it's the best thing We have yet
| heen able to evolve"
| Mr. Lambert then said he protested
| against the paragraph IN the bill au-
thorizing the Commissioners 10 fine. sus-
pend or dismiss any policeman who has
| broken any statute or District regula-
| tion either before or after his convic-
| tion OF the offense he IS accused of in
| any court or courts Mr.. Lambert said
/ the man should not be dismissed before
he has been found guilty by court,
] ~ that
provides no man snail be dismissed un-
| less written charges have been made
against him and he has been given an
opportunity of being heard in his own
defense
Mr.. Lambert then protested against
the part of the bill allowing arbitrary
dismissal of crossing policemen without
| a hearing