Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-30
POLICE MATRONS
DIVIDE WORK
CounciImen Favor Adding to Pay of
Present Incumbents Rather
Than Naming a Third
Appointee

The city council has under considera-
ton a petition for increase in salary
for Mrs Aletha Gilbert, police matron,
and her assistant, Mrs. Loretta Nc
Peak.
For some time Councilman Smith has
been advocating the appointment of an
additional matron for service in the
women's department of the city Jail,
but Mrs. Gilbert says she can do the
work with the aid of Mrs McPeak,
each working 12-hour shifts.
Their pay at present Is SIS per month.
Several councilmen believe salary of
$100 each would be in line with pro-
posed increases in other departments
at the central police station.
1t is argued that the two police ma
irons have much more work to do
than formerly when the city was less
than 100000 in population.
In addition to caring for all women
prisoners one of the police matrons is
required to be present at all operations
on women patients in the receiving hos
pital.
Whenever a woman is injured on the
streets or falls in a faint or is brought
into the hospital with gaping wound,
a police matron is at once on duty.
She assists in caring for the patient
and sees that she receives proper at
tention in many ways that a man
would not think of.
In the women's department of the
city Jail there are always a number
of inmates. Some are serving sem
tences others are awaiting trial.
At the present time Mrs. Aurelia
Scheck, jointly accused of the murder
of her husband with Ernest Stackpole,
is confined in the city Jail. She is un-
der the direct care of the police ma
irons, who are responsible for her
safety and good health.
Prisoners Assist
Some of the prisoners perform light
work under the direction of Mrs. Gil
bert. She tries to tighten their burden
of sorrow or brooding melancholy by
giving them books to read, fancy work
to do and in many little ways endeav-
ors to keep the inmates in a fairly
cheerful frame of mind.
She looks after the meals for the
women, cares for those slightly indis-
posed and sees they are sent to the
county hospital If severe illness occurs.
Mrs. Gilbert has been connected with
| the women's department for about fif-
| teen years She was an assistant to
| her mother, Mrs. Lucy Gray, who for
years was police matron. Mrs. Gilbert
has occupied her present position as
head matron since the death of her
| dDOul lWO years dBO.
Since she has been in her present po-
sition her duties have been greatly in
creased and her responsibilities are
much greater than formerly. when 1t
was rare for more than half a dozen
to be in the female ward of the jail
at one time.
At present there are from fifteen to
twenty inmates, many of them await
ing preliminary examination.
After considering the nuastiOn from
all sides Mrs. Gilbert informed the city
council she thought the work did not
necessitate another matron, but In
view Of the larger responsibilities she
thought 1t only fair to receive an in
crease In pay. If the two matrons re-
ceive the desired increase the city will
| still save money, for the plan TO ap-
point a third matron would involve the
additional salary of SIS per month.
BY the increase in pay OF $25 a month
for the two matrons the city would
still save SIS q month