Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-09
POLICE CONDITIONS
ANALYSIS CONTAINED IN RE-
PORT OF COMMISSIONERS.

Careful analysis of conditions in the To-
| cal police force, particularly with reference
| to salary increases contemplated by legis-
| htion during the present session of Con-
gress is contained In the Commissioners
report on Senate bill No. 1914, which was
submitted to Senator ]. III. Gallinger,
chairman of the Senate District of Column
bia committee The advances in salary
proposed by this measure, while similar to
the scale advocated in similar bill pre-
pared by the Commissioners and introduced
early In the session. would go into effect
with the opening of the next fiscal year.
Choice between these financial provisions of
the two measures>fs left much to the dis
erection of Congress.
In the report the Commissioners express
their views on the proposed bill in a COM
parative way, as follows:
Two measures concerning the metropoli-
tan police force are now before the Senate
committee on the District of Columbia.
The first. introduced by the chairman of
the committee at the request of the COM
missioners and known as Senate 20, was
prepared after mature consideration and
with regard to the efficienscy and dis
cipline of the force. 1t differs from the
measure now under consideration in one
important particular.
Regulating Appointments.
TT provides that original appointments
of privates to the police force shall be made
TO class one; that privates of class one may
be promoted to be privates of class two
after a probationary period Of service OF
three years following the date the act is
to take effect, and that privates of class
two may be promoted TO be prlvates OF
class three after service of five years
following the day the act Is to take effect.
Senate bill 1914 provides, however, that
these various classes shah be established
on the first day CT July, 1908. An examina-
ton of the records of the police depart
ment shows that should these changes be
come effective on that date, they would
result in the advancement of s65 privates
of class two at an increase OF Sl2o per
annum each, making an aggregate OF s3l,-
800: of 1913 privates of class one at $500
per annum total of SIG, 600; and of 140
other privates of class one at $50 each,
aggregating $500. thus necessitating an
immediate expenditure of $4,000.
I'm submitting Senate 20 the Commission
ers, realizing that long and faithful service
to the community deserves substantial rec
ognition, would gladly have recommended
an immediate instead of prospective in
crease in the pay of the policemen. and re-
Trained therefrom only because the condi-
ton of the finances of the District did not
| in their judgment, warrant this eXpendi-
ture.
Wisdom and Justice Apparent.
an other words. they believed it wiser to
content themselves at this time with the
promise, enacted into law, of future ben
efits for the policemen, rather than add to a
budget already swollen by the cost of
extraordinary projects. They believe, how
ever, that the wisdom and justice of the in
creased pay is universally apparent, and
should Congress decide to give it immediate
effect they would, of course, accept such
action as a merited and practical apprecis-
ton of faithful service
''As for the remaining features of Senate
1914, the Commissioners beg to state that
they refer to disciplinary details. Inasmuch
as these details have been fully and, In the
opinion of the Commissioners, more prac-
ticaly Incorporated in Senate 20, an opin-
ion adverse to their enactment into law in
the bill now under consideration is herewith
expressed
I'm conclusion, the Commissioners have
the honor to recommend that if it is the in
tention of Congress to Immediately provide
for the reorganiza ton of the police force
with increased pay the clauses in Senate
3644 relating to this subject should be in
serted in Senate 30 in lieu of the corre-
spending paragraphs in the latter measure.
Otherwise the Commissioners suggest that
Senate 20 be enacted into law in the form
in which 1t was submitted to Congress-
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