Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-23
PAY FOR THE POLICE
Hearing on the Babcock and
Cooper Bills.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM
Commissioner West and Maj. Sylvester
Heard on the Subject.
BOTH ASK FOR MORE MONEY
Statistics Given as to other Cities
The Babcock Measure More
Favored.

| The Babcock and Cooper bills for pro-
viding more adequate pay and more speedy
| promotion for members of the metropoli-
| tan police force were discussed by Dis
| trict Commissioner West and Mai Sylves-
| ter the superintendent of police. before
| Representative CampbeN's subcommittee
| of the House District committee today
The Babcock bill was drawn by the Com
| missioners. The Cooper measure differs in
| one or two essentials.
! Commissioner West explained that there
| were only two main points of difference
between the two measures: the first re-
| lated to the time when the increase of pay
| for privates of the force shall take effect;
the second has to do with the disposition
| of trial cases. The Commissioners bill.
Mr.. West said, provides that original APP
| pointments to the force shall be made to
| class one at $500 a year; that after three
| years of service members of class one shall
| be automatically promoted to class two and
| their pay increased to s1.0SO. and at the
| end of Ave years from the time the bill
| goes into effect members of class two
| shall be promoted to class three this oelns
| new division, and their pay Increased 10
| 200 year.
| pay to the members of the force Immediate
| in the two classes. Mr.. West said that
| computation has shown that If the Cooper
| bill were enacted to go into effect imme-
| diately 1t would neceSSitate at once an
| appropriation of about 100000 additional.
Commissioner Vests Statements.
| The Commissioners, said Mr.. West,
| would be very glad to have the increase
| In pay come at once to these policemen,
many of whom have served long and faith
| fully. But in view of the fact that there
l Low lro {y,u hn ictr ~ or
| finances due to the construction of the
| municipal building, the highway bridge, the
union station, the sewage disposal system
| and so forth. we will be content to have
| the legislative promise of Congress instead
| of asking for the appropriation at this
| time"
| Mr.. West said that the Commissioners had
| attempted some time ago to secure through
| the medium of the regular appropriation
| bill, increase to those members OF the
| force who have served five years without
| promotion. There were great many Of
| fcers he said, who had waited patiently
and vainly to be promoted from class
| to class 2, and who were still waiting.
I'VE believe" he said, that long and
| faithful service in the police department
| should be recognized just as 1t Is in the
army.
The other main point of difference be-
| tween the two bills, the Commissioner
gives the Commissioners absolute authority
| and Jurisdiction to amend or to cnange
| any sentence of the police trial board. The
other bill merely grants jurisdiction.
| Mr. West said that the jurisdiction now
exercised by the Commissioners was practi-
! cally absolute. but that of late years there
| has been disposition to take cases of even
minor infractioDs of the manual, when
| have been passed upon by the trial board,
| into the court. requesting writs of certo-
rari, etc. While the courts had in the main
| sustained the trial board and the Commits
| sioners, 1t was thought wise to have the
| matter of absolute jurisdiction come under
| provision OF law.
| Mr. West then gave some comparative
| figures prepared by Maj. Sylvester showing
| the difference in the pay of the various
| grades in the police service between Wash
| ington and other cities. The captain ana
| assistant superintendent of police In WASH
| ington, he said. is paid s1,SO0 a year. In
| ST Louis the man who performs the same
duties, and who, as matter of fact, has
| less TO do receives 50 500; in Chicago. s4,-
| 900; Cincinnati. g, 400; Detroit, 5000; San
| Francisco. $1,000.
The Assistant Superintendent.
| Mr.. West said that the pay OF the assist
ant superintendent In Washington certainly
| ought to be as much as that of Detroit at
| least, as the local police force covered ter
| ritory very nearly two and one-half times
| as large as that controlled by the Detroit
| force In the city there are 70 square
miles, in Detroit 90 In addition to that, Mr..
| West said that the police here have much
| more arduous work to do than In any other
| city OF the same size. There are conditions
| here, both as regards size and population,
| that are not duplicated elsewhere He
called attention to the fact that on the out
| skirts of the city there were fifteen mu-
| inequalities, which in state would have
| their own council mayors. etc. The town
| of Takoma, he said lay partly In the Dis
| trict and partly in the state of Maryland.
| That part in Maryland had its own mayor
| and its own police. The local part of the
II T.. H. chr ~ ,trnJ1 nd
| by the local force, and II as good protec
! ton was not furnished as that given to
| man on Pennsylvania avenue. there was
| always kick.
| made, recently. a very interesting discov
| cry. He found that there were 1913 watch
| men in government buildings In Washington
| exclusive of the capitol police. These watch
men the report said, never stuck their noses
| outside of these buildings In which they
| were employed, and yet the local force,
| with seventy square miles to control. had
| less than six hundred men for the pur
pose. In answer to a query from Repre-
| sentative Taylor Of Ohio. a member of the
| subcommittee as to whether the govern
| men had too many watchmen, or the local
| force too few police Mr.. West said that he
| thought the police were too few.
Continuing his comparison OF pay. Mr..
| West called attention to the fact that in
| the District of Columbia there are four
| captains of police at 81 800 year each. In
! Philadelphia captains paid 81 100 with
| 500 allowance on the side in Boston, 81, 100;
| in Cincinnati, 1900; in st. Louis. 81 500 and
| In Milwaukee. 81, 100.
| Lieutenants of police in the District were
| inadequately paid. the Commissioners said.
| The lieutenant's position very re-
| sponsble one. In his jurisdiction he was
responsible for maintaining law and order
| for the safety of millions of dollars worth
| of property, and he duty practical
| ly night and day. Lieutenants of police only
received $3.50. In Chicago they receive
| 81 500; St. Louis, 81, 800; San Francisco,
s1.6s0, Philadelphia, si,70o; Boston, 81 600;
| Cincinnati, 81 800.
At present sergeants receive 81 40 and II
! Is desired to increase their compensation to
| $1,25o In Chicago they receive 81 200 in
| Cincinnati s1.150;. in st. Louis 81 8S0; In
| San Francisco. 81 800; in Philadelphia,
| 1900: Boston, $14o0; New York, $1,000;
| Milwaukee, 81 200.