Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-03
United States and the District of Colum-
bia in equal parts. as directed by law.
Increased Police Force Necessary.

TIL. Commissioners have asked Congress
to add leo patrolmen to the police force
of the District of Columbia. This increase
is made compulsory by the development
of the suburban sections of the District
Of Columbia, and even If allowed would
mean only ten additional men in each OF
| the precincts. 1t must be borne in mind
tina. the police force is required to protect
not only the city Of Washington, but the
| entire seventy square miles of territory
which are included in the District of Co
| lunabia. There are no less than eighty
| villages, towns and subdivisions in this
outlying territory, and the demand for
police protection Is more and more in
| slstent In addition to these hume rous
centers of population the outlying area
includes many leading institutions such
as the Catholic University, the Cathedral
| school. the bureau of standards. the
Geological Park. Rock Creek Park, the
recently constructed steel works. etc. The
present numerical inadequacy of the
police force frequently requires that many
localities be left absolutely unprotected.
| The present authorized police force is
| composed Of T31 men. Of whom CIT are
privates. but of the whole number 1874 are
| on detail. including 80 at the White
| House. When, in addition, the available
patrolling force is reduced by illness. alb
sence on leave, and attendance in the
| courts. 1t will be seen that only about 4OO
| policemen are available. Owing to the
| small number of men on duty at any one
| time the beats Of some of the officers en-
brace as many as sixty or seventy squares,
while in the outlying localities one officer
| Is required to patrol several square miles.
The Commissioners take occasion to re-
new their recommendation that Congress
provide better ventilated and sanitary
| cells at several of the station houses. 1t
| Is also important that in the near future
! provision should be made for building new
and improved station houses. some OF the
| buildings now occupied having been built
forty years ago.
1t is particularly desirable that a cen
| trail police station shall be erected in the
heart of the city to take the pace of the
present first precinct station, which Is In
sanitary and lily adapted for the purpose
| for which it is used. A new station house
| in Anacostia is also imperatively needed.
The total number of arrests in the Dis
trict during the fiscal year was 4.417. OF
| which 1923 were white and 1874 co..
ored- The great percentage of arrests was
made for minor offenses, these cases ag-
Eregating 80, 419. 1914 of which were
charged to white and 1886 to colored.
The District has been during the year
happily free from an epidemic of crime.
Offenses of serious character were not
numerous in proportion to the population.
The estimated value of money and prop
erty stolen during the year aggregates
$40, $685. and the amount recovered by
the police and returned to the property
clerk for disposition was $40, 323.65.
The Commissioners indorse the recon-
mendation Of the major and superintend-
ent Of police that law should be enacted
for the better regulation OF poolrooms.
Within the last two years many so-called
clubs have been Incorporated where pool
playing cannot be INDUCED in except by
members, but others are easily admitted
to so-called membership by paying small
fee Under this Incorporation method
ft1o ItrAv1 Nzk IN
pool tables. which must be paid by the
proprietor of the open poolroom, besides
which they can allow pool playing on
Sundays without violating the law. 1t
Is the intention Of the Commissioners to
submit to Congress q law which shall
regulate these club pOaIrooms and which
shall also provide 70: the imposition Of a
license tax.
Fire Fighting and Fire Prevention.
The Commissioners believe that the fire
department has done as good work as
was possible with the means at its COM
mand. Fortunately. no great fire &C.
Cured, and still more fortunately. two
large fires did not occur at the same
time In far-separated parts Of the city.
The nre department with its present
equipment is not able to cope with two
large simultaneous fires, and if there
SUOulu oc tHIcc l1I &c AEcS IL luc Sduic
tire the most disastrous results would
undoubtedly follow under certain condi-
tons Of wind and weather. The Commits
| sioners urgently recommend the adoption
of their recommendation for the installa-
| ton of high-pressure gravity water
| fire-protection system for the center OF
Washington. whose value has been dem
| onstrated by repeated tests here. as well
| as by experience elsewhere. 1t Is esti-
! mated that the cost of installation would
| be about $4,000, and that its main-
| tenance would cost O comparatively small
| sum annually. Besides this system, and
| imperatively needed also until it is pro-
| vided, are additional houses, apparatus
| and men for the proper protection of the
| city. The older fire department buildings
| are in need of large repairs. and one of
them must be Immediately rebuilt, not
| only because to repair 1t would be I'M
| economical, but because it ought to be
| on different site. so shut in as 1t Is by
| the new railway construction on Virginia
avnnue as to impair its usefulness.
| The Commissioners as in the past seven
| improving the fire-preveI ton service. not
| only by the inspections of the chief en-
gineer and his assistants. but by the in
| spections of the electrical department,
and at times Of the building department.
| The Commissioners believe that this fire.
prevention work has now become so well
| organized and SO efficient as to- account
in large measure for the fact that the
| fire losses do not increase with the pop
ulation or with the increase in bui ding.
| During the past fiscal year the depart
ment has been active in aiding to enforce
the provisions of the act entitled IAN
act to require the erection Of fire escapes
| in certain buildings in the District OF
Columbia, and for other purposes" APP
proved March 10, 1905, as amended by
the act of March 2. 1907. Under this
act all buildings coming within its pur-
view are required to be insta led with
the necessary fire escapes. extingutshers,
j lights. standpipe systems, alarm gongs.
etc, for proper protection In event OF
fire. 1t is necessary for the fire department
to inspect each such building and pre-.
| pare netice showing what Is required
under the law. This notice Is signed by
the Commissioners and duly served. Fall
ure to comply with the notice served re-
! suits in prosecution in the Police Court.
/ Decrease in Fire Losses.
1 It is gratifying to note from the report
Of the chief engineer of the fire depart
ment that there was decrease of 81. 43s
in the amount. of fire loss as compared
1 with the preceding year.
1 During the year close inspection has
4 been given to mercantile houses. hotels
j apartment houses and theaters. and also