The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-02-03
POLICE BOARD REPLIES
TO COUNCIL
SAYS IT PRESENTS IMPUTA-
TIoN OF ANY "Go.EAsY"
ORDERS.

IN a remarkable pronunciamento IS
sued by the Astoria board Of police
commissioners last night the state
ment Is made that the board "resents"
the imputation made in the common
council that orders have been given
to police officers not 10 arrest gam
blers and violators Of the Sunday
closing law Commissioners Gordon
and Logan were the only members
present Mr. Foard being out Of the
city.
II looks as II the commissioners
were still tingling with anger over the
Belland resolution as adopted by the
common council. and that their good
judgment and sense Of public duty
may have been slightly influenced BY
this provoking anger which would
not down.
The two members Of the commits
sion deny with heat that orders have
been given to policemen not TO en-
force any ordinance, and that II Off
GERS did make such arrests nothing
would happen to them"
Last night police officer only
laughed when this was told him.
Recently a chief Of the police de-
partment Of the city Of Astoria said:
II know what the law is, but also
know what my orders are-and
know how my bread Is buttered."
The egregious error the police com
missioners seem TO have fallen into
is that they apparently think they are
dealing with a council which is simi-
lar to other councils, but it is likely
that the action Of the commissioners
last night will prove the spark which
will now ignite the matter into a
blaze Following is the statement Of
last night;
THE police commission resents
the public statement that orders have
been given policemen not to enforce
any ordinance, because it is incorrect.
No such orders have been given,
either as a body or as individuals.
Nothing would happen to any police
man il he made arrests for gambling
OF selling liquor on Sunday"
AT the same time, it is the opinion
Of the commissioners that the first
duty OF the police is to protect per.
sons and property, and to give more
attention TO that than to breaking
down the doors of Chinese houses, or
spying on men in the back rooms Of
saloons and cigar stores. The COM
missioners are satisfied that the po-
lice force have made Astoria the SAT-
est town to live in that there is in the
whole country, and are doing all they
can to keep 1t so. In Portland, raids
on Chinese gamblers, Sunday liquor
sellers and dissolute women seem to |
be the principal duties of the police, |
while highway robbeFies are reported
by the hundreds. Muitnomah county !
admits rs murders last year; Clatsop |
not one. The recent saloon
robbery and holdup took place while
the officer OF the beat was eating his
midnight lunch. Policemen have to
take time to eat, but it is likely there
would be more robberies if they spent
their time looking over transoms or
through keyholes, seeking evidence
10 convict men for playing card |
games for money. The place for po-
lice on duty is on the street or at
the station, where they can be found |
by anyone who knows Of crime or
of an ordinance to call their
attention to"
If it be true that no orders have
ever been given to the officers not to
make arrests of gamblers of the
blind pigs and Of the Sunday clos
ing violators, then the only other con-
clusion is that the officers themselves
are alone to blame for the fact that
goes on openly, that blind
pigs" are run and that practically
every saloon in the city is open every
Sunday in plain violation Of the state
law. Citizens are now asked to be-
lieve that it is the officers who are
alone in the wrong, and that no such
orders have ever been given, The
humor of this is diverting; but to SER
lously ask citizens to credit it is some
thing else than diverting. No one be-
lieves that any such order was ever
wick in a fourishing condition in
every way.