Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-05
POWER IN CHIEFS HANDS
POLICE TO SUPERVISE CASES OF
ALLEGED CRUELTY.
Commissioners Amend Bill Intro
duced in the Interest of Wash
ington Humane Society.

The Commissioners have cut and
slashed the humane bill sent to them
from the Senate committee on the Dis
trict. and have sent back an amended
bill. which takes away from the Wash
ington Humane Society the Police Court
fines in cruelty to animal cases, refuses
the society the detail of four policemen
for special work in connection with
cruelty cases, and which abolishes the
proposed Office of public veterinarian
at $1,000 year.
The changes principally affect the
police duty of the society, and the duty
of the metropolitan police department
in cases of cruelty to animals. The
provisions of the present law regarding
docking horses tails, cock fights, bull
fights. dog fights and the general run
of things held to be cruel have been
left unchanged
The chief object of the bill as the Com
missioners have fixed it is to give the
head of the police department the same
supervision over prosecutions and arrests
for cruelty to animals as he has in other
matters, and to divert the fines from such
cases into the Districts Police Court
revenue.
Text of the Report.
l. The report of the Commissioners says
of the existing law:
THE present law in its operation has
proven unsatisfactory to the citizens. 1t
is claimed that the agents of the HUI
name Society specially charged with the
duty of enforcing the law, who are paid
by the society for their services, are,
through a desire to increase the reve-
nues of the society or through fear of
losing their positions. too active in max
ing arrests and in carrying horse owners
before the Police Court.
1T is believed that such a law is wrong
in principle and that the change proposed
should receive the approval of Congress
The present law also authorizes the
members of the police force to make ar
rests for the OffenSe of cruelty TO ami
mails. but it is believed that If the sundi-
vided duty is imposed upon the police of
exclusive supervision of these prOSecu-
tions they will take more interest in the
matter than heretofore and will diligently
see to the enforcement Of the law"
Reflects Gen. Johnston's Views.
This is in line with the expressed senti-
ments of Commissioner Johnston. who
has the police under his care, and who be-
lieves that a policeman should do police
duty, and that there should be little, If
any. divided responsibility. AS to the de-
failing of four policemen to the Wash
ington society. the Commissioners policy
is shaping itself firmly against these spe-
cial details. They say to the Senate COM
mittee on this point:
Section 6, it will be observed. contem-
plates the detail of four members of the
police force to aid the Humane Society in
the work for which it was organized.
This proposed provision is Objectionable
for the reason that without providing for
any equal addition to the permanent force
it adds four more policemen to the sew
enty-five already permanently detached
for other purposes from the force, who
are already beyond the immediate disci-
plinary control of the proper constituted
authorities and cannot, therefore, be
spared for this work. the efficiency and
effectiveness of the police force being al
ready seriously impaired by the aggregate
of such detachments.
Further Depletion of Force.
ITO the foregoing should be added 90
members of the force assigned to post
duty at fixed locations, made necessary
and impelled by existing conditions and
experience, all these being independent of
those sick or absent on leave.
However. the bill would make every
n1s.