The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-11
CHIEFS LISTEN TO
ABB E ADDRESSES ON
DUTIES OF POLICE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE g.


phia street car strike. Among other
things he said:
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen;
Your letter of March 8 reached me at
a time when the city of Philadelphia was
In the midst of perhaps the most serious
labor trouble it has ever experienced,
and the thought occurred to me then
that perhaps it might be interesting and
of some practical and material good to
tell at this convention of the association
Just how the situation was handled
Under the present economic condi-
tons, and the unsettled and uncertain
state that exists between labor and cap
ital which condition has been sweeping
from one end of this country to the
other, involving necessities of existence
10 the public 1t is the duty of the police
department of any city. as the protector
of the lives and property of the citizens.
to keep under control that portion of
the people who are always ready at such
times to do damage.
ut is not the right nor the duty of the
police authorities to interfere in disputes
between labor and capital, but when the
lives of the citizens and public and pri-
vate property are In danger these must
be protected. and they should have pre-
pared for such emergencies a method or
procedure and control which they should
other nature. and IL the system of organ
ization as evolved during our recent trou-
BILE is of any value whatsoever to the
members of this association they are well
come to it and to any other information
we possess.
THE city of Philadelphia has just
passed through such a dispute, which
from the outset it was apparent. would. II
permitted to go uncontrolled, result In in
H. x1rhf oh frnrr a
recent editorial in a daily newspaper, cost
the citizens of that city over s16,oo00O0.
Necessity Invents the system
Necessity is the mother of invention
and necessity invents systems, and dur
ing our last experience there was created
most effective system of police handling
and control which enabled the depart
ment of public safety to provide for its
citizens a maximum OF protection with a
minimum of trouble and cost.
ION February 10 the entire street rail-
way system of our city was threatened
TO be tied up and the rights of over a
million people who daily use this method
of transportation to and from their WORK
scattered to the winds. their lives placed
In danger If they CHANGED to ride on a
car, and the consequent destruction OF
property.
How best to handle such a situation
their rights and protect their property
and vet not become involved in a labor
DISPUTE itself This was the problem
presented to the Philadelphia police de-
partment, and I am happy TO say II
emerged from the trouble with laurels
Justly earned.
when the information that strike OF
the employees of this public service cor
poration had been declared, was COM
70 ba ri G
evident to them it is to you gentlemen
that serious trouble was at hand. on ac-
count of the nature of the business and
the important relation it bore to 70 pei
cent of the population. and orders were
isNed to all lieutenants to at once cal
in for duty all the men attached to theii
respective districts who were absent or
leave This placed at the command o.
the central office a full and complete
emergency force.
FEBRUARY 10 the strike started. Three
DAVIS later came a MISUNDERSTANDING
birthday-the first day of serious trouble
owing to the crowds on the streets. Scat
tered among these pleasureseekers wer
a number of professional trouble breeders
who knew and awaited the psychological
moment to start something, and trouble
was early anticipated.
From the striking employees themseve
very little trouble, If any, is ever ex
pected, it usually results from that elias
of citizens who proverbially carry shil
on their shoulders and from boys be
tween the ages of 16 and 20 wears VIII
seem to take special delight In this form
OF excitement and In standing on TIL
outer edge of a crowd and hurting a ston
into its center to start something.
"A serious phase of the strike show
that of 100 arrested so per cent belong
ing to this class carried weapons, an