The San Francisco call., 1910-09-16
Martin INVITED
To TAKE LONG
RUNNING JUMP
Chiefs Friends Urge Him Not to
Wait Until He Is Kicked
Overheard
Detective Captain Wall and Ser
geant 0'Meara Mentioned
as Possible Successors

agency Of your subordinates, from
time to time. which practice must in
stantly cease. ! have in mind the
testimony Of various cafes in the dis
trict centering at Eddy and Mason
streets TO take every possible advan-
tage Of the police and of the law and
thereby establish conditions which
make the wisdom of their further ex-
isteace in this community a matter Of
grave doubt"
The mayor makes special objection
10 the great number of professional
criminals in the city, such as pick
pockets. hotel thieves. prowlers,
bunkomen. and adds:
The foregoing lapses are account
able, in ny estimation, TO a lack Of
proper discipline in the police depart
ment"
Plainly upholding District Attorney
Fickert in the latter's demand for a
fun observance Of the law, the mayor
says:
District Attorney Fickert as the
chief law officer of this county, and
myself as the responsible head of the
city's government have worked dill
gently and with care having in mind
The one idea of successfully stopping
persistent infractions Of the law in
san Francisco.
DEMANDS REFORM
In conclusion, Mayor Mccarthy says:
4 would request the areful consid-
Grafton Of your honorable board upon
the subjects above introduced and
would state that positively insist upon
steps being taken in your department
which viii successfully cure the con-
5itions TO which I have referred and
bring the department itself TO a stand
ard where its members viii not try TO
neglect or exceed their duties. and
where those who have reason to fear
the arm Of the law viii not presume
for an instant to challenge the eflcien-
~ OF your police service"
This communication was introduced
before the police commissioners at the
close of their session yesterday after
noon. Commissioner Henderson was in
the chair in the absence Of President
OConnelL After an executive session,
Henderson announced that the mayors
letter would form the subject of dis
cussion at & special meeting TO be held
Al I o'clock this afternoon
From the tone Of the mayors let
ter said Commissioner Sullivan after
the meeting. lit is evidently time for
us To get busy.
Has the chief resigned2" he was.
asked.
No replied sullivan. ~he has not
sent in his resignation, but it is up to
him"
That seemed to he tie prevailing
sentiment. Il was up TO Martin.
MARTIN STANDS PAT
Even after the mayors letter had
been made public. Martin continued in
ifs declaration that he would not re-
sign. 1t is thought, however, that this
is the course he has practically decided
upon.
Il was not at the meeting Of the
police commission said Martin, ''as 1
had other business and ould not get
there. I do not intend TO resign Why
should y / have done nothing to merit
censure from any one have done my
duty to the best of my ability The
records win show that there has been
less crime since ! took office than dur
ing the same months Of the previous
YEAR. In fact crime has diminished
more than one half.
In the statement of District Attor-
ney Fickert he has made two specific
charges. One was that the cafes were
allowed TO continue music after
O'Clock in the morning and the other
that minors were allowed to enter these
cafes.
Vow the police commission itself
gave the orders permitting music and
dancing in the cafes after ! o'clock
during the Admission day ceIebca tion.
The same orders We're given last year
during the Portola festival It has been
a custom Of long standing to make
these allowances during a carnival or
celebra ton. I had the orders of the
police commission and obeyed them.
There is nothing to that charge.
ORDERS ENFORCED
LAS TO the minors in the cafes. I still
maintain that the district attorney was
in error in his statement. No minors
have been permitted in these places.
These have always been the orders and
they have been enforced
4 do not believe this thing is very
serious. The same sort of a row was