Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-08-28
The CITY is
UNUSUALLY
LAW ABIDING

Appropos of the comment heard
upon the street Sunday in connection
with a story printed in local paper
recently dealing with alleged loose
moral conditions in Salem, and an
increase in the number of drunks in
the city, Chief Of Police Hamilton this
morning discussed the subject at
some length and says there are less
drunks on the streets of Salem at
present, either day or night, than
there has been for several years The
chief states that half a dozen "alco-
holic drunks,' who infested the city
when the present police administra-
ton was inaugurated, have since been
run out Of town, and the police log
at the station shows a continual de-
crease in the number of men arrested
on a charge of drunkenness. There
Is one point on which the chief lays
special emphasis, and one which, If
the residents in outlying districts will
heed, will lessen the anxiety which is
said to exist in some of the residence
districts, This Is the evident lack of
cooperation on the part of those who
claim to be bothered by beggars, but
WHO do not notify the police station.
Chief Hamilton admits that the pres
ent police force probably is made
quate to cover the entire city, but he
believes the city can be well protected
by the present force II persons who
are bothered by beggars or others,
will telephone to the station so that
a patrolman can be Immediately dis
patched to arrest the offenders.
At present Chief Hamilton has two
patrolmen ON duty in the morning,
three in the afternoon and four in the
evening In addition to this number
Chief Hamilton and Day Patrolman
Burkhardt are on the streets in the
down town district nearly every ev-
ening in the week, thus making a total
of six men on watch during the early
evening hours. Since taking office
the chief has appointed a desk man
to answer the telephone at the station
at night. Desk Sergeant Nelson is
on hand every evening, and tele-
phone call TO the police station will
bring a patrolman on the police mo-
torcycle to any part of the city within
a very few minutes after the call is
received. In order to better guard
the city at night as thoroughly as
possible with his present force, Chief
Hamilton has instructed all patrolmen
on duty at night to report to the sta
tion by telephone every fifteen or
twenty minutes. This Is even better
than is done in larger cities where
regular patrol boxes are used, as the
police seldom ring in"
than once an hour. The sa-
loon men are refusing to sell liquor
to intoxicated persons, and, according
to Chief Hamilton, this law is being
strictly enforced, Any dealer in alco-
hol or intoxicating liquors who is sus-
pected of selling stimulants to habit
ual drunkards Is closely watched and
II detected Is promptly arrested Com
plant was made by a woman some
time ago that the saloonmen were
making drunkard of her husband.
After investigating the case, Chief
Hamilton states that the real fact of
the matter was that the saloonmen
had refused to sell liquor to the man
while he was drunk, and that the po-
lice arrested the woman's husband for
raising a disturbance in saloon after
he was refused liquor. The woman
seemed to be under the impression