The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-15
Big Reward For Bir-
mingham Policemen
Dead or Alive

A reward of 500 Will be paid for the
Information with the proof to substan-
tate that any Birmingham policeman
can live respectfully and school his
children on the salary he receives from
the city
The police department at this time
is being severely criticised The charges
OF inefficiency and graft are being
hurled at them A better set of men
could not be gotten together than those
composing our police department. The
trouble is they are underpaid.
In some hotels walters hardly receive
any salary at all They get 1t in tips.
The city is working the police de-
partment on the same plan, but they
forbid the policemen to accept tips
which is proper.
The writer was once a railroad con-
dCctor and held street crossing 20
minutes when the law said three min
utes should be the limit. The police
man got him. The conductor handed
the policeman SL50; then both high
balled." and both were better Off
Twas the people who suffered.
The claim OF the city is that they
haven't the money. Then they should
rot have the policemen. Fifteen po-
licemen at $4,000 per month would be
worth twice as much to the city as
20 policemen at $4,000 per month.
1t is not the size of a pay roll that
eN err bankrupted any firm, corporation
or municipality 1t is ineniciency
The writer of this article once saw
a railroad wreck in which more than
s1O0, 900 worth of property was de-
stroyed and in addition the lives of
three men snuffed out. The superin-
tondent placed the blame on the flag
man: he was incompetent. and so
made his report to headquarters. The
president of the road wired to know
" hat manner OF superintendent he was
&c employ incompetent men, and the
spunky little superintendent wired
back: 1.-The trouble is with you; you
won't give the price" The road soon
afterward went into the hands of a
receiver.
All progressive firms and corpora
lions realize that to succeed the high
est priced help is the cheapest. Walk
in any store in Birmingham and ask
the merchant how business Is. II his
reply is bully" ask him IL he thinks
our city policemen and firemen are
paid commensurate with the duties re-
uuired of them and his answer will
be. ITS shame" Those merchants
who think they are we'll paid, ask them
how business is and their answer Will
be. Bum, nothing doing"
Recently the wife of city fireman
called the writer of this article over
the phone ordering a mattress and a
pair of pillows, stating that she wanted
cheap ones. A few days later the hus-
band OF this lady came In and pit
cously requested that he be permitted
to return the pillows as he did not see
how he could pay for them. People Of
Birmingham, isn't it shame that fro
men who are required to wear uniforms
and have brains enough to put out a
fire and energy enough to do II, do not
receive enough pay to buy pillow to
lay their heads on?
One of the city's most faithful patrol
men entered the store of the writer and
remarked that his daughter was about
grown and for her. sake he wanted TO
fix up the front room little, and he
bought on the instnllment plan three
rockers and table. saying that he
thought he would be able to meet the
payments as his wife was helping along
by doing sewing. The poor policeman
row has the rockers and cannot pay
for them-that's a double shame.
The writer was in butchers shop
a few days Ego when city official
stepped in and inquired the price Of
the best steak. The price being 40
cents per pound and he only having
i've in his family, bought four pounds.
A policeman stepped in and inquired
the price OF neck steak. ON being 1n-
formed that the price was cents per
mound be remarked that he had seven
IN his family and would take one pound
and half The contrast between m en- y
condition as was shown in this case is
the Fundamental cause Of the UNDER
mining of our democratic principles and
might form a text for socialistic ar
guuent.
Preachers and patrolmen are about
on a par as to compensation. but the
ucor patrolman never gets any pound :
inrs' or invitations to dine. The preach
err looks after our spiritual welfare.
the patroiman after our physical wei
fare and the fireman after our property
interests.
The writer asks all fair-minded cit
teens II they arc willing that these men
should perform so noble service for
such niggardly pay as they are now
receiving | reiterate. that If efficiency
IS obtained In any vocation 1t must be
Maid for. We are not getting 1T, and
we are not paving for it,
Down on the Highlands. where /
live, there are good sized children who
never saw a policeman / was once
given a collie nun and as we expected
him to be watchful and courageous we
decided to name him after the first po-
.iceman that passed our door. That's
been seven years ago and we are still
calling him pup and 1t will be pup with
the city until our patrolmen are better