Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-09
POLICE HEADS MEET
Several Westinghouse at
Toronto Gathering.
MAI. SYLVESTER SPEAKS
Responds, as President, to the Ad-
dress Of Welcome.
ASSOCIATION YIELDS POWER
Topics Of Interest, Including
Methods of Handling Prisoners,
Are Taken Up.
MAI. SYLVESTER SPEAKS
ASSOCIATION YIELDS POWER
Snecia' Dismal ch 10 The star.

Special Dispatch to The star.
| TORONTO, Ont, July 9.-More than
three hundred persons. chiefly residents
of the United States, are here for the an
Inual convention Of the International Asso-
citation of Police Chiefs. Many of the
delegates have their families with them,
and while the latter are privileged to at
tend the sessions of the convention. most
Of them are ENJOYING the hospitality Of
the committee appointed to see to their
enjoyment.
Maj Richard Sylvester, president Of
the association: Eugene Van Buskirk,
superintendent Of the National Bureau
Of Criminal Identification. and Rosser Lee
Hunter, stenographer. who is reporting
the convention, are the Washingtonians in
attendance.
This morning the nineteenth session
Of the association convened Col. Gras-
sett, chief constable; Col. A. p. Sherwood.
commissioner of the Dominion police. and
Deputy Chief Constable William Stark
| who were instrumental in bringing the
association to this city, were in evidence
looking after the visitors.
! On Way to Toronto.
In response to speeches Of welcome,
Maj. Sylvester, president Of the associa-
| ton, said the association had been on
| the road to Toronto for many years, and
told Of the many alluring invitations the
| organization had received from Canadian
police officials
| This tardy response" he stated. lis
not due to any want of gratitude or dis
inclination to accept the friendly call. but
that we might present the international
organization in it's full strength and
| yigor. We have come at time when
our institution has attained a standing
numerically and when 1t exercises
power for good throughout the civilized
| world. With the uIreserved official sup
port, fraternal loyalty and Uunquestioned
friendship Of those who stand for peace
and order in this enlightened domain, we
have acquired more united force, which
expends its energy for the security Of
| government, the uplift of humanity, the
protection Of persons and property, and
the elevation of the agencies which are
employed to accomplish these ends.
| mo political intrigues or selfish ambi-
| tons And place in our endeavors; on
| the contrary, every feature which might
| influence against the unqualified approval
Of the good citizen is discountenanced.'
| Maj Sylvester said 1t was the increase
of crime in the earlier period that
prompted active legislation or proclama-
tons among the leading countries OF the
| world looking to the Improvement OF the
protective organizations. More men and
means tended to check crime through
closer surveillance and increased arrests,
but did not correct or stif1e the growth OF
the evil classes which were growing up
under criminal influence as population be-
came concentrated. The police had to be
increased prop ortionately.
History Of Modern Police.
1.-THE history of the modern police he
continued, us that 1t was created in view
Of the advance Of crime; yet, with crime
increasing and professionals more skilled
than ever before known, expert heads Of
departments with valuable knowledge as
to policing are not infrequently reduced or
relieved for other than legitimate reasons
and at times when their abilities so
thorough as to make their retention most
desirable, and few heads are accorded
adequate means to cope with conditions.
| In the early years of policing In Amer
lea the metropolitan system of London
became the object lesson, and it might be
stated that there have grown up on this
continent-more especially in the United
States-metropoitan organizations in all
| the great cities. which have proved bull
warks for the protection of all public
interests. They have became the institu-
tons on which all other municipal estab
| llshments must depend, but, at the same
time, they become dangerous when they
are conducted as political engines and
thereby their effectiveness is seriously
impaired. 1t is the absence Of this feature
which materially adds to the success of
the old world departments in the proven
ton and detection of crime, although
London and Paris are not without viola
lions and many unsolved mysteries
Continuing, Maj. Sylvester said that
that association became an international
Organization in 1902, and since that period
has carried upon it's roster leading repre-
sentatives Of authority, not only Of the
United States and Canada, but of Austria,
Japan. Korea, Guatemala, Cuba and
other countries, while the best informed
France have contributed to its support
through expressions of kindly feeling and
interesting discussions.
Handling Of Prisoners.
The speaker discussed numerous topics
OF interest to police departments. telling
of the numerous changes and improve
ments made in the method Of handling
prisoners, and said with the increase of
those blessings which are supposed to
arise from a period of prosperity and
wealth there is generally an increase
also of crimes and annoyances, and, as
result, while an influx Of riches pre-
ponderates in one scale, an augmentation
of offenses acts as a counterbalance in
the other, thus requiring the constant
and progressive application Of such rene
dies as will preserve the good and dimn-
ish the evil or keep evil within bounds.
Aside from employing remedies against
the vicious, the police of today must do
much toward systematizing movement
and conduct in cities.
Reference was made by Maj. Sylvester
to traffic control and Of the use of auto
mobiles by burglars, as well as to the
question of the stealing of horSeleSS