Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-14
Chairman of the Police Board
Says Beavers Must Mind or
Else Be Dropped.
LIBERAL, BROAD POLICY
FAVORED BY MAJORITY
Duty of Officers to Enforce
Orders, Not ConStrue Law,
Says Carlos Mason.

Carlos Mason. chairman Of the board
Of police commissioners, made it en-
phaticalIy clear today that Chief Beav-
ers is not the whole police department,
and further that it is no part of the
chiefs business to construe the law for
the police force, much less to make
law that he thinks should be enforced.
And Chief Beavers also made It clear
that Mason is right. and that he. the
chief. will obey his superiors and carry
out their orders
Chief Says He'll Obey.
Chief Beavers has also made 1t per-
fectly clear that he recognizes the po-
lice commission as his superior
The wrong impression has gone out
as to my position. ! have never said
or done anything to indicate that /
would defy the police commission or its
orders ! have merely expressed the
idea that | would do my duty in the
future a / have in the past
MY official conduct in the past is
well known and, l think, in itself it
speaks for the future.
II am sworn to obey the orders OF
the police commission just the same
as | am sworn to enforce the laws Of
the city and state. | have done my
duty in regard to the commission as |
have in the enforcement Of the law
have no feeling of antagonism toward
the police commission nor have ! any
intention of antagonizng its mem
bers"
Will Do Duty.
When Chief Beavers was asked as 20
what he would do if the moving picture
shows were opened on Sunday, he re-
piled:
81 will do my duty. Beyond that I
don't care to discuss the matter, as [
think it improper to anticipate a prop
ostion like this and to discuss in ad-
vance what my official action would
be"
The chief was asked this question:
IF the police board should instruct
you to ignore certain Of the city's laws,
would you obey orders"
He refused to answer, declaring that
he would not anticipate such possibili-
~, but asserted that the police board
had never yet asked him to follow sucn
a course.
Mr.. Mason was very determined. He
said:
The police commission, and not the
chief will give the orders, interpret
the law and instruct Chief Beavers JUS
vy-h n, q do bo+
not go-must not go!
u have heard various rumors as TO
statements made by Chief Beavers"
continued Mason, "one of the state
ments being that the chief said he
would do his duty as he saw TT So
far as doing his duty as he sees it is
concerned, of course the board and
everybody else expects the chief to do
his duty.
One of the main duties Of Chief
Beavers is to obey the orders of the
police board under which he serves.
Il wish to say that in all matters
pertaining to the police board of the
city of Atlanta, and its policy, the
board of police commissioners is su-
preme. and their orders shall and will
We uDFgtQ anu tdl1leN Ouls NlluOul
hindrance from the chief of police or
any other member of the police force.
Must Obey or Get Out.
In order to make this matter clear
and to stop discussion, ! wish to state
that if the police board of Atlanta de-
cides on any policy as to what it deems
is proper law enforcement (and tbs
police board stands for a rational en-
forcement of the law. and not tech
nical and narrow one), and if the chief
or any member of the police force cf
Atlanta antagonizes this policy so de-
clared, by any official act or otherwise,