Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1913-09-10
ALL PA1ROLMEN
Will QUIT TONIGHT
Policemen Serve Notice on
Chief Stewart That Salan
les Are Too Small.
T EN- WILL RESIGN
Mayor Bloom Not Officers
Wet Last Night and Voted
to "Strike."

At o'clock tonight, with the ex-
ccption of Chief of Police Frank
Stewart, Assistant Chief of Police
Fiveash and the patrol drivers. Pine
Bluff will be without police de-
partment. Ten patrolmen held
meeting at headquarters last night
and voted to resign tonight. The
action was taken because they were
unable to dispose of their August
salary script at a fair figure and be-
cause they declare that they are
unable to support themselvesc and
their families on The small salaries
paid them by the city. Three other
patrolmen had previously resigned
for the same reason. At their meet
ing last night the patrolmen agreed
to remain in the service one more
day in order to give Chief Stewart
an opportunity to get men to fill
their places, but it is not very likely
that the police department head can
get them, for good men are not to
be had for the small salaries paid
by the city and inexperienced and in-
efficient men are not worth it--even
SO small
Mayor Bloom, when informed Of
the action Of his policemen last night
declared that although he had had
no official notice OF the strike" he
was not surprised. The men cannot
live on the salaries, he said, and he
could not blame them for quitting
the service and engaging In other
work. He has been trying to make
some arrangements ever since he
! took office to better conditions at
| police headquarters in the matter Of
pay, but the city council has not
seen fit to relieve the situation and
he did not urge aldermen to act. He
regrets to see the men quit, he says,
because Pine Bluff at the present
time has the best police department
II has ever had.
To the list Of officers who have res
signed may be added the name Of
City Detective G. p. Roebuck, one OF
the most valuable men In the SER
vice, who is known to be Dissatisfied
because of the small pay he 10 receive
ing and who will in all probability
quit, too. The following officers
last night informed Chief Stewart Of
their intention to resign tonight:
Tom Mitchell, Victor Boyd, Dan Scott
Pat Henry, E. r. Mizell, Nv. H. Rob-
inson, William Scott, J. r. Phillips,
w. F. Phillips and George Rice.
II don't know what we are going
to do, said Chief of Police Frank
Stewart last night. Il suppose we
| will have to do the best we can, but
can't see how two or three men are
going to patrol the entire city and
keep order, as well as prevent bur-
glaries. With the big circuses head
ed this way, bringing their usual
quota of crooks, the strike" comes
at most inopportune time. have
not encouraged the men to quit, but
I don't blame them. 1t has been
mighty hard for them to make both
ends meet with the salaries paid
them-and all OF them are mea Of
families"
It has been known for some days
that the entire force was dissatisfied
with their pay. They expected thu,
council to take some action in theif
favor last Monday might, but It did
not materialize. When the night
boys came on duty last night they
held conference with the day men
aad after talking the matter over
all Of them voted to omit.
| 1t is understood that the pasrotsN
men went from store to store ana
from bank to bank yesterday lnS Az
| effort to dispose Of their scfips. nllRs
were unsuccessful. They were e4Sr-'s
ed ridiculously low sums for thelr
August warrants
tEssf
$500 a -