The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-08

charge of the police department since Bodeker's removal. Members of the city commission ad- init that due to the tentative, make shift, indefinite. antagonistie organi- zation of the police department at pres ent on man in charge could do any better
 The commissioners. they themselves admit. found, through the police probe, conditions in the police department bad.
 The commissioners, they themselves admit undertook to remedy those con ditions.
 The commissioners, they themselves ad- init, have not done
 They've had two months to do it in. Whats wrong?
 Each of the three members of the commission has been asked this ques- tion:
 why have you not appointed chief of police?"
 Thus they answered
 George Ward: Not ready"
 James Weatherly: T don't know who to appoint
 A O. Lane: "There is no reason,h
 Then followed the following questions
 MT. Ward, why are you not ready?'
 And he answered.:
 Excuse mel
 "Mr. Weatherly. why don't yon know whom to appoint?'
 T haven't made up my mind as to the merits of any of the applicants
 Judge Lane. why Is there no reason for not appointing a chief?"
 And he answered:
 Because one should have been appoint ed long ago. Conditions in the police department by reason of this non-appoint- ment policy are deplora ple,''
 Further than this the commissioners will not discuss the case intelligently protesting ignorance as to whom they may appoint, when they will appoint, how they will appoint and so on.
 Of course it's possible they may ap- point a man tomorrow, but as said at the beginning there are good indications no appointment will be made for a month or six weeks. E In the meantime. police conditions at least are not getting better and it is strongly probable they are getting worse. The double department-the detectives and the patrolmen under separate heads and the two working separate and dis tinct-works like two cats with their tails tied and hung over a clothesline
 The sole ambition of a good majority of the members of both departments, outside of drawing their salaries judg ing from their actions, is for detective to "get something on' a policeman or a policeman to "get something on de- tective. They spend q good part of their time watching each other and the har- vest of the crooks thereby waXeth heavy and golden. The police department yanks one way; the detective department yanks another. And between the two yanks the vox populi gets hit in the head with brick and has his pocketbook extract ed by a member of the species thug.
 The entire police department is demor- alzed It needs head who has author ity and is able to exert it.
 The commissioners strongly aver that Martin Eagan. acting chief, has full au- thoritY and power to run the depart ment in any way he pleases But official ly, they are murderins Martin Eagan.
 He's an applicant for the permanent appointment as chief and that is being held over his head by the commissioners. What incentive is there for him to take something which might be displeasing to the commission? Every member of the department knows that Captain Eagan is merely acting chief. With that knowl- edge in the heads of his men he cannot enforce the discipline or even begin the organization of the police department such as 1t needs. Captain Eagan is almost as helpless al if his hands were tied With the keen rivalry between his men and the detectives his handicap re- ceives the finishing touches.
 The commissioners can't blame condi- tions onto Eagan. They're in charge of the police department until they appoint a permanent chief of police.
 That's the way the public feels.
 But where's the public cry: "All hail the chief,''