The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-02-02
SUGGESTS PLAN GOOD FIRE
AND POLICE PROTECTION

f, Editor Pensacola Journal
! l take this means to recommend to
the city commissioners plan whereby
. they can put the police force and fire
/ department back on full time, and
thereby give to Pensacola the police
and fire protection she so honestly
deserves and sadly needs. Now in
| the first place, I am not detracting
from the ability of the men of either
| department Far from if. 1t is a ply
steal impossibility for the limited
number Of men to do passing justice
to their responsible work under the
present conditions Right now, when
Pensacola is having more fires than
her regular share, her fire department
is deplorably handicapped by lack OF
sufficient men to man the six fire.
fighting apparatus. Each apparatus
should be manned by at least three
men; experience has taught us that
we have but two men for each ma
chine, thereby rendering these appara-
tus 80 Is per cent less than their
true value to the department, at the
expense of the public.
An equally, if not more important
matter, is the police department, which
their regular force. At this time, when
everyone is economizing, servants are
being discharged to cut. down expenses,
negro laborers are being thrown out
Of employment to meet the demanded
curtailment Of expenses of their en-
pIoyers, the poorer class of white peo-
pie are made more destitute by the
regretted conditions now existing
here; all this goes to increase the
robberieS and other imfractions Of the
city's penal code. Throughout the city
idle negroes are. seen skulking around.
and especially on East Hill where ne
groes are reported to be sleeping in
the woods and loafing in the residence
districts, and looking altogether sus
picious. Many East Hill people have
lost chickens and many other things
of value about the premises. Police
have been trying to apprehend several
suspicious looking negroes seen but
in the wooded sections of East Hill
by residents, but as yet have been
unable to meet with any agreeable
success. The force is so limited that
justice cannot be done any one section
of the city under the present condi-
tions.
The commissioners claim they have
the State bank deposit fully secured
and will in due time receive dollar for
dollar; they have already realized s25,-
600 and some few dollars from the
First National bank deposits. And
even if the state bank deposit is not
secured by the security company, and
the commissioners hope to in the next
few years realize at least so per cent
on the S160,0O0 entrusted to that In
stitution. they should not make these
m
properly look after the peoples money
that falls 20 their lot to handle and
protect.
In course Of another year the peo-
pie of Pensacola will lose vastly more
than $4,000 under the present pro-
lection given by these two depart
ments, not counting the weakening in
fiuence caused by the various other
departments that have to suffer for
their condition.
Now for my plan:
Put the most important departments
back in full force, all of the depart
ments if needed, to give the people
what is coming to them
Pay off in full, but instead Of Civ
ing Mr. Jones $50 at the end of each
month. give him $3.50 cash and a
promissory note for $3.50, payable as
soon as the city's finances justified
taking these notes up. Or you could
make these notes to mature in one,
two or three years. said notes to bear
no interest. Such notes would be re-
cognized by any good business firm
IN Pensacola and the men could real
ize ready money and necessities at
most any time with such collateral
/ am sure all the men would much
rather work full time at two-t thirds
pay and promissory note for the other
third than to loaf the other third Of
the time and realize nothing by it,
81 the expense OF the public right on.
And on the other hand II the COM
naissioners continue this economy until
they save this st6o.O0o and then final
IL realize dollar for dollar from the
state bank the city viii seemingis he
100000 better off at the expense of
the men of those departments. But
the city will be shy of that much pro-
lection during that time and with a
good chance of paying a nuch higher
price for this false economy: of the
commissioners.
Citizens express your sentiments on
this matter This is our government
and under the commission form we
have a say how il shall be run
Think honestly over the essential
principle Of this matter and form a
natural analytic opinion of your own
and then express 1t in some way.
E. NJ. JACKSON.