The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1914-03-05
MAYOR EBBRLEY
TALKS SENSE
a Letter to tho People that Every
body Should Read all tho Way
Through.
FACTS ABOUT POLICE FORCE
City's Business Costs Much Less
Than Il Did Under the
Fec System.
10 the Citizens Of Wahpeton:

10 the Citizens of Wahpeton:
a short time ago, an article
was published in the city papers,
written by one of the present al
dermen, relating to the advisa-
bility of cutting down the expen--
ses of the city by reducing the po-
lice force and also by reducing
the salary of the police magis-
trate, or by putting him on a fee
basis. AS we have an election
this spring, these matters are o.
present interest, of some impor-
tance, and they ought to be we'll
understood.
1t is true that we have, and are
paying, three policemen, during IL
part of each year. The Chief and
one policeman are employed all of
the time and. in certain seasons.
a special man is employed. The
salary of the Chief lis s75 a month
and the policeman $50. and til.
special $50, for the time he is en-
ployed. That these salaries are
too high has never been claimed.
With the present cost of living,
no one could claim it. Neither
has it ever been claimed that our
police force was not competent,
efficient or attentive to duties.
Such claim could not, truth
fully, be made. The only claim
made is that we can reduce the
force, especially by doing away
with the special policeman. We
might try that, but 7 am afraid
of the results.
Wahpeton is peculiarly loca-
ted, with reference to it's getting,
at certain seasons of the year,
large numbers of persons who re-
quirc the attention of the police.
We are on the state line, just a.
cross the river from town where.
there are saloons and we have
three lines of railroads entering
the city from the east. We are.
therefore, the first city of North
Dakota to receive the large num-
bers of labOring men, who come
to the grain fields, many in the
spring, but many more in the sum-
mer. Anyone who has ever had
anything to do with either the
city or the county administration,
knows without being told, that,
with the army of real laboring
men. always comes another army
to work the workers." In other
words, say 500 men come to Wah-
peton, all claiming they are look
ing for work. $50 of them are
honest and really do want work; !;
but so of them are crooks and
would not work at honest labor
for any price. That puts up to
our police force two mighty diff
cult tasks; first to pick out the
honest men and help them to get
work; and, second, to pick out the
crooks and see that they do not
get in their work.
How we'll our police force has
done it's work the record of the
past five years will show. 1t is
true that the police force owes
much to the county administra-
ton for aid in these matters, be-
cause they have had, during that
time, the hearty cooperation of
both the sheriffs and the states
attorneys offices, and that has
been help that cannot be over
rated. In five years, how many
stores or residences have been
burglarized? How many robberies
or hold-ups have We had? What
working man has been beaten out
of his seasons wages? I can
think of only one store burglary
and that was by a citizen of the
town-and he was arrested by a
policeman. One railroad man
was held up, and the two negroes
who did it went to tothepenitentiary.
One railroad man was held up on
the train and shot, and the man
who did it is now in the peniten-
tiary. Aside from these three
crimes, can recall none in the
classes mentioned.
How many spch crimes have
been prevented by the police? No