Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-11
NEW DIRECTOR SAYS
HE WILL KEEP POLICE
OUT OF POLITICS
William H. Wilson Emphatic in
His Endorsement of Pre-elec-
ton Promises of Incom-
ing Mayor
DUTY HIS WATCHWORD
This IL the flfth In n series of inter
views with the new directors appointed
by Mayor-elcct Smith on their plans for
the conduct of their department.

The man who needs enthusiasm most in
the new cabinet OF Mayor-elect Thomas b.
Smith is the best equipped with 1t. Will
lam II. Wilson. newly appointed Director
of the Department OF Public Safety, so
called premier of the cabinet. could
hardly be called demonstratlve, but II he
talks to the bluecoats and firemen who
will be under his direction next year the
way he talked in the course of a l5-mlnute
interview he will have no difficulty en-
thusing them.
The question of whether or not the
police will be active again in politics with
the return OF the Republicans to office
Is the first one always put TO Mr.. Wilson.
His answer always has been an em-
phatic no Today he amplihed that
statement as follows:
II am In thorough and absolute accord
with the prediction pledges of the
MnyOr-elect. reiterated time and again
since the election, that the police Will
be kept ou' of politics The same thing
applies to the firemen. As Director of
the Department OF Public Safety | intend
to see that patrolmen do duty as patrol
men and nothing else and that fremcn
do their rightful work and nothing else, -
PSYCHOLOGY" OF DEPARTMENT.
il is somewhat difficult for the Director
of this department. generally looked on
as the most important in the admlnistra-
tion, to outline plans for his conduct of
1t. Unlike every other division of the
city's government. with the single eXcep-
ton of the Department of Supplies. Pub
lie Safety is more OF maintenance job
than constructive one. In nearly every
other department certain broad, general
plans for public improvements that can
nf hn IN mar min
changes as the need may arise have been
mapped out.
The Department of Public Safety, more
than any other, deals with men. 1t deals
with them In the police bureau, in the
fire bureau. in the corrections bureau.
And. in a lesser degree, perhaps. 1t deals
with men in the bureaus of building
boiler and elevator inspection. The d.
rector of this department needs to know
something about psychology. Il don't
know nothin about IT. He should be
able to get In touch not only with his
immediate subordinates. but with the pa
trolmen themselves when it Is necessary
Unless he can do this all the discipltnar-
fans In the world cannot secure for him
one of the first essentials Of q good police
force, loyalty,
MODEST AND SINCERE.
Director Wilson knows all this. He is
determined to make good" to use his
own words. The nrst reason for this Is
10 show Philadelphia that Mayor-elect
Smith did not misplace his confidence.
Tho new Director Is sngularly well
equipped with modesty for a man who
has been in public affairs as long as he
has. When he was asked his opinion OF
the cabinet members he said:
Il think the right man was selected
for the right place in every instance-but,
of course, I'm not talking now about
myself My acts will have TO speak for
me. / am determined 10 make good.
I've made up my mind to go thoroughly
into the details of every bureau under
TO give this city and the Mayor-elect the
best that Is in me from start 10 finish
The best answer to the question OF
what 10 TO be done about the three-pla-
toon system, according to Director VIII
son. Is that Captain Davis his assistant,
is the man who established the system
and got II working
''Win the system be continued7' the
Director was asked.
mot II we can improve il and give
the men even better working conditions"
he said IF We cant make It any better
we'll keep il up as It is
Director Wilson realizes that 1t will
be impossible to make things any better
for the patrolman until more bluecoats
are added 20 the force. He Will ask for
a large increase as soon as possible after
taking ONCE.
''In some OF the outlying distrietA" =
said. lit IS utterly impossible for patrol