Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-07-26
.POLlCEaA ARE ON STRIKE
Ten Members of Force Quit Job at
Z O'clock Today. Dissatisfied at
Failure Of Council to Grant Their
Petition for Increase in Salary.

Petition for Increase in Salary.
Ten out Of the twenty-five members
comprising the Alexandria police force
at o'clock this morning went on q
| strike. This leaves the old city Grip
pied as far as police protection is con-
cerned, and but one patrolman was
doing duty in the city this morning.
The honor fell to Patrolman Snellings.
Of course, the officers and station
keepers were on duty at headquarters,
but for actual outside service but one
man was on dirty.
Promptly at o'clock this morning,
which is the hour set apart for the
men who go on for the day relieving
the men who have been doing night
duty, ten members of the force, all
dressed in civilians clothes, walked
into headquarters and turned in their
pistols and badges to the station
keeper. The men who walked out
are as follows: Charles Roland,
Walker Campbell, William Campbell,
Andrew Zell, James L. Power, Leroy
Nevitt, Heber Thompson, Harry K.
Massey, T. Dougas Lunsford and
Frederick J. Carvey.
The police went on strike because
city council refused to grant them an
increase in salary at its meeting last
night.
Several weeks ago the police
through Chief C. T. Goods petitioned
council to grant them an increase in
pay, setting forth that the present
salary they were receiving was m
adequate to meet the steady increased
cost Of living There salary that is
for patrolmen is $75 month. Up to
about two or three months ago the
salary was only $65. The officers,
however, receive more money than the
privates.
While no specified amount wa set
forth by the policemen in their re-
quest of an increase in salary one
member of the force explained today
that they expected fully $50 a month.
A number of the members of the force
who quit this morning at once went to
work at ether places at an increased
salary it is stated.
The police force at the present time
is made up of a grand total of twenty
two, including the chief, officers and
patrolmen, there being recently one
death in the ranks of the force.
Three members of the force are now
off, two owing to illness and one on
mis- vacation. This, therefore, leaves
only nine men.to do police duty for the
entire city.
This nine includes seven prlvates
and two officers. One of the privates
is supposed to be station keeper
Therefore, it would mean that only
six patrolmen could look after the
city for actual police work.
The question just now is a serious
one for the city and it is reported
that other members of the force may
quit this afternoon. One policeman
said he expected that at least two or
three others would quit. This practl-
cally speaking would deplete the
ranks of the police force to such an
extent that the city would be woosy
unprotected.
Just as soon as report of the strike
was made there was called meeting
of the board of police commissioners
which was held at 10 o'clock at police
headquarters which was presided over
by Howard w. Smith, president OF the
common council. Commissioners pres
ent were: Messrs Knight, Schwarz-
mann and Phillips. They went into
executive session and al the conclusion
of the meeting announced that there
would be nothing to give out for the
present.
Since this meeting however, it was
learned that there will be called
meeting of both branches of the city
council at S o'clock tonight and that
body may take some action on the
matter.