Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-06
INAUGURATION
OF STATE POLICE
Governor Pennypacker Tells of
the Work Accomplished by
the Constabulary
rrxSyr,cKuR AuropIocR,puy-No. 60

nau Decn created 10 WHICH ntu bc'i b''''
very great authority and a power which
extended to tho person OF the individual
citizen and might even be regarded as an
infringement Of his personal liberty. The
value and permanence Of tho legislation
would depend mainly upon the manner in
which the department should be organized.
II was at first suggested to me that 1t
should be placed in charge of DR.. H. II.
Warren, but that thought | instantly dis
missed. ! then had an interview with l)r.
Charles j.. pcnrosc, whb had been very
much interested in the matter, ana he
named to mo n gentleman connected with
one OF tho schools In the western part OF
the state. | had a talk with the gentle.
man, but was still not satisfied. Then Doc.
tor Pcnrosc told me he thought DR.. Samuc
g. Dixon, president Of the Academy
Natural Sciences, would we willing to un.
dcrtakc the task. That 'ggcstion suited
me exactly. Dixon COusc ed, and made
the appointment Under his direction it
has como to be accepted as the most impor.
tant and efficient organization for this linc
of work in the United States There Is
good ground for hope that many Of the
innammatury diseases due to specific poi.
CONS such as typhoid fever smallpox, diph'
iberia and tuberculosis, may hc in time
stamped out Of existence.
The State Police
The Legislature also, upon my urgency
provided for n state police or constabulary.
and here the same kind of question arose.
Such a body. if organized upon political
lines, would have tremendous power over
tho state ana would be corrcspondingly
dangerous. After talking over a number
of persons, some of them connected with
tho guard and consulting with General
Henry : TIuldckoper, Bromley Wharton aud
others. | rendered the position to John
{. Groome, captain of the City Troop, who
accepted. lie proved TO be Just the man
needed, oc the right age, slim, erect, quick
to sec and To- act, possessing rare Comhi-
nation of decision Of character and sound
judgment. | told him I wanted Il police
force and absolutely nothing else. Not
man on the force was selected upon tho
recommendation Of anybody. The men
were all chosen upon the results of physical
or RELIGIOUS creed any one of them pro.
fcsses is officially unknown. Groomc has
made the constabuary famous all over tho
United States. Two hundred and forty in
number they have maintained tho peace
within the state as was never done before.
Nut once since has il been necessary 10
call out the National Guard. and that vast
expense has been saved. While organized
labor has unwiscly asSailcd them as "pCn.
nypackcr'S CossaCkS." one Of the greatest
Of their merits has been that they have
saved Labor from tho oppression of force
and have done away with that kind of
police Intervention which came from men
employed by the corporations.
There were certain principles which IN.
dcrlay the iisapproval Of those bills which
were ncFatived There was no extension
of The right to take property by eminent
domain, the effort to create new crimes 10y
statute as an easy means of collecting
debts or enforcing duties was ever looked
upon with disfavor, and in no instance,
during my term, did l permit increase in
the number Of the Judiciary. Among the
bills vetoed was one prepared under the
geons, ostensibly for the prevention Of
diocy," which authorized them to perform
experiments upon the inmates Of the instl.
tutions for the fceblc.mnded, and another
urged by the osteopaths which provided for
n third board OF medical examiners.
Greater Pittsburgh
An act had been passed FOR uniting Ale
ghcny City and Pittsburgh in one munich
pality There was some protest, mainly on
the part of those interested in maintaining
Il dual set of officials, and Governor Stone
argued before me the objections at length;
but was heartily in favor of the project.
because it would simplify the municipal
government, lessen the expense and give
Pennsylvania what no other State possesses
two great cities. In my message I had
advocated the passage OF the act and now
l signed the bill While | was being lauded
in Pittsburgh | was again being berated
in Philadelphia. The Bullitt bill, under
which Philadelphia was governed. written
by John c. Bullitt, n capable lawyer, con.
contrated all power in the hands Of the
Mayor, upon the theory that in that way
responsibility would be fixed. The Mayor
had the appointment of from seven 10
twelve thousand officials, and this fact gave
| him great political power when he chose
| to exercise it, John Weaver, a lawyer,
| born in England. short, stocky and ener.
getic, had been elected Mayor by grace of
the Republican organization. Then he
turned on his old friends and sought repute
as a reformer. Erelong he concluded he
| had been deceived by his new associates
and again recanted, but for the time being
| he was using his control over the officials
for all It was worth politically against the
| Republican organization.
| Tomorrow Governor Pennypacker tells Of th.
| now hill for the government of Philadelphi.
| pushed through by Durham.
| LEDGERGRAMs
| II they kick Lloyd George out, whom will the!
| kick in?
The outside IL not so snowy, but the movies ar
| Just as thrilling.
| Vorwaerts says that everything points to
| military relationship" Humbug. That's wha
| they've had in Germany for half n century