The Washington times., 1919-09-18
PRESIDENT BACKS
BROWNLOW'SSTAND
CONTINUED from First Page)

N
ton with the police with labor in
troduces the question or dual alleg-
lance, and would tend to destroy the
! confidence Of the public in the neu-
trality OF the officers Of the law Mr..
Brownlow said he still holds that
opinion.
! During the hearing Mr.. Brownlow
took occasion to urge increased pay
| for the members of the police force.
declaring il was impossible for po-
/ lioeman TO live on his pay. Senator
Sherman. chairman OF the committe,
/ said he would attest that Mr.. Brown
! low had always stTenuouslX urged
higher pay for the police force. even
/ before the question OF unions was
! brought UP.
Thinks Majority Oppose Union.
Mr.. Brownlow informed the COM
mittee that he did not believe the ma
! iority of the Washington police were
| in favor of joining the union.
Il believe il a meeting or the union
| were to be held: he said. the MEM
bers by very large majority would
vote TO withdraw from the American
| Federation of Labor"
He explained that he did not be
lieve the police realized the situation.
| The no strike clause, he believed,
would not prevent the policemen
| from going on strike in Washington.
They say il would prevent a
! strike" he said, but the Boston
police had such a clause in their
Icharter and they did go on strike.
Whatever the Washington police may
think about the no strike clause, It
can be seen that it had no effect in
Boston"
Thinks Publicity is onset.
Mr.. Brownlow said he believed the
whole question would have been
averted IL il had been threshed out
| in public beforehand.
At the outset of the hearing, L. z.
! DraegeT, president of the City Police
mems Union, was questioned closely
| by Senator ShergEan as to the unions
relations with the A. +. Of l.
Draeger protested that the union did
not intend to threaten or coerce Con-
gress in order to gain their ends. He
said il intended to use the influence
OF the A. +. of L. upon Congress in
a legal way.
Draeger admitted that the purpose
the union was to get organized labor
to compel Congress to grant further
hearings on the question.
Senator Sherman said that he had
been boycotted four times by organ
lied labor for not taking its orders.
He asked DraegeT IL the union intend
ed to employ such methods. Draeger
replied emphatically that it did not.
Reviews Conferences.
Mr.. Brownlow took up the contro-
versy between the Commissioners and
the police step by step, reviewing at
length his conferences with the Presi-
dent and the proceedings that led to
the restraining, order order issued by
| the local court. He laid particular
kstress on the point that he believed
I the police had been badly advised all
through the controversy.
I ,tUntiF this question OF police unions
Is disposed Of. he said. IL will be i'm
possible to cooperate fully in the
matter OF lettering conditions in the
police force.
IF the Washington police would
consent to withdraw from the A. T.
OF L." he told the committee, they
would take the lead among the po-.
licemen of the country"
Then we would not have to fight in
the courts and in Congress. The po-
lice could then come to Congress to
get the benefit due them without a
question of suspicion being raised"
Urges More Policemen.
Mr. Brownlow urged upon the com
mittee to Increase the size of the ,po-
lice force as well as the pay of mem
bers. He warned that order could not
be maintained especially il the pub