The Washington times., 1919-08-24
GALDERDENIES
TRYINGTOKICK
PULLMANOUT
Simply Seeking to Put Wash
ington Police Force on Clean
Cut System, He Says.

Who is after superintendent Pull
mans scalp? Certainly not l." dis
claims Senator Calder of New York,
who is hard at work framing a bill
to establish the Washington police
force on a clean-cut merit system,
from the chief of police down to the
newest buck" private.
Nobody is trying to kick out Su-
perintendent Pullman" Senator CAL
der declared today, "but let there be
no misunderstanding. What 1 pro-
pose to do is to make it possible for
a private in the ranks to rise, by COM
petitive examination, to head of the
police force. If New York city can
do it, so can Washington"
Senator Calder protested there is a
disposition on the part Of the District
Commissioners and the public to jump
to the conclusion that the real pur-
pose of his bill is to get rid of Super
/ intendent Pullman. Nothing is so
wrong as that Interpretation Of it, he
/ claimed.
How Plan Would Work.
Under the Calder plan the head OF
/ the department would be known as
| the chief inspector, who would be
| selected by the District Commission
ers from the four or five inspectors
whom the bill would create.
1t has been suggested to Senator
! Calder that his bill be drawn so as
to include Superintendent Pullman as
a uniformed inspector of the force.
| Senator Calder said that if Pullman
possesses the qualifications of an in
spector there would be nothing to
prevent his remaining in the force as
its head, for the District Commission
ers would have the power to appoint
him chief of the inspectors. While he
made il clear that this was only a
suggestion that had been made for
mally to him. Senator Calder said he
would be glad to give it serious con-
sideration.
'"I do not object to superintendent
Pullman at ALL" said Senator Calder.
''On the contrary, so far as can find
out, he is a competent and responsible
official. 1 do not want to force him
out of office if it is possible to retain
him."
Wants a Real Force.
Senator Calder said what he wanted
to do was to give Washington a real
police force, fashioned in general after
the New York force. The privates
would be selected by competitive eX-
aminations; each promotion would be
Dy competitive examination; the four
or FIVE inspectors, who would be the
ranking members of the force, would
be chosen from the officers in like
manner. From the inspectors, he de-
clared, the District Commissioners
would be empowered to select the
man best fitted for chief inspector,
who would be equivalent to the SUI
perintendent of police.
The present chief of police in New
York rose from the ranks as a pri-
vate, Senator Calder declared, and
such a system he proposes to estab-
lish in Washington. Whatever con-
clusion the District Commissioners
may draw from the Calder plan, what
Senator Calder proposes to do is to
make it possible for the head of the
Washington police force to be chosen
from the uniformed force.
Senator Calder will not get his sub
committee together on the salary
question until after he completes his
bill This may not be for a couple Of
weeks.
Basis of Pay.
There seems TO be a disposition on
the part of the subcommittee to fix
the sum of 81 $50 as the minimum pay
mum pay. These figures. at any rate,
senator Calder said, will be the basis
on which the subcommittee is TO be-
gin work. The pay Of officers will be
computed on a graduating scale.
a serious complication cOnfronts
the committee in the matter of in
creased pay for the police. Senator
Calder pointed out that once the
question OF increasing the pay Of the
members OF the police force is
brought up in the Senate, IT will open
the whole question Of increased pay
Tor all classes Of Government en-
ployes, not merely in Washington.
but throughout the country.
What's for one should be for all"
ia slogan that viii prove a serious
stumbling block, he believes. when
the Senate is asked 70 vote higher
pay.
Senator Calder said he believes
hrmly the pay Of the Washington
police force should be increased. Not
only do the men deserve il. ne be-
lieves. but the increased cost of living
makes strong arg-5nent for il. The
inclination Of Senator'S to cut down
expenses, especially the Government
pay roll, and not any action on the
part OF the committee. he said, con-
sttutes the most serious obstacle
When the committee reports its
recommendations for Increased paw il
also will recommend at least 100 ad-
dltional p-ivates. Senator Calder said
IL is quite evident 10 anyone who
walks about the city at night that
Washington has not a sufficient num-
Der Of policemen. In a two hours
walk Friday night that took him
through the downtown sections and
the residential sections, he said he
only saw one policeman. and he was
a traffic cop"