Evening star., 1919-09-18

and fhnfr consti tu<iou. It haA n.
tfecefvsd the slnbfession. though p6esibly
through q misunderstanding, he said.
tnat there was no-strike clause in
the charter. but, when it was brcuhht
. to him he could not find such pflo-
vision. He was then told that clause
| In the federation's resolution for the
admission of policemen contained q
no-strike provision, but he had never
seen 1t. he told the committee.
But did not consider the presence
| or the absence Of a no-strike provision
as the principal question in this case
said Mr. Brownlow. 'T feared that AZ
hliation of the police force, as a body.
| with any other Organisations intro
duces a dual allegiance and destroys
the confidence Of the public In the
neutrality OF tho police force"
No Confidence Brings Riotins.
Mr.. Brownlow went on to .exn,ain
| that with q police force Of only TOO
men in a population of many hundred
thousands, the value Of the force de.
pends upon the confidence which the
population has in it. When that con-
hdence is destroyed and people can
lection they take steps to protect
themselves and it is then that dis
order and rioting set in, the Commits
| sioner said. This questioning of the
neutrality of the police force was
bound to arise at the first threat of
| industrial trouble If the public did
not have fullest confidence in the neu-
trality Of the force. which it could
not have If the force was affiliated
with labor organizations, Mr.. Brown
| low asserted.
President Wilson heartily agreed
| with me when I outlined my views to
| him in this respect" said Mr.. Brown
| a OF
Commissioners were contemplating to
deal with the question. He agreed
| with my argument as to the moral
| effect on the general public Of police
| mems ahliation with labor organiza-
| tions"
Mr.. Brownlow then reviewed all the
steps taken by the Commissioners
leading up to the court action, follow
ed by President Wilson's suggestion
that further action be postponed un-
III after the great labor conference
Believes Men Have Changed Views.
! Commissioner Brownlow said that
he believed the men originally con-
1 sented to enter into this affiliation be-
cause they were driven by the hard
this as a means Of possible reiief ii sees Il
was then that he declared with posi-
tiveness to the committee that the
men must have increased pay in or
der to live. He said the Commissioners
find it impossible to fill up the police
force to full membership.
Commissioner Brownlow expressed
the belief that since the agitation OF
this question, and since the men have
come to look at 1t in all its aspects
the great majority of them realize
that it would be a great mistake to
Join any labor organization.
Mr. Brownlow Lauds Men.
Commissioner Brownlow told the
committee that II 1t hadn't been fol-
speechmaking and the publicity given
to the controversy it would have been
! settled long ago.
r. THE police force here Is the finest
body Of men in the world" said Mr.
Brownlow. Il do not believe tina,
strike at any time when they became
affiliated with the American Fedora.
tion Of Labor. The police in Boston
I am told. had no-strike provision
in their charter. but they did strike
IT believe that our men are willine
are advised by their friends they viii
do so. But they are advised by out.
siders. If meeting was held of the
police and there was nobody there bu,
the police, I believe they would VOTE
to withdraw from their affiliatio1
with the A. F. L. by large majority
If they would do this which is wha,
they believe deep down in thei1
hearts, then we could get considera.
ton by Congress OF the bill increas.
ing the policemen's pay and the cour,
procedure and this Myers resolution
could be dropped"
Tells of Mems Hours.
u Senator Calder Of New York mad,
inquiry as to the number of hour,
the police are on duty. Commissioners
Rrownlow replied that the men ar,
on patrol duty eight hours a day
and that they have to go into cour
with their prisoners in time outsid,
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