The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-07-25
FIREMEN AND.
POLICE MUST
GET MOREPAY
Riggardly Salaries in D. c.
! Leave Forces Undermined
And City Unprotected.
By BILL PRICE.

II is for Congress and the District
Commissioners to thoroughly and
quickly comprehend conditions Of pay
in the Police and Fire Departments If
law and order and property interests
are to be genuinely safeguarded in
the District during another year.
Undisputed facts stand out squarely
that adequate police and are-hghting
forces cannot be maintained in Wash
ington on the salaries that are au-
thortzed for the coming fiscal year,
ana that the Commissioners ought
to 80 before the proper Appropriations
Committees of Congress and ask that
the pay OF these men be increased at
once. so that it viii be possible to add
efficient competent policemen and
nremen to both forces-men Of the
best types to be had.
Constant Turnover.
In both of these departments there
IL at present a constant turnover of
the personnel. especially in the Fire
Department New men are added but
others are leaving. AS a rule, the
men who stick are those who have
served many years faithfully protect
ing the city and who cling to the idea
that some time they will be properly
rewarded They like their work and
they want to stay. Young men,
though, accept positions in both de-
partments merely to Ill in" until
something better offers.
The recent riots demonstrated that
when duty calls the brave men of the
police force face any and all dangers,
selling their lives freely for the cause
OF law and order, for the safety Of
women and children. And they are
q giving these lives for 1881 per day,
the basic entrance salaries In the de-
partment, leaving penniless widows
and orphans when shot down.
The Maximum Strength.
In the last fiscal year ended June
so the maximum number OF police
privates provided by Congress for the
District was 766. At no time during
the year did the actual number reach
700, because men could not be had at
the salaries offered. OF these q
goodly number were on detail at the
White House, at the embassies and
LEGATIONS, and in protecting notables
Who were arriving in the city.
For the present fiscal year the num-
Der Of privates has been increased to
S04. but with the distinct understand
ing that the thirty-eight extra men,
n the force can ever be brought to
che maximum, will be detailed to pro-
fect the representatives and proper
ties of foreign countries. Despite the
most strenuous efforts to bring the
force up to the authorized maximum,
Mater pullman is still short many
men at last accounts something like
ssventy-hve A maximum force would
have been exceedingly valuable in the
recent riots
isaac Cans, chairman Of the Cham
her OF Commerce committee on police
and FIRE protection for the District
some time ago reported to that BODY
facts and figures demonstrating that
washington policemen and firemen are
hadIv underpaid. He urged that IS
Der day was the minimum that should
Re paid police privates, in addition to
allowance of SIS per year for uni
Forus. which now cost new members
about s125 per year.
other Cities Pay.
Youngstown. Ohio. pays its privates
81 500 peT year; Washington, d. c,
81 Oso The bonus Of $240 per year
makes 81 800, but that bonus is tenn
porary only. The 81 $50 is the liked
salary. The Washington pc!!- smen,
because he comes in contact with
Presidents, Senators, and all classes.
must be well-dressed at heavy eN-
pense out OF his own pocketbook.
Ine pay u pIlNdNNS al NhS
Fire Department is $500, the lowest
of any city In the country OF 100000
population and up. The war bonus Of
800 brings the total to 81 200.
Bridgeport, Conn, pays her lowest
grade fremen $1,000 per year. The
hulk of American cities allow their
SiremeE, in addition to salaries. GER
tain sums for uniforms or part of
their equipment. Philadelphia, as an
example, allows $40 for clothing Her
lowest paid privates receive 81 .210.
In nearly all cities the pay OF po-
Iicemen and fremen is being in
creased The figures herewith given
were OF date Of January ! last.
More Judges, More Police.
The situation in Washington is not
only serious from the standpoint OF
an inadequate police force. made
ouately paid, but from the fact that
there are few judges Of the criminal
courts, and that jails are full Of muir
derers, thieves, and thugs awaiting
trials that cannot be had for months
and sometimes for years because the
judges Of the courts are inadequate
IN number and pay.
At the District Jail the other day
this writer saw in "murdereFs' row
OF that institution thirty men charged
with murder, most OF whom have not
been tried. No city can suppress
crime efficiency where il has not
sufficient policemen to do so or a
sufficient number of judges to con-
duct the legal machinery that brings
offenders to quick justice. The
greatest recognized deterrent of crime,
all officers Of justice will agree, is
quick and speedy arrests, followed by
quick ana speedy trials and punish
ment Of the guilty. Washington
criminals know Of the delays in the
criminal courts and shreWdly calcu-
late on long waits before they hnally
face the bar Of Justice.
With more policemen and more
Judges there should 80 more prose-
cutting officers under District Attorney |
LaSkey, and they should be dec6ntly |
paid for their aeFVteek