The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-14

sector and has shown Massachusetts
that he is ready 70 sink or swim. sur
vive or perish, where he stands. And
the city of Boston is for him.
Col Frank 8. Perkins. A. =. F.. liz
the Republican candidate for State
Treasurer. / mention him merely be-
cause he IL the soldier on the ticket
the bait for the soldier vote.
Now whether the presence OF SOL
diers on the streets Of Boston and the
fact that their rifles have already killed
eight and wounded forty will cause an
anti-military revulsion which will de-
feat Col. Perkins remains to be seen.
At any rate he IL the possible weak
spot on the ticket
Mayor Peters has yet two years to
serve. He Is a Democrat and a former
Representative In Congress. Immediately
previous to his election as Mayor he was
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
under President Wilson.
The Mayor is an intimate friend Of
the President and equally friendly
with former Secretary McAdoo. He has
been relegated to the side lines In this
crisis by Gov Coolidge. The Police
Commissioner OF Boston Is an appointee
OF the Governor under the law. You can
make your own political deductions.
Girl Labor Leader with Ability. Z
There's a young woman, Miss May
Matthews. in this town and she heads
the telephone operators union. Let
those who think that Miss Matthews
has not assumed all the responsibilities
OF citizenship and developed into n per-
son wholly capable of dominating a
labor union seek an interview with her.
Miss Matthews Is an extremely capable
person.
She says that the telephone operators
union Is willing to quit work IL things
come to a showdown. She is not a
demagogue, merely n sincere upholder
of the sovereignty OF labor as a class.
She does not advocate striking merely
to help the police, but she does-favor a
walkout II there comes a straight bat
tie between capital and labor here
THE girls have talked to are
anxious to strike" she says. mo other
telephone operators outside of Boston
will be allowed to take our places II
we quit, nor will outside operators
handle Boston calls II we strike. We
shall be entirely orderly. We will do
everything in our power toI suppress
disorder"
The laws governing the organization
of the police of Boston were adopted
with view of keeping the police out
Of politics. Just how close TO this poll
teal elysium these laws have ap-
preached is a-matter of much debate.
In the first place, the State of Massa-
chusetts Is normally Republican. The
city of Boston is Democratic. But the
latter cannot roll up a sufficiently large
Democratic vote to affect the Republl-
canism of the State outside the big city.
How Lawmakers Figured.
This ayas the premise upon which the
police laws were built. 1t was figured
that il Republican Governor appointed
a Police Commissioner for Boston the
chances were that he'd obey political
instinct and appoint man of his own
political persuasion. He has consistently
done this.
Republican Commissioner would not
be likely to permit his police to be so
manipulated as to assist the Democratic
Mayor to further Democratic ends. This.
too has been followed out as per
scheduled.
Therefore, the lawmakers argued, the
Republican State outside of Boston could
rest assured that the Police Department
of Boston was not going to be used to
violate their Republican integrity and
however Democratic Boston wanted to
become 1t would be wholly up to Boston
minus her police force.
Bostonians say that the scheme has
worked well. II has as a natural mat
ter OF course resulted in some friction
between the Mayor and the Commits
sioner but never to a serious degree, be-
cause neither expects nor receives many
political favors from the other. Up until
this coming gubernatorial election the
term of office of the Governor has been
one year. Whoever is elected Governor
NJ mil he
chosen for a two year term under the
new laws.
Neither the law nor precedent makes
1t obligatory for the Police Commissioner
to resign upon the election of a new
Governor. Gov. Coolidge appointed
Commissioner Curtis, but curtis's prede-
cessor, Steve O'Meara, held the Job
thirteen years under thirteen State adj
ministratlons-Republ and Demo-
cratic.
Man Killed by Soldier.
The eighth death directly traceabIe
to the police strike occurred to-day. II
was not the result of rioting nor even a
crap game. Moreover, there Is quite a
little pro and con discussion about the
killing. A shot hit a woman in the leg
after passing through the stomach of the
man it killed. One death on Thursday
laid to the strike was afterward attrib-
uted to other causes.
The man was Raymond Geist. aged 81
of Leyden street. Dorchester. The
woman is Mrs. Mary Jacques of 10 Hem.
enway street. Boston.
There are . hundred and one con-
| fiicting stories OF the circumstances. but
the consensus Of reports Is that Geist
was struck while standing at BoylstoI
| and fremont streets. across from tho
Hotel Touraine. this being one of tn,
most populous of Boston's corners, and
sections of the State guardsmen wert
patrolling It in all directions.
Geist was told to move on by one Of
the soldiers. He made some reply-tht
soldiers say insulting. The guardsmar
threw his rife to port arms and ad-