Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-26
EXTRA PROTECTION
PLANNED MARCH 4
Mai. Gessford and Other Of
ficiaIs Will Prepare to
Handle LARGE Crowd.

Officials of the police department
soon will begin the preparation OF
| estimates for money to use in the
| protection of life and limb and
maintenance of public order during
| the inaugural ceremonies March 4
| next. Maj. Harry L. Gessford. su-
| perintendent of police. and other OF
! iicialg of the department are salts
| fed there will be an unusually large
| crowd here, no matter who is electeu
| 1t is realized that the cost of mann
tanning order and protecting resi-
| dents and visitors will be much
| greater than it was four or eight
! years ago. Four years ago Congress
| made an allowance of $4,000 for sucn
| purpose, but the coming inaugural
! Will carry so many increases that
Congress probably will be asked 10
make an appropriation of not less
| than $4,000.
Cost viii Be Nearly Doubled.
Definite plans for policing the Dis
trict during the inaugural perlod
cannot be made until later. Enough
is known, however, to make it rea-
sonably certain that the cost VIII
be approximately double that of four
years ago. The question of reviV1ng
F.! the custom of holding an inaugural
| ball is one which will mean much
in the m,Tter of making final ar
rangementS for safeguarding homes
and persons.
1t is believed the question of hold
ing an inaugural ball will not be
determined until some time after the
result of the election is known, when
the necessary committees will he ap-
pointed to perfect arrangements for
the inaugural ceremonies. Holding
of a ball will mean additional work
on part of the police and may mean
the need of a larger appropriation
than otherwise would be sufficient.
The increased amount, it is stated
would not be very large.
one question that promises to give the
police and inaugural committee some
concern is that relating to the handling
of automobiles, both public and private.
The number of machines in this city has
materially increased since the second
inaugural of President Wilson, police
official pointed out, and what is TO be
done with them during the inaugural
period is probematical.
where are all of them going to park
in the business section?" said member
of the traffic squad.
Regulations to Differ.
1t long has been the custom of the
District Commissioners to enact special
regulations for the inaugural period,
Congress giving them that power, anc
the regulations for the approaching in
augural. it is suggested, will be some
what different from those on former
similar occasions.
Heretofore the city had the benefit of
a force of approximately 500 special po-
licemen, IN addition to from 80 to 100
trained detectives from all sections or
the country and Baltimore furnished
force of fifty or more uniformed men 10
assist in handling the crowds along the
line of march.
1t is feared that the District will ex-
perience difficulty getting special po-
licemen for less than So a day. Here
tofore they were paid from $3.50 to 81 Il
day, and the additional salary list for
the coming inaugural promises to re-
quire the expenditure of several thou
sand more dollars than formerly.
Another item of increase will be hotter
bills In many other large cities the
police departments have ample accom-
modations to quarter visiting policemen.
but there are no such accommodations
TO be had here. Hotels and rooming
houses will be appealed to for the &C
of the visiting SleuthS.