Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-10
REPORT SAYSD.C.
!. POLICE ARE PAID
WAGE Of .LAB0RER
Present Status Declared Far
Below That of a
Mechanic.

PollcemenS Association, and w. j.
Kerns and Sergt. William q. Stott
members of a committee of the asso-
| citation, appointed to secure data as
| to the working conditions and sala-
| ries paid policemen elsewhere, pre-
| pared a report. which was submitted
| to Maj. Gessford superintendent of
| police, today.
! The report shows the salaries paid
! in the principal cities throughout the
! country and gives an idea of the du-
| ties the police Of those cities are re-
! quired to perform. Members of the
| committee conclude their report as
/ follows:
! 1T will be observed that salaries
! paid are as high. and in some cases
| higher. than those prevailing here.
| and working conditions in many cases
| better than here. On personal inquiry
! it was found that the cost of living
| was cheaper in several cities than
! here.
High efficiency Required.
"In Washington, d. c., high de-
! required. thereby keeping members of
! the force who have the interest of
! the department at heart under a con-
slant strain. 1t therefore cannot be
! denied that if efficient and trained
employees are to be retained and de-
lions should be as good in this de-
partment as are now existing I'm most
; important police departments of the
country, and the generally accepted
! custom of allowing some day off each
month with pay, exclusive of annual
leave. should prevail in Washington.
1t is conceded that the numerical
strength of the department is below
that allowed by law and it is not the
desire Of this committee to present
and press request that would inter-
| fere with the administration. but 1t
l is with the honest belief that if the
| Commissioners of the District of Co
! lumbia would inaugurate the system
| Of allowing one day off in each seven
days in the department, the present
trained force could be retained and a
+, desirable class of candidates would
apply for positions. and in a short
while existing vacancies would be
! filed
| 1t must be acknowledged that the
present financial status of the WASH
| ington police officer is far below that
of mechanic and on about a par with
the ordinary day laborer. whose hours
Of service are far more desirable than
that of a police officer and without the
always present element of dagger.
Police officers are expected to live in
jpresentable neighborhoods and in fair
circumstances in their civilian life.
and are also compelled to set aside a
portion of their earnings each year for
uniforms. which, at the present rate,
are expensive, to say the least. having
increased 125 per cent in the past six
years.
Large Number Resign.
ut is without surprise that the COM
lmittee views the large number of resig-
Inations and assertions in the depart
ment when taking into consideration
the present conditions of the police
officers as compared with that of me-
chanical and laboring classes of today,
which condition. we believe, will exist
for some time to come.
I've appeal to you, honorable Com
missioners of the District of Column
bia. in making your recomm endations
to Congress for the ensuing year to
include salaries for the police de-
port Of congressional joint commits
sion of Redistribution of salaries,
and accompanying this brief you will
find report of said commission, and we
invite your attention to pages 305 to
317. inclusive. which deal exclusively
with the police department The sal
| aries recommended by said commits
sion are the very lowest that police
men can live on under the present
conditions, due to high cost of living
which. government statisticians re-
port, has increased 115 per cent since
1914.
I'VE appeal to you to recommend to
Congress and go before the subcom-
mittees on appropriations of the Sem
ate and House and ask that an amend
ment to District of Columbia appro-
priation bill be made allowing at least
S75 per year for uniforms for each
member performing duty in uniform
Several cities are furnishing uniforms
and others have the matter under ad-
visement with chances favorable to
adoption by autumn.
submits Copies Of Hearings.
|. I'VE submit with this brief copies
of hearings on investigation Of sala.
ries of metropolitan police member.
before the subcommittee of the com
mittee on the District Of Columbia
and invite your attention to state
ments and recommendations of Mr.
t Louis Brownlow, Commissioner of tn,
District of Columbia, and the lat,
Maj. Raymond w. Pullman, also t.
t statements of other members of tn,
t department OF different ranks rela
tive to living conditions and a fail
living wage for policemen. These
! hearings were held July 81. August /
3 September 49, "a and 80. 1919.
I'VE submit herewith congressiona
E records of March 80 and 81. 1920. ant
call your attention to pages 53S5 I,
53Ss to SAL. respectively. to discus
sions in the Senate on Senator Cal
der's amendment restoring the bonu
to policemen and firemen. We es
pecially call your attention to re
. marks of Senators Calder, Myers
Thomas, Harrison and Henderson
who was chairman of reclassificatiol
|. commission.
' TT is hoped that an oral hearin,
I Iof the committee will be granted
l when an opportunity to discuss tn
l important questions will be had"