Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-10-22
JOHNNY ON THE JUMP"
The Remarkable Record Made by the
Motorcycle cops-Ncw York's Gen.
erosity to Its PoIice-and Phila.
elphia's-The Life Of
Library Book
by GEORGE NON McCAIN
SUPERINTENDENT MILLS disbur

occasionally secs ripping along Broad street
Mt sixty miles an hour and turning corners
on a slant TINT brings the extremity of their
handle bars within eighteen inches of the
asphalt.
They are the "Johnny- on. the jump"
boys; the flying squadron of the police de-
partmcnt.
How many calls do YOU think the motor
cycle squad has answered in the last four
months; pucricd the superintendent.
'How many men are in the sQuad?" |
asked. Ills reply was 13L
Tie did not wait for my estimate. He
ngnrcd that II would be n guess. anyhow. so
b" volunteered the remarkable information
that the calls for their services approXimated
| 900 in the period named.
There were 500 arrests made as the result
of these NHllir,.
"A hurry call sometimes indicates speed
of sixty miles an hour for one of these off
GERS. added the superintendent.
That means terrific wear and tear on
motor machinery. You cant travel Mt that
rate without something giving away.
Then he informed me that for repairs and
replaccmcnts of damaged parts to the cycles
1t cost the city just 5000 in that same
period.
n1RECTOR CORTELYOI' who has been
- having his own strenuous times in nm
effort 10 Undue" ConnriI 10 give him more
policemen. had n few illuminating remarks
"n the subject Of police budget.
New York. for its police service alone. np-
propriatcs annually moro than $50 000, 900.
This wear II is $34 .OOO 900.
This is about one half the budget for the
entire Department Of Public Safety of this
city, with its seven separate bureaus.
Philadelphia ia the only large city in the
country where the police and traffic systems
are not organized and operated under sep
arate control.
In this city S30.0 IL available for the
police surgeons department.
New York for It's bureau sets aside $780,
600. The contrast seems ridiculous.
The fact is not appreciated that the
safety of tens of thousands of citizens de-
pends upon the Judgment and experience Of
police surgeons
The instant on individual is arrested for
driving an automobile while under the in
huenCc Of liquor. or when drunk. police
surgeon is sent for lie decides the question
of the mans condition.
But for the professional skill and fidelity
of these men scores of drunken Chauffeurs
would every year br turned loose TO endan-
ger life
During the last year every member Of the
police and fire departments was examined as
n his physical condition and the result card
indexed for future reference.
The thousand and one minor hurts and in
iurics to policemen and fire fighters are
cared for by the police surgeons.
Council which without n thought can
make a present of $lJO. 600 to wealthy
street cleaning contractors. can spare only
$50. 900 or So for this item.
JOHN ASHG'RST. City Librarian. cstt-
- mates that 80 readings of a book from
the Free Library about completes the cycle
of itS usefulness.
Aftcr that it is ready for the furnace or
the rubbish bin
In the meantime it will have been rebound
and rctrlmmcd three Times.
Dirty. rS cd stained hott ttern6 nd
generally di>rcputGNlC. the book becomes
unfit for public circulation at the end Of,
approximately. It's 230th withdrawal.
"bf course, this rule does not apply in
neyibIy. There arc certain classes Of books
favored by certain class of readers that
last much longer. ] SPEAK now of the aver
age popular fiction" said Mr.. AshurSt
T7IIE Public Library Of Philadelphia main
L tains It's own hlndcry.
It is so cnmpl"tr and its work is so we'll
done that librarians from other cities fire.
Nucntly com" TO Philadelphia to get pointers
on the subject.
The greatest element of distraction to n
library book in constant CirrUIat0n Is the
grip on tie upper part Of th" back Of the
book.
1t is where one naturally places his fin
g"I'> to withdraw volume from the shelf.
The constant effort OF book binders is to
minimize this wear and tear; to prevent
the breaking down Of the binding NJ this
point.
The Philadelphia Library system is TO bind
n strip OF vc!lum o. parchment along the
inside of the toy. ~ fcybIiry causes the
back 70 Yield rather than break.
It i> a tri"k "r III" trade peculiar to the
librnry's hindcry.
With each frequent restoration the binding
pcrforationS If the back draw closer to the
tpTt.
After while it Is impossible to bind any
1 81,