Evening star., 1928-02-12
Fifty Years Ago
I'm The Star

Fifty years ago Washington was
growing faster than the police force and
repeated efforts were being
FOltcc made to secure a more ade-
roro. quate protective organization
H'A for the Capital. In The
Star OF February g. 1879. Is printed an
extract from o letter from the secretary
OF the police board to Secretary Schurz
| of the Department Of the Interior and
| transmitted to Congress through the
Attorney General. as follows:
The executiye force consists Of l
major and superintendent captain
| and inspector. 10 lieutenants, 20 SER
| geantS. 200 privateS and 6 detectives,
comprising for active service OH the
| streets 2SS This allowance was made
In 1865. when the population was half
of what II Is and the area requiring
police surveillance not one-third
Through failure to appropriate by Con-
! grcss for the past two years the num-
| Der Is much below that authorized. The
number OF privates now in service Is
| 1850 or these. numbers are doing per
manent detail duty and cannot be called
upon for patrol duty. There are l9
details, These details are essential; In
| fact, there are numbers Of others that
should DC made-notaely In the public
squares-but owing TO the inadequacy
oi the force the number has been re
strieted 10 those absolutely necessary.
The District Is divided into eight
precincts under the immediate control
Of q lieutenant, The men In each
precinct are divided into two plaeoons,
| each platoon into two sections. During
the night a full platoon Is on duty;
during the day. section. There are
upwards Of $40 miles Of streets and
alleys requiring police patrol, Now out
| 10 men can he put OH duty at night, II
follows that when the city Is patrolied
rs thoroughly as possible under the
present allowance each man has nearly
miles uf beat A serious hamper
ing Of the force by lack of appropria-
tion and inSusiiciency Of numbers Is the
few mounted men We are able 10 retain.
outside the city limits Of Washington
and Georgetown the county Is infested
by thieves and burglars. footrnen are
an area Of 4 by 80 miles, There should
be At least 80 mounted men"
Spelling reform was being discussed
half century agu In England. and The
u. Star M February d, lafs.
SpeitihH has the following ~ Say on
Rsfarm the subject,
e"' The much discussed
subject ot English spelling acquires I'M
postance from the gruwing inf,uence M
our language and the Necessity tar GER
tain reforms In its erthegraphy before
its true position Among the languages
Of the world can be obtained, There
Il 4 movement on foot an.eaaS The sehvAl
boards IN England. which has sained
considerable heAdway, IL obtain the
Appotntnsnt by the government M 4
eannlssion canapased M AMne M the
best classical and EsScxh Apelless NJ
the country, ~ reform and tiN English
spelling II n very doubtful whether
the plan. it carried out, would have the
result designed Hut all etiMtS IN this
direction are valuable. as tending to
farm u public opinila, which viii even.
tually ertng tha matter III u decision
with 4 few exceptions. due mainly te
the prevailing tendency Ill this country
to do away With Wnptutksunced letters
IN certain classes VI W,srsls, the hrstish
and Ametlean otthagfaphs,ss afe sJenti-
cal sn the tAbars et this prulAaAed cont
nttssiun viii he ~ Interesting and M
struetite a. us ~ IA the ktsaltsh, ami
We may, Muieover. ee treated ta sg4ae
entertaining readMg on certain Ameri~
ean Innovations which shack coasegva~
tive EnEian1 y All schemes for the ad~