Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-17
ASKS REQUIREMENT
OF EIGHTH GRADE
Simmons Proposes Evening
Course for Men Seeking
Jobs on Force.

A new provision designed to raise the
educational qualifications of members
Of the Metropolitan Police Force is car
ried in the District appropriation bill
for 1881, reported to the House today,
The provision requires that any ap-
plicant for the position of private on
the force after July ! shall possess an
eiehth-erad common school education.
It was written into the bill by the
House committee on appropriations on
the theory that higher educational
qualifications would attract men of q
higher caliber,
The ultimate aim, the committee dis
closed is TO raise the mental standard
OF sppointces 10 an equivalent of high
school education. The committee found
that the present qualifications are much
below those of an average graued school
education.
Training Is Discussed.
The mental qualifications and train
ing of policemen were TWO subjects
which the subcommittee of the House
appropriations committee discussed in
detail during the hearings on the APP
preparation bill. A request by Mai.
Henry G.. Pratt. superintendent OF police
for increased appropriations 10 permit
the appointment of recruits in groups
of IS, so that they could be sent to
school for three months before assigning
them to duty. precipitated the discus
SION.
Chairman Simmons said he did not
believe The taxpayers should be required
to send man to school after ne is given
a Job. He proposed the establishment
Of police training school. where men
who wanted to become policemen could
attend in the evening and qualify be-
fore being put on the pay roll.
My thought is" declared MIR. Sim
mons, 1t would be a good idea If you
could set up within the department a
place where there would be absolutely
no obligation, even moral. to give every
man job. where nobody would be able
to bring pressure TO give a man chance
and let those men who want to become
policemen be given an opportunity to
take training And you maj. PrsttD,
win be given an opportunity to check
ZIP on them. study their characteristics
and qualifications. and check up on
them before they are put on anybody's
pay roll SO far as the school is con-
cerned. 1t would be maintained by the
District. but the student would be get
ting no pay"
Pratt Approves Idea.
Mai Pratt said he thought the idea
expressed the belief that it was doubt
full if many candidates would take the
course. because the men who are seek
ing police work usually are out of work
and need money Immediately.
However. Maj. Pratt said he was will
ing to give such a school a trial. That
Is the best way" he declared, of prov
ing whether We can get men or not
Mai. Pratt explained during the dis
cussion on the mental qualification of
q policeman that at one time a third
grace education was required, but the
standards had been raised to sixth
grade educati
IF you are going to take man with
q third grade common school education
and send him out to rule the people of
the District, or even Sixth-gradS edu-
cation" said Mr.. Simmons. what basis
IL there for giving that man the en-
trance pay when he goes into the police
force? That is more than the Govern
nnent pays a college graduate when
he goes into other departments"
That is all true" replied Mai Pratt.
Declares Tickets" Need Decipherinx.
II have been told" Mr.. simmons
continued. that sometimes they have
to send for the man to find out what
he has written on those traffic tickets:
that 1t is impossible to read what they
have written"
Il have seen the handwriting of some
college people that was pretty hard to
decipher" Maj. Pratt responded
Handwriting is not always an indica-
ton OF the extent of the individuals
educatio
But that was not what was the
matter with it," Mr.. Simmons added.
"The man did not have sufficient basic
training tn be able to write ont an
ordinary pink Slip