Evening star., 1937-11-07
INCREASE |NPOL|CE
SOUGHT SINCE 1897.
Board of Trade Group Finds
Force Always Behino
Growth of City.
BY JOHN H. CASSADY, Jr.

by JOHN H. CASSADY, Jr.
You can wager your last nickel
chat when the Public Order Com
mittee Of the Board of Trade holds its
regular monthly meeting tomorrow
evening some one will mention some
thing about the need for more police
men In Washington.
It's a pretty safe bet, because this
important unit Of the trade organiza-
tion has been talking about that sub
1ect for 40 years. And there's no In
dication that its members plan to stop.
Ever since 1897 the Public Order
Committee has been telling the Board
OF Trade, Congress, the Commission
ers and the public how it feels about
the needs of the Metropolitan Police
Department.
First Report Of Group.
Official records of the board show
that the committees first report, made
IN 1897, urged an increase in the
number of policemen. pointing out
that the increases allowed by Con-
gress each year never have been ade-
quate" and that unless something is
oone' serious growth of crimes
and misdemeanors will follow.
The report for 1887 might read al
most exactly like that, because the
committee today feels as strongly as
ever that Washington's police force
is inadequate to meet present needs.
The police force has grown consider
ably since 1897, but so has the city.
the committee contends.
incidentally, it might be brought
out that the committees initial re-
port urged a new armory for the Dis
trlct National Guard. The new build
ing still is being fought for, but the
job now is in the hands of the boards
Committee on Naval and Military At
3a1rs, which was organized after the
Public Order Committee.
Smith Is Veteran.
An outstanding feature Of the Pub
lie Order Committee lies in the fact
that for more than a quarter of a
century it has been under the lead
ership Of the genial Odell S. Smith.
In his 70s but still the most active
member of the committee, Mr.. Smith
holds the board record for the long
est service as a committee chairman.
This fact has not gone unnoticed.
for last winter the organization held
q testimonial dinner for Mr., Smith on
his 25th anniversary as head Of the
committee.
Mr.. Smith has played an important
part in many of the committees
achievements. In 1914 he inaugurated
efforts to get an adequate pension
fund for disabled policemen and fire.
men and their wives, widows or chill
dren. This was subsequently organ
lied.
In 1915, when the first police field
day was held, Mr.. Smith served as
chairman Of the committee in charge,
and the event netted the police benefit
fund s2,500. Since that time the field
day has been an annual affair.
Began Baseball Rivalry.
Mr.. Smith also was instrumental in
inaugurating the police-firemen base
ball game. which also has become an
annual custom. He served as chair
man in charge Of the first game, which
added S3,400 to the widows and Or
phans' fund.
During the war Mr. Smith and his
committee were actively engaged in
the work of the Home Defense League.
acting as a kind Of secondary police
force.
In 1920 the committee delved into
traffic problems, but these subse-
quently became so numerous and
acute that other committees took them
over. A year later they started q
move to place policemen and firemen
on eight-hour shifts and have been
partially successful in their efforts.
The committee raised funds in 1880
Tor equipment to aid in carrying on a
police school. In recent years it has
fought hard to further methods Of
crime prevention and has been
stanch supporter of the Police Boys
Clubs founded by Supt. of Police Err
nest w. Brown.
High officials of both the police and
fire departments are members Of this
committee, which has a personnel Of
more than $50. Serving with Mr..
Smith are the following subcommittee
chairmen:
George w. Offutt, crime preven-
tion; George Pitt, legislation; Louis
d. Lowe. firemen; Harry Dean, police
men. and David c. Colladay. chair
man OF a special subcommittee on fin
gerprinting.