The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1953-02-05
Around Town With
The Editor

public official this city has ever had,
and he leaves with record behind
him that not only has received the
highest praise of state police officials,
but also of the Federal Bureau OF
Investigation.
Untiring in his efforts to bring real
law enforcement to Hagerstown, MIR.
Ellinger not only sacrificed time and
money, but also sacrificed some OF
the many leisure hours of enjoy
ment that he had always loved. LAS
an illustration of this, there was
nothing he loved more than bowling
and for years he was one of the top
bowlers in the Rotary Clubs League,
but the job as Police Commissioner
began to take up so much of his
time that it was not long before his
bowling days became thing OF the
past.
Ell Ellinger took his job seriously.
Shortly after he was appointed he
called a meeting of representatives
of all the organizations in Hagers-
town at which, in plain language, he
told them that his appointment was
not a political one and that he
pledged himself, without interior
ence from above or below, to give
his best to see that the laws were
enforced. Also, at that meeting, he
asked the fullest cooperation from
the various organizations and assur-
ed them that there would be no ia
voritism shown to anyone.
During the four years of his serv-
ice he kept that pledge to the up
most. Gone were the days when a
favored few could park all day in
one spot, while the rest of the COM
munity were given tickets; gone
were the days when gambling es-
adjustments could conduct their
business without serious inter
ference; and gone were the days
when clubs could operate slot ma
chimes in direct violation of the law.
Needless to say this strict en-
forcement of the law rubbed many
people the wrong way and as re-
suit Mr.. Ellinger, from time to time,
took more abuse than any other man
but him would have stood for.
Ell was concerned with one thing
and one thing only, and that was
doing the job that he was appointed
to do and by so doing to make Ha-
gerstown a city that Maryland could
be proud of.
To say that Ell Ellinger never made
a mistake would be ridiculous. Of
course he made mistakes, as every
one else has, but perhaps the biggest
mistake he ever made was accepting
the appointment with its resultant
often neglect of his family and his
business and far too much abuse.
Despite the flood of rumors that
have been circulated by those po
itically opposed to Mayor Mills, 1
can state without fear of contradic
ton = and I know that Ell will back
me up 100 per cent = that the Mayor
had absolutely nothing to do with
his resignation. Further than that,
I can also state that Ell and Herman
Mills are still the best of friends and
that they will long remain so.
have long advocated that the best
citizens in our community should
come forward and accept public Of
flee, but I am now beginning to
understand why so many of them
consistently refuse to do it. FL Ell
fingers four years of outstanding
service to Hagerstown will be re-
membered long after those who have
abused him are forgotten, and the
City is the poorer by his resignation.
The writer of the front-page ''Edi-
torial" in Fridays Daily Mail" on
the resignation of Police Commits
sonier Ellinger, which was camou-
tagged as news story and was any
thing but complimentary to him,
really went high hat when he re-
ferred to the Commissioner as "The
ubiquitous Mr. Ellinger.' What he
was trying to tell his readers, of
course, was that Mr.. Ellinger appear
ed to be in several places at the same
time
And talking about that so-called
news story, was very much sur
prised to read quoted statement
from Winslow F. Burhans, who will
oppose Mayor Mills in the March
election
Maybe what upset Mr. Burhans
was the fact that Mr.. Ellinger's
resignation robbed him of some of
his "best" campaign ammunition, as
it is no secret that Mr.. Burhans, if
he is elected Mayor would have, as
one of his earliest official duties, re-
quested Mr. Ellinger's resignation.
vxY.IT: uY~.4