ries and other necessary expenses of the Metropolitan police for the District of Columbia, one hundred and fifty thousand dollars: Provided, That a like sum shall concurrently be paid to defray the expenses of the said Metropolitan police force out of the treasury of the District of Columbia." It will therefore be observed that but the sum of $300,000 is specially appropriated for police expenses, against $332,905, the sum required.

At this point it may be well to call attention to the action of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia in reference to the pay of the police and other necessary expenses of the establishment. In order that the views of said Commissioners may be correctly stated, and their position fully understood, the following communications are here presented:

A.

OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,

Washington, July 10, 1870. GENTLEMEN: Under the appropriation as proposed by Congress, and which we do not expect to be changed, the United States will pay $150,000, and the District of Columbia will pay a like sum for the police department, including salaries and all other expenses, for the fiscal year from July 1, instant, to June 30, 1877, which will leave the District to pay, on account of salaries, $125,570, or $10,464 per month. No more than this sum monthly can be paid by the District government for salaries; the residue, $24,430, will be reserved for maintenance of police stations. You will please arrange accordingly.

Very respectfully,

To the BOARD OF POLICE,

District of Columbia.

B.

W. DENNISON,
J. H. KETCHUM,
S. L. PHELPS,

Commissioners District of Columbia.

OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,

Washington, August 16, 1876. GENTLEMEN: I am directed by the Commissioners to inform your board that, after careful consideration, they find that, after charging to the $150,000 to be paid by the District of Columbia to defray the expenses of the Metropolitan Police force during the current fiscal year, provided for by the "Act making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-seven, and for other purposes," approved July 31, 1876, the following items, to wit: the amount paid on account of the board since the 1st July, the rentals, fuel, and estimated repairs of station-houses during the current fiscal year, there is a balance left of $142,681.90, which they have ordered to be paid to your board in twelve equal monthly installments of $11,890.16 each, for the payment of all salaries and other expenses of your board during the current fiscal year, not including the foregoing items for which said reservations are made; and which monthlypay ments will be made on the proper requisition of your board in favor of your treasurer, receipted by him.

You will understand that no other payments than the foregoing will be made to your board on any account, as the said $150,000 is the full sum which the Commissioners are authorized to expend on account of your board, including all salaries and all other expenses.

Very respectfully,

To the BOARD OF POLICE.

WM. TINDALL, Secretary.

Referring to the letter of July 10, it will be observed that it is assumed that a sum amounting to $24,430 is necessary to defray the expenses required of the District by section 15 of the act of August 6, 1861. The expenses included in this sum have never been, as before stated, included in the District's quota of police expenses provided in

annual appropriations by Congress, but have been paid by the District, under the general requirements of the section and act above named. There remains, therefore, but $125,570 to pay the District's portion of the salaries and necessary expenses of the police organization; and by including the $150,000 appropriated by Congress out of the Treasury of the United States, an aggregate amounting to $275,570 only is reached with which to meet the necessary sum of $332,905 to cover police expenditures for the year. In this last aggregate, however, is included the sum of $6,970 for the erection of new station-houses and the repair of those now in use.

The following tabulated estimates, with a reference to the laws an thorizing the same, will show appropriations required annually for the police service, as at present established, and in accordance with which Congress has heretofore made appropriations and provisions.

From the above it will be observed that the sum of $325,935 is actually necessary to cover annual expenses, without allowing anything for repairs and the building of new station-houses, which are needed in sev eral precincts. It has been shown that to meet this amount but $275,570 are available under the appropriations by Congress for the current year. If, therefore, the police establishment were kept up to the standard of previous years, a deficiency would necessarily arise amounting to $50,365. In order to avoid a deficiency in the appropriation, the board has curtailed its expenditures by reducing the numerical strength of the force, by dismounting fifteen men, by omitting needed repairs to stationhouses, and by avoiding all expenditures at station-houses for rendering the men comfortable and contented. As a matter of course, all this has resulted in very materially reducing the efficiency and effectiveness of the force.

The failure to provide necessary comforts and accommodations for the men, whose duties require constant exposure at all seasons, must necessarily engender in their minds a feeling of neglect and lack of interest on the part of those whose duty it is to see that proper arrangements are made for their health and convenience. A high moral standard of efficiency and a laudable esprit de corps of any organized body of men can be maintained only by an interested supervision of their surroundings and a care for the wants incident to their organization. The amount of efficient service and discipline obtainable from the members of the force must necessarily depend largely upon the provisions for their comfort and rest at the several station-houses while on reserve duty.

It is not believed that Congress intended by its action to reduce the numerical strength of the force, and certainly it was not intended to impair its efficiency.

It may not be out of place to here refer to certain sections of the Revised Statutes of the United States relating to the District of Columbia, wherein the salaries of the members of the police establishment and the mode by which a tax to pay the same shall be levied, collected, and disbursed is fixed by statute. The sections to which attention is called are the following, viz:

SEC. 366. The salaries of the officers, privates, and detectives of the police force shall be as follows:

Major, seventeen hundred and forty dollars per annum.

Captain, twelve hundred dollars per annum.

Lieutenants, eight hundred and forty dollars per annum.
Sergeants, sixty-five dollars per month.

Privates, sixty dollars per month.

Detectives, ninety dollars per month.

SEC. 367. The Metropolitan Police force, its officers and clerks, shall receive a further compensation of fifty per centum upon their respective salaries as provided for in this chapter, which further sum shall be paid by the cities of Washington and Georgetown and the District beyond the limits of said cities in the proportion corresponding to the number of privates allotted severally to said precincts.

SEC. 368. The proper authorities of the District are authorized and required to levy a special tax in Washington and Georgetown and the District beyond the limits of said cities, not exceeding one-third of one per centum annually, which shall be specially deposited, once in each week, as such collections are made, to be appropriated and expended only for the purpose of defraying the expenses of maintaining said Metropolitan Police force in the proportion mentioned in the preceding section.

Congress, by act of July 31, 1876, sundry civil service appropriation, makes the following provision for the present fiscal year, viz:

For salaries and other necessary expenses of the Metropolitan Police of the District of Columbia, one hundred and fifty thousand dollars: Provided, That a like sum shall concurrently be paid to defray the expenses of the said Metropolitan Police force out of the treasury of the District of Columbia.