The Commonwealth. [volume], February 04, 1911, Image 1

About The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914

Image provided by: Washington State Library; Olympia, WA

                
Facsimile of First Issue of "The Commonwealth," Now "The Washington Socialist"
QZht Commonwealth
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Is There Method In Reduction
of Police Force
The telephone rings in the police
station. A crime has been committed
in the city. Instinctively the desk
sergeant turns to flash a signal to' the
policeman on the beat nearest the
scene of the reported crime. But he
checks himself in the unfinished act
for, flash as many signals as he may,
they will not be answered.
It is in the day time and there is
not a policeman on duty on any of the
streets of Everett_ .Not one foot of
Everett's hundred miles of streets Is
patrolled by an officer of the law.
In the night time conditions, it must
be confessed, ; are infinitely better,
even as the figure two is infinitely
larger than zero. At night there are,
at any one time, two policemen on
duty on the streets, one on Bayside,
and one on Riverside. This Is the way
It averages out when you work out the
different shifts.
This condition of affairs has been
true since the action of the fire and
police commission last Tuesday night
when six out of the grand total of
eighteen men previously comprising
the Everett police force, were dropped,
reducing the force to an even dozen,
inclusive of captains, sergeants, detec
tives and all.
In the Parading Season.
This Is no object for humor, but
when the snows have melted, and the
flowers bloom, and the parading sea
son is with us again, who will head
the marching throngs? We fear the
"platoon of police" at the head of the
column will be a sorry sight, save in
the imagination of the reporter. Per
haps the commission and the citizens
who have been clamoring for the an
nihilation of the force overlook this.
Seriously, again, the action of the
commission set people talking. It Is
the first blunder put into execution
out of several proposed since Everett
voted out the saloons. The enemies of
a dry town could never have hit upon
a better plan to discredit the saloon
less town, even without the help of
some drys.
Who Selected Victims?
There Is another feature to this ac
tion of the commission which excites
comment. It Is the selection of the
men for official decapitation. They
are the oldest men on the force. From
Fox, who was In his eleventh year of
service as a peace officer in Everett,
and Captain Knapp, who had served
nine years, they ranged down seven,
six, five and .three years. We are not
saying that the men dropped consti
tuted altogether the cream of the
force, but some splendid men have
been dropped, and if there was any
personal cause in the case of any one
of the men, they have not been ac
quainted with the fact. All that they
and the people at large can do Is to
suspect the reason.
But the most serious phase of this
action is the reduction of the police
force to such absurd proportions In a
On the Side of the People—Always
- I feMi S/.WI ■
EVERETT. WASHINGTON
city of 25,000 people, which Is entering
upon the tremendous task of forcing a
large part of Its population unwillingly
into the ways of the teetotaler. Per
haps Everett Is better than it used to
be, but it is not angelic— least, some
of its visitors are not. Eight years ago
when Everett had a population of from
twelve to fifteen thousand, there were
twenty-two men on the force. Today,
the city Is double and the force half
Its former size.
There never was the need of as
large a police force in Everett as at
the present time. This need not be
taken as a reflection upon the city or
its inhabitants at all. But when such
a drastic measure is put in force as
the sudden closing up of all the sa
loons In the city, It will require the
vigilant watch of men delegated to see
that the laws and ordinances of the
community are enforced, or the whole
thing will become a farce. There are
whisperings that such is the case even
now. ;":
Economy in the Wrong Place. .
The city undoubtedly needs to prac
tice economy, but to cut down the
police force, at least at the present
time, is as foolish as it would be to
cut off the maintenance of a water
supply in order that we might get the
necessary funds for a new fire engine.
There are other city departments
which could stand the cut better, and
which should have been reduced first.
But there may be an ulterior purpose
In the present action.
What Everett should do Is to follow
the example of many a successful in
dustrial establishment—set an expert
In business management at work in all
the city departments In order that he
might discover how the whole work
could lie conducted on the most econ
omic basis without sacrificing effi
ciency. Hi might substantiate the ru
mors that the city payroll carries
many an Item which keeps a "solder
ing" employe or official from seeking
another job.
Fred C. Harper, whose reappoint
ment as collector of the Puget Sound
district by President Taft on the
ground, as the despatch has It, of sat
isfactory service In the past, has been
turned down by the senate. The reasdn
Is that Harper is objectionable to San
ator Piles, who will be remembered
by all who have ever heard him as the
man who was "overwhelmed by the
great honor conferred upon him by his
fellow citizens." The senator has a
brother named Matt whom he wished
"overwhelmed" with the.honors of the
collectorship, which accounts for the
senate's action in turning Harper
down.
The legislature has decided to turn
some of the money asked by the mili
tary department of the state for
swords into ploughshares. The muck
turned up In the proposed investiga
tion of the department is expected to
be very rlch-^-ln odor.
■■" gal . •..'..'..:, . ~..,.....,..-.
The Commonwealth and It s
| Mission
THE • COMMONWEALTH — these
two words, constituting the name of
the paper, comprehend in themselves
the scope and purpose of the publica
tion the first number of which you
now hold in your hands. The com
monwealth is the point of view from
which the paper will look at all ques
tions and policies which will be dis
cussed In its columns. The common
weal and the commonwealth will be
the goal of all that It shall advocate.
The j commonwealth is the reason for
its existence.
; Would ' any general newspaper say
less for itself and Its mission? Even
the Seattle Times would claim as
much. Perhaps, therefore, a word in
explanation of the inception and or
ganization of THE COMMON
WEALTH would help to strengthen
the credibility of the preceding para
graph. :'?»"
THE COMMONWEALTH is not fin
anced by an Individual. A number of
men to whom the common weal Is the
eternal gospel of the beneficent Crea
tor of all, have organized themselves
Into a company for the purpose of
publishing this paper for the avowed
purpose that It might hasten the com
ing of the true commonwealth. They
do not seek profits from the publica
tion of the paper. It is not intended
to be a charity, but on the other hand
dividends will never blur the vision of
THE COMMONWEALTH. The char
acter of the men and the movement
behind the men who compose the Com
monwealth Publishing company is ab
solute guarranty for that.
For the People.
Starting locally, THE COMMON
WEALTH stands unequivocally com
mitted to every movement that means
a better, Juster, happier community.
It will fight every individual who is an
enemy of the common good. It will,
so far as It Is able to ferret tliem out,
expose and cry out at the top of its
voice, fraud, graft and injustice of ev
ery kind. To this end it will delve
into any and all matters in which the
public Is concerned, call it muckraking
or by any other name you please. And
It will not be done to satisfy any mor
bid craving for sensations, but to bring
out truths and facts which will help
right unjust conditions and thus give
us the Everett that shall be the best
and happiest city on the coast. Every
community needs a paper such as
THE COMMONWEALTH Is planned
to be.
To the end that THE COMMON
WEALTH may be as helpful as pos
sible to the whole community, your
hearty co-operation is most earnestly
sought. Its columns are open to you.
Your suggestions of wrongs to be
righted, of questions which should be
taken up, suggestions for better civic
conditions—these will all be welcom
ed, If you are a friend of the common
good, THE COMMONWEALTH is
yours.
A word in regard to the larger policy
of the paper is in order. That the
FEBRUARY 4, 1911
American political body is afflicted
with many ills is the verdict of every
physician and quack who has ever
been called into consultation. Demo
crats, Single Taxers, Socialists, Insur
gent Republicans— agree that there
is something wrong. .The only ones
who can't see that there is much of
any wrong is the Republican wing In
power, and you could no more expect
the political standpatters to acknowl
edge an unhealthy condition than you
could expect the president of a water
company to acknowledge that the con
taminated supply of their water sys
tem was responsible for an epidemic
of typhoid. ; ?' T?? *"?,:_ ?."?;?r?
No Political Quackery
This paper will stand for cures and
palliatives. Political orators have
howled themselves blue in the face
over the wrong doings of unjust cor
porations. Both the old line parties
have resolved every grinding monop
oly into eternal oblivion. For a ruse
the men at the head of these mon
opolies have complained that all this
declamlng against organized wealth
would cripple the huge engine of in
dustry. For a ruse, we said. Is Mor
gan less powerful today than yester
day? Are there any valid Indications
that he will be less powerful tomor
row? ... ~.,,.; -.
The work of THE COMMON
WEALTH will not be done until the
day the true commonwealth In which
all are In possession of that which is
truly their own is established, THE
COMMONWEALTH will continue to
call upon the people early and late,
to rise and claim that which Is their
own.
It is not given to any mortal to
please all. We do not expect to satisfy
every reader of THE COMMON
WEALTH to all that is contained In
every Issue of the paper, but there
will be enough in every issue to make
it worth its subscription price and
the support of every well-wisher of
the city of Everett.
Business Men Cnide
the Women
A few days ago the Woman's Civic
league of Everett had the temerity to
despatch a telegram to the speaker of
the house at Olympia worded as fol
lows:
"Hon. Howard Taylor, Speaker, Olym
pia, Wash.:
"The Woman's Civic league of Ever
ett, unanimously urge the passage of
house bill No. 12, believing that the
best Interests of the working women'
and of the community and the future
welfare of the state will be conserved
thereby. ._
IDA NOYES McINTYRE,
President.
EMMA ANDERSON,
Secretary."
It wasn't long after the action of the
club became known before protests be-