METROPOLITAN POLICE IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1919. UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Washington, D. C. The committee met, pursuant to call, at 11 o'clock a. m., in the committee room, Capitol, Senator Lawrence Y. Sherman presiding. Present: Senators Sherman (chairman), Dillingham, Capper, Jones, New, Calder, Ball, and Smith. Also present, representing the members of the Metropolitan police force of the District of Columbia, Messrs. L. E. Draeger, president of the policemen's union; Spencer Roberts, J. J. Broderick, C. O. Turner, W. E. Smith, E. W. Boyle, C. C. Wise; R. H. Yeatman, attorney, and others. Present also, Hon. Louis Brownlow, president of the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order. The committee has met to consider the joint resolution (S. J. R. 105) with reference to payment of compensation to the Metropolitan police force of the District of Columbia, which is as follows: Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That no money, now, heretofore, or hereafter appropriated by the Congress for the pay, salaries, or maintenance of the Metropolitan police department of the Metropolitan police force of the District of Columbia shall be paid to any member, officer, policeman or patrolman of such force or such department of the District of Columbia who shall be a member of any organization of policemen or patrolmen which is affiliated, directly or indirectly, with any other labor organization or any branch or body of organized labor; and that the auditor of the District of Columbia and the Auditor of the Treasury Department and all other auditors and auditing officials of the United States Government be, and are hereby ordered, directed, and commanded not to audit or approve any claims, warrants, or vouchers for services by any such member. officer, policeman, or patrolman under such circumstances; and that the Treasurer of the United States and all other officials are hereby ordered, directed, and commanded not to pay or cash any claim, warrant, or voucher of any such member, officer, policeman, or patrolman under such circumstances. SEC. 2. That all auditing and disbursing officials of the District of Columbia and of the United States Government shall be governed in the matters and orders herein set forth, made, and provided by such action in the premises as may be taken and such notice as may be given by the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia and it shall be the duty of such board to notify and keep informed all necessary auditing and disbursing officials of the District of Columbia and of the United States from time to time, of the names of all such members, officers, policeman, and patrolmen of such police department or such police force as may be members of any such organization of policemen as is herein described and prescribed. I have called the representatives of the policeman, as well as the commissioners, before the committee, to offer what they wish on this resolution. I have a list of them, and I will call them in ¡turn. Mr. L. E. Draeger. 3 STATEMENT OF MR. L. E. DRAEGER, PRESIDENT OF THE POLICEMEN'S UNION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. The CHAIRMAN. You will please state your name. Mr. DRAEGER. L. E. Draeger. The CHAIRMAN. You are familiar with this resolution, are you? Mr. DRAEGER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What is your present occupation? Mr. DRAEGER. I am a policeman, on the Metropolitan police force, Washington, D. C. The CHAIRMAN. How long have you been in the service? Mr. DRAEGER. Twenty-two years and two months and sixteen days. The CHAIRMAN. In the City of Washington? Mr. DRAEGER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Have you had some communication with the Commissioners of the District? Mr. DRAEGER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. On this subject? Mr. DRAEGER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Will you present to the committee your view of the resolution, and what it seeks to do, whether you think it ought to be done or not? Mr. DRAEGER. Well, gentlemen, I would like to say that I hope and pray that you gentlemen do not see fit to pass this resolution, as I do not think it would be fair to the men of this union. We want to abide by the law. We have put this case in the hands of the courts, and if the courts decide against us we will be satisfied, perfectly satisfied: but if the courts rule in our favor I don't see any reason why we should not be allowed to continue to have a policemen's union. We are all law-abiding citizens, do not want to violate any law. We are here to protect the people and the Government. We want to do that, and we are going to do it. The CHAIRMAN. May I inquire just what question you have submitted to the commissioners? Mr. DRAEGER. Why, whether it was lawful to be affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. Senator CALDER. Did that not come about as a result of the commissioners' orders? Mr. DRAEGER. Yes, sir. Senator CALDER. Then you resorted to an injunction, restraining them from acting in the matter? Mr. DRAEGER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What is the purpose of the local organization of policemen? Mr. DRAEGER. I joined this policemen's union because I thought that it would be better; that it would enable us, rather, to get our cause before you gentlemen plainer than in the way we were going. Conditions have gotten so it is almost impossible to for us live on the salary we get, and we thought by affiliating with these people that we would be able to get our cause plainer before you gentlemen. The CHAIRMAN. Have you a written plan of organization, written or printed? Mr. DRAEGER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Have you by-laws and regulations? Mr. DRAEGER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Those are printed? Mr. DRAEGER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Will you furnish those to the committee? Mr. DRAEGER. I will, sir. I can't do it this morning. I haven't got them with me. The CHAIRMAN. You can do that later. Senator NEW. How do you expect affiliation with the American Federation of Labor to enable you to get your cause before this committee better than otherwise? Mr. DRAEGER. By getting more people interested in our cause. Senator NEW. You seem to have succeeded in doing that all right, but what better interest would they take in your position or in your you were affiliated with the American Federation of Labor than they would otherwise? How would that affect your rights? Mr. DRAEGER. Well, as I said before, it would acquaint more people with our conditions, and these people would probably take an interest in our condition and try to assist us in obtaining better conditions. Senator NEW. I fail to see how your connection with any labor organization will affect your rights as policemen or as servants of the public. I do not understand just what additional interest you expect the authorities of the District or the members of this committee or of Congress to take in your rights because of your membership in the American Federation of Labor. Mr. DRAEGER. Well, sir, we have had a policeman's association for the last 18 years among the members of the police force, and I must say in the last 13 years we have only had an increase in basic pay of $10 a month. The old association has gone about as far as it has been able to go. As I said before, by affiliating with these people and getting more people interested in our cause we thought we could get better conditions. Senator NEW. You say that for 13 years you have had no increase in pay? Mr. DRAEGER. We had an increase in pay of $10 a month in 13 years. We got a bonus of $20, making a total of bonus and basic increase of $30 a month in the last 13 years, since 1906. Senator NEW. Your pay in 1906 was what? Mr. DRAEGER. One hundred dollars for men in my class, eight years in service. Senator NEW. And it is now $130? Mr. DRAEGER. Yes, sir. Senator NEW. Including bonus and increase? Mr. DRAEGER. Yes, sir. Senator CALDER. Do you recall any committee of policemen appearing before this committee and asking that the committee take under consideration giving more pay to policemen, or do you remember that, about six weeks ago? Mr. DRAEGER. That must have been the old association. Senator CALDER. Commissioner Brownlow was here. He urged it, and the chairman appointed a subcommittee to take the matter under advisement. Then your committee also appeared before the District Committee of the House, and they appointed a subcommittee to take it under advisement. Those committees were about ready to act when you went into this new movement. You probably would have had your pay raised by this time, at least a bill on the calendar, but for this changed situation which you gentlemen have brought about yourselves. Mr. DRAEGER. We started to form this union, and got this charter from the American Federation of Labor, before the middle of July, over two months ago, before that ever come up. The CHAIRMAN. Did you make a written application on behalf of the local union for affiliation with the American Federation of Labor? Mr. DRAEGER. Why, sir, I don't know just exactly how that was brought about. The CHAIRMAN. Were letters written or some written matter calling it to their attention? Mr. DRAEGER. I wasn't at the start of it. They came around with a list and asked me to sign it, if I would be willing to join, and I signed it. There was quite a few names on there when I signed it. The CHAIRMAN. Who circulated that for signatures? Mr. DRAEGER. Mr. Helmuth, in No. 1 precinct. The CHAIRMAN. Do you know what he did with it? Mr. DRAEGER. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Is he present here? Mr. DRAEGER. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Is he in the city? Mr. DRAEGER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Are there any other papers connected with the application that you know of, other than that paper? Mr. DRAEGER. Not that I know of. The CHAIRMAN. How many members of the local policemen's organization are there? Mr. DRAEGER. We have so far installed 635 men, all privates on the police force. The CHAIRMAN. Out of a total of how many? Mr. DRAEGER. Seven hundred and something I think. I am not sure of the exact number. The CHAIRMAN. Do you know how many signed that paper? The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Mr. DRAEGER. The first meeting night we had 85 names on the list. Twenty-three men attended the first meeting. I was one of the 23. The CHAIRMAN. You do not know how many signed the paper to affiliate with the American Federation of Labor before it was presented to the federation, if it was? Mr. DRAEGER. No, sir, I could not tell you the exact number. Mr. DRAEGER. No; not the whole of the 635, not over 85 at the first beginning. The CHAIRMAN. Have any communications been received from the American Federation of Labor by the local union or anyone representing them, any officers? Mr. DRAEGER. No, sir. |