The Finance Commission finds that the last increase
in the PoUce Department, that of January, 1914,
appears to have been based on nothing more than a
small unappropriated balance, sufficient to pay the
increases in salaries for the remaining days of the
former Mayor's administration. The city's ability to
pay the increase for these few days has been made the
basis for an increase which must be borne by the present
administration. In the opinion of the Finance Com-
mission an appropriation made under the above condi-
tions should have been notice to the Police Commissioner,
and it was his duty under the law to have refused to
concur with the former Mayor and to suggest that the
question of increases should go over and be settled by
the incoming administration.
While there may be occasions when the men of the
PoUce Department should employ counsel before the
Legislature, and in other special instances, the Finance
Commission believes that the Police Commissioner is in
error to allow attorneys to appear before him on ques-
tions Uke increases of pay or other matters of a purely
departmental nature. The law compels publicity when
attorneys appear before the Legislature. They must
register and later state the compensation they receive.
The wisdom of this is apparent. Publicity prevents
fees from being of such a size as would cause just grounds
for suspicion as to the compensation not being properly
used. The employment of counsel who are paid large
fees for explaining to a Mayor and a Police Commis-
sioner well-known facts such as the necessity for increased
pay due to the high cost of living, is demoralizing to
discipline and may lead to grave financial abuses.
