The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-02-04 00:00:00

Correspontunte.
BOROUGH versus COUNTY POLICE.

To the Editor.
Sir, --An old friend of min., in his contributions to a 1
seri.l long ranee defunct, writes then:— "I have ben
an editor, and know the amenitiis showered on those
slaw a of the camp; the peep e who statute Jae of
having net the Thames on Sr. and murdered Elise
Giirnwood, if you won't accept their interminable
root-mots. and darkly insinuate they will have your
liesit's blood if you decline to pay for poems copied
from annuals of eighteen hundred and thirty-els." ,
Now I have no reason ta believe "a Ratepayer" wishes 1
ha mine in. in no heartless . manner, but Salle publicly
et.t,. I have written "on a subj-ct which I hays
evidently misunderetood." I have taken the liberty to.
treepass on your columns in self-defence.
In the first place I never alleged that Mr. Eli-t
elated that the Weymouth police force under the
amalgamation scheme could be reduced from 12 to 7;
brtt in order to convince " a Ratepayer" that lie (Mr.
Eliot) gave a tacit consent thereto, 1 vote the follow-
ing from a report of the meeting on Jsnuaty 6th.
"The Mayorluquired what cautsdka would be provided
for the £530 per YlllllO3, . . . . . awl .tated the mow n
he Joked the quevtlon sea thst when the matter was di.euseed
, some yean ego it was elleitol the borough would only have •
force of one senjwant midst:men."

From ',pothering the reports in the various local news-
papers, 1 hod Mr. Eliot did not say anything to eon-
tradict the feeling that a reduction of the (era, was pun-
peed by the Chief•Conatable ; and taking has own (sr.
P.'s) figures, I defy " • Ratepayer" to arrive at any
other conclusion than that given in my list letter.
No much for the firs: objection. An to the injustice
of the amalgamation to ties members of the borough
police force, 1 think it must be apparent to .IL " Rate-
payer" must be aware that there are men in the police
force who have been in it from atm formation, and others
who have put in 15 and 16 yearn' service, and also that
undtr ordinary circumstances men we not taken in 007
police force deer &Foot 35 years of nee. Many of the
Weymouth constable+ are considerably past that age.
and tilough well able to perform their present
duties tfficient:y would scarcely be fitted for
country bestial three and (our mile, in ezthat. And
even were they drafted into the county oonstabulary
abet security have they that they would not moon be
removed to make room for younger men' "Rate'
payer" in r•ference to the assertion of Mr. Alderman
Ayling "that the Weymouth force has been held up sa
a model to the county," asks lithe Incumbent of
St. .1 hoe, and • worthy doctor living close by, would
endorse that opinion' Not being in their confidence,
I eanuot toy; but if all p rime forma are to bs disbanded
and a new staff organised on account of an sindiscoveted
oriole, in a wry few weeks all the existing police
agencies will be swept away. I would ask whether he
remembers how long the Road murder 641 d our mutest
detectives, and that in a'l iirobsbility the mist. ry would
never have been unravelled h .d not Coast 4110tl IC at con-
t.-Peed her guilt. It is needles. to multiply instances, for
every police fonts could f ornish these ; and if "Rdepayet"
thinks that the Dorett County Police Foroe is ineseelition
1 cm afraid a reft renal to the statistics of crime would
rindeoeive him. 1 have before me the "Report. of the
Inspectors of Constabulary for the year ended September
29M, 1865," as made to her Majesty's principal Seems
isr• of State, under the provisions of the st •tute 19 and
20 Via., e. 29, and ordered by tile Hones of Commons to
be printed in February, 1866. from which 1 will oaks •
jew extracts to chow •' A Ratepayer" that otheS
borough. besides Weymouth prefer baying their own
police force :
lABTEIth COUNTIta, MIDLAIM, AND NORTH WALLS
DI.TRICT.
Iloroughe oonsolidated with counties
Boroughs maintaining their own police
_
_ .

... 47

The whole of these 22 consolidated boroogh are very
smell, the lowest (Oxford) hoisting only 948 inhabitants
while' the majority range from 2,000 to 4,000 and 5,000
in number. On the otiose hand amongst tee boroughs
maintaining their own p.ilioe are,
Boroughs. Population, lent
Birmingham ••• ••• .• 295•97,5
Norwich ... •• • ... ... 74.414
Nottingham ••• ••• ... 74,531
The others vary from 5,000 to 68,000 inhabitants. show.
ti at in tills dt.trist the wealthy and populous boroughs
maintain their own, polies, whilst as • general role, the
sparsely inhabited diettiate amaligiumate with the
county force.
NO. 2, NOITEICIN DrITITCT.
Boroughs oonsolidated with Counties ••• 2
Boroughs maintaining their own Police ... 44
Amongst the boroughs meintaining their own polies in
the No. 2 District, I msy quote Birkenhead, Derhim,
Shields, Sunderland, Lsneaster, Lavtrpoul. Manch es te r ,
N_e.eastle, Bull, Doncaster, Leeds, Sheffield. and

York.
And now we some to the South Western District in
which both the County of I.bc•et end the Borough of
WYfutouth are situate, sod there we find the figures
stand as ceder:—
No. 3, Boers WINTINN AND SOOTN WALES
Boiongl.• ovu.olidated with Counties ... 21 I
Borough• maintaining their own Polioe ... 72
Showing an assess to favour of selloyeroment of 51
boronghs, amongst which we MS, parlionl&rl24
tie R. 141 Borough of Waders:, Devonport, Exeter,
Plymouth, Bristol, Portsmouth, southampton, Petit.
Itial..bury, Swansea, Scc., Sm., and the subjoined
huroughsin this county, of wick& I append the report
of l'aptain Edwaid Willia, in a condensed form :
Name of Borough. Population am per Population to
Gnaw, iO6l. each Courage.
Blandford 1 521 760

Dorchester isiii 674
Poole 6,759 697
Weymouth RAS 948