The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-10-31
PAY or THE PoLrcE-THE MAYORS VETo.-

PAY OF THE PoLIcE-THE MAYORS VEro.-
Mayor Westervelt is not likely to enhance his
reputation or endear himself to the public by
such messages as the one sent in on Wednesday
to the Common Council The inetlicency of our
present police force has long been so notorious
that it is wearisome to rccapitulate the fact.
Time andagain has the press shown incontrover-
tibly that in this respect the city of New York
is far behind every other capital in the civilized
world; and there are few among rs who can
not confirm the bumiliating statement from
their personal experience. Some months back at
the time when civil reform was so warmly
agitated, we took occasion to point out two
measures which in our opinion were likely to
conduce to very sensible Improvement in the
police. One was an Increase in the pay Of men
and officers, the other was the adoption Of
uniform in lieu Of the present emblem" At
the time we understood that these suggestions
met the approval ofevery rejecting man in the
community; and we have we confess, looked
forward to see them carried out in practice with
some little Impotence. For the uniform, it
seems, we shall have to wait some time yet.
The increase Of pay was voted by the Council,
but has been vetoed by the Mayor The grounds
for his veto are curious. In the first place. we
are told that policemen are paid as high as
mechanics. Has Mayor Westervelt, may we
ask had occasion to employ nasons carpenters,
painters. glaciers, Tiers or any other class of
outdoor mechanics. within the last few weeks?
If he has ard has paid them no more than The
police receive from the city, he has been
lucky man, ard O remarkable exception to his
neighbors But says Mayor Westervelt "active
and intelligent men attached to the force can
and do very frequently earn rewards many
Of the detailed officers receive regular compen-
sation from places Of amusement and from other
Sources and patromen have frequent opportu-
mites Of earning rewards by their prompt atten-
tion to duty, the arrest of thieves, &C." This
is certainly an astounding avowal for Mayor
to make. We have heard Of petty saloons
where the walters were expected to exc out
their wretched wages by begging pence from
the guests, but we did not suspect that our po-
lice were starved on tae same principle Did it
never occur to the Mayor that the direct ten
dency Of such practice was to destroy the only
really useful motive a policeman can have-his
professional zeal? That if he is to look to ere
wards for livelihood he will sooner hold
dandy's horse than save poor woman from
being nsulted by rowdie s?-that his activity in
preventing crime will be in exact proportion to
the wealth Of the victim?-that poor men will
call upon him in vain; and that he will neither
inconvenience nor expose himself where there is
not clear prospect of private gain? Can we
wonder that our police is inefficient wien the
Mayor describes them as licensed mendicants?
Go, poor woman, to the police Office, and tell
your piteous tale of robbery, restitution. and
want tell how your little all was taken, and
implore some of those starred gentlemen to I'M
dertake the almost hopeless task Of recovering
it, But, as you love your peace Of mind and
respect the Mayor, eschew the delusion that
you who can give no reward. !" will ever again
sec your lost treasures The police cannot az.
ford to look for them.
There is but one ground on which the course
taken by the Mayor could be nationally de-
tended. If the city were in state OF bank
ruptcy five were unable to pay for neces-
earies could neither raise taxes nor borrow
ment, and presented altogether picture OF
municipal niggardliness and poverty, there
might then be some show of reason in refusing
to our policemen such salary as will induce
able. honest and energetic men. to enter the
force. But instead of this, the very paper
which contains the Mayors message. likewise
presents us with statement Of our street
al Nv GvI tbo+
though S250,O0o have been spent since the lst
January last by Arcularius and the street
cleaning department, for pretending to clean
streets which have always been dirty, fur
Their sum of $4,000 is required to complete
the work. or rather the farce, for the present
year. We learn, also that responsible parties
offered to 10 this very work for Sll8.000. being
$l72000 less ihan we shall have spent; and
we know that in other cities contractors would
pay half as much as this for the privilege Of
airying away the lilth from the streets. The
amount that would have been saved, had the
lowest bids for the street-cleaning been ac-
cepted. would have more than paid for an
increase Of 500 a-ycar in the salary OF every
policeman in the force. and furnish them with
uniforms besides. AS il is this large sum has
been divided among SPECTATORS who make a
business Of preying on the city'svitals.
We are in truth at q loss where to look for
an honest efficient servant among our municipal
officers. Comptroller Flagg, who has really
done so much towards checking official corrup-
ton, frequently fails to distinguish salutary
economy from niggardly and really costly
mcanness The Mayor wants to make the police
body Of public bcggars. Arcularius blecds us
an additional $4,000 or $4,000 each year.
Withal We arc heavily taxed. badly governed,
ana supplied with fewer comforts than any other
city of our size in the civilized world,
TIM WASHINGTON UNloN-WgOsE Organ Is