The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-04-15
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
THURSDAY, APRIL 10.

derogatlOn OF the police or Honolulu, ana TN
impression is given TO the casual observer that IL
the metropolis only does the evil complained o
exist, while in all other parts of the kingdom
under the same general police system, no fault i
found with these officers of the law thus limiting
the complaint to a personal one against the mem
bers of the Honolulu force. The fact has no
been fully recognized that the police system itsel
is radically corrupt, and that therein lies the cause
offs ineficiency and Objectionable characteristics
At page 269, of vol. 1, statute laws, we find TIN
following as one of the 8 general provisions" Of
the Act to Organize the Executive Departments
"The projects Of police shall receive one-half the
fines imposed upon apprehe nded deserters from foreign
vessels at their respective ports, and one-half the fines
imposed upon wrongdoers and disturbers OF the pub
lie peace by them arrested, whether the penalties be
secured by bond or not to him."
The above section applies TO the Sherifls of the
different islands, those of Maui and Oahu
being er o6icio projects of police for Lahaina and
Honolulu. Besides the .t onc-half the fines inn
posed > the projects at these two principal ports
are by law allowed to tax a long list of fees and
commissions.
On referring to the annual report OF the Min
lister of Finance for 1856, we find the total re-
ceipts from the - Bureau of Fines and Penalties"
throughout the islands for the year ending March
81, 1856, is set down at S25, 436 %. This, how
ever, under the foregoing statute, represents only
the government share, or one-haif the amount of
fines paid into the various courts, 50 that it APP
pears the projects of police or Sherifs of the diff
ferent islands received during that year the sum
of S25 600 for their share of the = fines and PEN
alties.'' The largest portion of this was un-
doubtedly received by the Sheriff of Oahu, for we
learn from the report of the Chief Justice that
up to january !, of the year under consideration,
the courts of this island paid into the treasury
some Sl2, 600, while those of Maui produced less
than $1,000. Lest the uninitiated should deem
that this sum of S25 900 is intended as pay of
the police department, we viii state that in the
appropriation bill for the same year will be found
an item reading thus = For support of police,
S29, 6OO." Add this 10 the : bonus of fines
and penalties, and it appears that our govern
ment actually pays over $50, 600 per annum, be-
sides an unknown amount of feesand perquisites,
for the support of our model police establish
ment.
This system of diverting a portion of the fines
imposed upon ~wrongdoers into the pockets of the
police is but a premium for oppression, and has
resulted, in every country where it has been tried,
in the utter Generalization of the force, and its
liability TO the charge of using its power for the
benefit of individuals. In Australia, where a
police system like that of these islands was ini-
tiated by the British government, it was found
to be productive of anarchy and the most shame
less abuse of power, and the colonists loudly
called for a change, the necessity of which the
z government was not slow to perceive and act
upon. The immoral tendency of allowing an
officer of government any proportion of
the receipts of his department will be apparent to
the most superficial observer, and why a police
officer should be considered rs an exception to the
general principle, is difficult to imagine. Itmay
be argued that the active police-those who
make the arrests and procure the convictions
are paid u regular salary, and receive no part of
the fines. True, but the person to whom they
look for their monthly stipend does receive one
half the fines, and who can doubt the extent of
his mfiuence-involuntarily exerted it may be-
upon their vigilance and activity? No one ac-
with the peculiar characteristics of the
Hawaiian police, whether in the court room or
on the street, will deny but that they manifest a
keen interest in the conviction of Unable offenders;
and it will hardly be believed that this is merely
the result OF a loyal solicitude for the majesty of
the law. Our army swore terribly in Flan-
ders, - says my Uncle Toby but their oaths were
of another sort, though not a whit more terrible
than those of a policeman. Without question,
many a man has been unjustly arrested by our
police and afterwards unjustly fined through
their hard swearing. But the Sheriff cannot be ex-
pected to personally investigate the right and the
wrong of every fine, the half of which is placed
to his credit; occupied, as he is, or should be,
in duties which give him but little time for such
surveillance, no matter what his inclination.
We call for reform in the police system, and
in this demand we are not alone. We are in re-
ceipt of numerous charges and complaints against
the police individually, which, tracing as we do
the main causes of discomfort to the corrupt sys-
tenn itself, we refrain from publishing. The
government finds a task apparently quite equal
to its ability or inclination in the collection
and expenditure of the revenue, and we cannot
look in that direction for suggestions of reform.
But upon the Legislature, soon to meet, we would
urge the Importance of a repeal of the existing
police laws and the reorganization of the force
upon an entirely new basis. In order to obtain
good and trustworthy men for the positions of
head of each island police establishment, it will
be necessary to offer a handsome salary. The
difference in the amount of fines paid into the
will more than cover this increased ex-
penditure, and should there be any fear of a
of cash, or that government will make
money out of sin, then reduce the number of
Unable offences and introduce instead a little
more wholesome bodily restraint by way of pun
In no other country save this is the
police organization intended OF allowed to be pro-
ductive Of revenue, but is simply Instituted for
the protection of life and property, and the due
of the laws. Whatever is more or less
han this. isa public abuse, and calls for reform.
Since the foregoing remarks we're put in type,
we have heard that in the New Code, which it is
understood is about finished, the reform which
advocate is strongly recommended, with the