The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-02-03
roLcsnsxs sALAaEs-wNl Of ApATRulaM.

To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
Az there has been 80 much said lately about rais-
ing the pay OF tho patromen Of the Metropolitan
Police and rs the press generally appear to bc
against It, be kind enough to give these lines place
in your paper. did think at time that there
was some hope OF our getting an increase or
pay, but since the resolution offered by Mfr.
Selkreg and adopted In the Legislature, leav-
ing the matter TO he determined upon
BIZ the Police Commissioners, all hope has dicd
out Might not the gentleman as well have offered
resolution against the bill altogether and have done
with It rs TO leave II In the hands Of the Conmis-
sioners who sit In session three times week for tns
express purpose OF imposing fines. thereby taking
away what little pay we do get II patroman lnas
door open and goes In to examine the premises
and the roundsman happens to see him come ont he
makesa charge against him for being or post. II q
stranger asks him for informaton and he stops to-
give 1t TO him the roundsman makes a charge %
talking fifteen minutes to q citizen The charge goes
TO headquarters and the onicer swears he was On
post In discharge OF his duty, or that he was
impartiDR information OF police nature and brings
witness 70 prove IT, The oath OF the officer
roundsmen u taken against everything else. The
consequence ~ lne OF i've days pay depriying an
honest man Of his hard earned wages aud his inno.'
cent family OF the OF subsistence aud IL thcso
charges do not come In last enough The captain tells
the roundsman he must make more charges against
illustration Of this fact but short time ago nfteen
roundsman we're put back on post duty for the very
simple reason OF not making more charges
Captains, sergeants and roundsmen with a few exI
cepons, their official authority to pratify their
private spleen. ask n this Is justiccs Captains gee
5000 year. sergcanfs 900, AMI are rarely, IL
ever lined for neglect Of duty: but the patrolman,i
who does the hard work and with wnon All the
responsibility rests gets but 81 200 year and part Of
that IL taken away In nnes or course there are ex
ccptons TO all general rules and In some instances
fines are lust; but those instances are few. have
no doubt as Mr. SekreR sad In his resolution, that
there are enough names OF applicants on the boox
or the Commissioners that are willing TO work for
31.2O or even $500 year; but who are these me1
will venture TO say that seven-cglths OF these men
cannot tell whether Fifth avenue Broadway
| or whether the Custom House IN In Wall street or
baxter: and, than this, there In not profess
stonal thief In the city that does not know when
q new patrolrnan IL appointed, who he IN, what he
IL and where he Ii stationed. Hence the itnpunty
with which burglar enters building and blows|
open safe, and the audactty with which the high
wayman follows his profession.
Now, for my part, am satisfied with 81 200 year,
and have no doubt every phtrolman on the lorce,
Is. Only give us 81 200 year in fact as well AZ in
name. ana II they won't raise our salary that We
can afford 10 pay the unjust dues imposed upon mst
press bill providing some 0tner mole Of punisnl
nent besides taking our hard earnings away from
us and dcprvin0 innocent women and chlhlren VI
the means Of subsistence A PATROiMAN.