The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-03-16
numbering 22s in the former and 245 during
the latter year: .------
otal expenditures. ..sS2,sOg 81 s3l ,65s 72

AoaiI tApeDuitmcs. ..ssoA,oUS VI To1,oO6 fI
Charging the paupers with the items OF
subsistence, salaries, clothing, and fuel, they
cost in 1873 one hundred and seven dollars
and twenty seven cents (Sl07.27I per annuR
apiece. In 1874 they cost ninety -four dol.
lars and thirty cents apiece. a.
Fortunately the aimSbouse is ample in size
and appointments for the reasonable needs OF
our city for long period to come.
POLICE.
The Chief of Police has added to his re.
port for the year several new tables of in
terest. l am sorry to report that the loss of
time from sickness continues out Of all pro-
portion to the number Of the force That
eighty meu Of more than ordinary health
and strength should lose LIS days by sick
ness in d single year is inexcusabe. This re-
presents an expenditure from the taxes of the
people of S2,7S7 for which the city receives
no return. AS the year approached its con-
cluSion the evil augmented until in January,
when the general health of the city was as
good as usual, thirty yfoe of the force re-
ported sick, and Ito days of service were
lost TO the city.
The Board of Police Commissioners on the
9th of February adopted an order designed
to remedy this evil by withholding halt-pay
from those who were sick, reServlng the
right to allow full pay in any meritorlous case,
and the health of tue force was at once re-
stored. The official monthly report Tor jan
uary showed 50 men sick and 1I3 days lost ;
the report for February showed IL SICK ana
II DAYS lost, and of these II days, % days
were lost by one case of protracted disease
continued from January. The order of the
Board was not issued, as / have said, until
the 9Th of the month, and its effect is still
more marked by the fact that in the first
week in February 43 days were lost by SICK.
ness and in the remaining three weeks but
"a days. 1t is hoped that the year 1915 Will
show reform Of this abuse.
Among the tables in the report Of the
Chief is one showing the number of arrests
made during the year as compared with those
of several other cities. The result would not
be tlitteriny TO our reputc AZ an orderly city
if every citizens experience did not contra
dict the applrent conclusions. Taking the
census of 1870 as an equitable guide in making
comparisons, it will be seen tnat New YORK,
with twenty times the population Of Rich
moud had but thirteen times the arrests ;
Pnihdelphia, With thirteen times the popuIa-
ton, had but six and a half times the arrests
Cincinnati, with four times the population,
has but one and huff times the arrests
Charleston, with about the same population,
has less than half The arrests. That Richmond
is Inferior in public order to any OF these
cities no one familiar with her pcop'e
would affirm. A more law-abidinS commu-
nity does not exist. The explanation is TO be
found in the culpable facility with which
some magistrates issue warrants, oftentimeS
conloundlng lelonies with misdemcanors, and
still more frequently issuing process without
justification. 1t is not unlikely that the mis-
cbief is aided by the profit to the officers for
making arrests and summoning witnesses.
The captains and Sergeants of the force have
the powers and, in addition TO their pay from
the city, receive the fees of consiables.
During the past year the Commonwealth
paid to the officers Of the First station
50, ,204. 20; to the officers of the Second sta
ton, 81 ,311 40; to the officers of the Third
station, 1926.
While some Of these members of The force
are Incapable Of encouraging strife that they
may profit by it, others may not be so Scru-
puIous. There is good dell of human ma
ture in policeman as well as in other peo.
pie.
1t is worthy Of remark that the colorcd ar
rests considerably Increased last year. The
following table shows the amounts OF the re-
spectiye colors for the past three years