Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-10-10
THE LONDON POLICE.
Its Members, Nationality, Effective
ness and Pay,

LONDON, September 14,-Sup-
pose a portion of New York city,
oblong in shape and its dimensions
about one mile and half by half a
mile, with the city hall as a kind of
central point, to be set apart from
the remainder of the city, with a
distinct corporate government of
its own, mayor and police arrange
ments entirely independent Of the
outer part, and, in all respects, be-
ing a definite, individual govern
ment of itself. The case | have
supposed is precisely analogous to
what really exists in London. 1t is
a city within city. Its income is
about $l,500,0O0 per year, and its
expenditure about the same amount.
The lord mayor has a snug salary
Of $4,000 per year, and ispopular-
ly supposed to earn his money, but
finds it next to impossible to live on
so meagre an income. While his
term Of Office lasts he has legal
powers almost equal to those of any
despot, and even England's queen
must ask the lord mayors permis-
sion before entering his domains.
Practically these powers exist most
ly on the statute book, for they are
seldom used, and are little more
than mere forms. The police of
this inner city, or, what is strictly
the city of London, numbers about
800. They are known as the city
police; those of the outer part are
termed metropolitan police. The
statistics which follow refer only to
the latter.
The Metropolitan police of Lon
don number a little more than
10000 men; 7917 are Englishmen,
820 Irishmen, 145 Scotchmen, l3
Welshmen, and 23 foreigners. Only
one is an American. Over 1000
have served in the army. The rank
and pay of the whole force was as
follows: -Four district superinten-
dents, one $4,000 and three $500
per annum; 25 superintendents,
with salaries from $3.50 to S2375,
and an allowance Of 500 for cloth
ing; 277 inspectors, at salaries from
SAD to $3.50, and an allowance of
$50 for clothing; 1862 sergeants, at
salaries from S440 to $50; and
1919 constables, at salaries from
1910 to $40. Single men receive
an allowance cf forty pounds ofI
coal each in winter, and twenty
pounds in summer, weekly; and
married men receive q small-yery
small-cash allowance in lieu Of
coal. All are provided with uni
forms. Two men have been in the
force for upwards Of forty years,
81 more than thirty years, us more
than twenty years, and 9430 more
than ten years. AT Scotland Yard
there is a special detective corps,
consisting Of one superintendent,
whose pay is $225O per annum;
three chief inspectors, at s26.55 |
per week; three inspectors at $2l.75 |
per week; and sixteen detectives,
divided into two classes, the first
class at $l5.65 each weekly, and
the second Sll85 per week.
1t will be seen that the London |
police are not paid by the New
York police scale. Counting all
allowances, the mass of the force
receive not more than S400 per year
each~that is a little more than 81
per day And the sixteen detectives
at Scotland Yard receive, for their
specially hazardous and responsible
duties, the sum Of about $500 PEP
year. Some of the latter receive
for special services enough to make
their aggregate wages about $3.50.
The English police are usually !
men Of good size and present an ex-
cellent appearance The London
police are generally polite, trusty
fellows, but less ready, intrepid and |
shrewd than they ought to be. q
good tenure Of Office is one Of the
excellent features of most English |
institutions. When a man once
obtains q place he is not likely to
lose il except through gross mat