The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-12-14
POLICE, THEFT, OPIUM.


of the police force TO grapple with
the petty stealings which have be-
come so rife of late, and says,
among many other timely remarks,
that the " inelliciency of the police
is standing reproach to the King
dom" Similar observations have been
made from time to time in the
columns of the BULLETIN, and will
likely be found necessary to- repeat
only too often again. We are always
ready to put in our word in any
agitation raised for the advancement
of the public welfare. There is no
installing the fact that efficiency,
among the police, is in q very sickly
condition. What method of treat
ment is best to revive the apparently
dying energies of the men with the
buttons is question that ought to
command the immediate attention of
the authorities. 1t is quite possible
that Honolulu policemen are very
much like other men. At all events,
it has never yet been proven that in
vestiture with nickel button is CO.
incident with radical change in
mans character, principles OF dis
position. 1t is not unlikely that
laziness, as well as activity, can
thrive as we'll under button as
without one. Nor should it be eN-
pected that the piece of nickel plate
is capable of transforming an honest
into dishonest man, or the reverse.
1t may fairly be accepted as truism
that a Honolulu policeman's eff
cheney or weakness depends upon
the instructions he receives. 1t is
utterly useless for the public to
spend their time denouncing police
men. Protests, to be of any avail,
must be made to tell at head
quarters. 1t is with the masters and
not the servants the public have to
deal. Full instructions from their
superiors with peremptory orders
to attend to them wonld wake up
the police force to realization of the
fact that to earn their pay, they
must work for it. This seems to us
to be the only plain, common sense
remedy that can be effectual. The
men with the buttons are not SC
densely stupid but that they can be
made to understand their duties
nor are they so reckless of theil
own interests as to disobey orders.
The whole matter Of police efficiency
thus lies in a nutshell. The men
not instructed, can well afford to bt
ignorant of their duties; and wher
not under specific orders, can sub
sist very comfortably on doing
nothing.
The advertiser, however, ignores
the fact that police inefliciency i
proof positive of inefficient manage
ment of the force. The taxes pait
by the citizens are placed in TIN
hands of the authorities to be uset
by them, among other purposes, TO
the maintenance of good order. AM
it is their duty to see to it that tn
money is applied in manner t
give satisfactory returns. That i
this particular, at least, the manage
ment has proved an egregious failur
is universally admitted. But on
contemporary, instead of goin
straight to the mark with his argr
ments, suddenly flies off at an angle
and the next place we find him
floundering in middle of reason
ings intended to clear the way for
free opium crusade. "We blame,
says our contemporary, "the hypocr
tical law of moral pretense-tl
anti-opium statute-for the uttt
Generalization of the whole force.
We rather blame the hypocritic
law of immoral pretense by whie
the actions of persons in authori1
winking at violations of the law
are governed. The anti-opium statu
is one of the best pieces of legisl
ton in the Hawaiian code for I'll
protection of the Hawaiian RAJ
against one of the most ruinous vic
of modern times. 1t is statu
which we are proud to refer to,
our communications with ciyiliz'
nations abroad, as an evidence tn
tl,o ,N,,l,I:a oant;n,ant Of thic Kin