Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-10

you in two hours" He sent the bewil.
dered old man with nste to the prefecture
of the police, and sure enough within two
hours the old gentleman 'tound himself"
The Perfection Of Police Organization.
To place foreigner who has lost himself
two days after his arrival in city of 2, 423,
900 people is nice piece of work, but the
French police can do it, and great many
other remarkable things. The service
which accomplishes SO much which is sur
prising. is like everything else in France
organized, one might even say, artistically.
So complete is this great police structure
that one can diagram it as the grammars do
the sentences or tabulate 1t as the geologies
the earth's strata have before me an out
line of the French police service which
have prepared for nv own amusement from
the printed reportA 1t locates ever man in
the service, his place of work, his hours, his
duties, his salary. It is interesting simply
as an example Of the perfection to which
municipal organizations are carried in Paris.
The Partisan police force is divided into
two parts, the sedentary and the active. The
first is the Office force; that which plans,
orders, reports, prosecutes The other is
the street foree. This latter is divided into
classes, which might be named popularity
the uniformed and the ununiformed The
first divisision of this active force cores
ponds exactly to our policemen. Gardens
of the peace the French call them, and they
are ordinarily the only visible. power for
compelling order and tracking down the
offender 70 be seen in Paris They. are
easilv recognized BY their dark blue uni
forms. their silver buttons, the city coat of
arms on their caps, the sheathed sword at
their sides, and, on Sundays and fete days,
their white cotton gloves. But they are
such . quiet, unostentatious (inactive the
scoffers saw folk that have known people
to live in Paris sometime before discovering
what policeman looks like.
One ofacer for 500 People.
There are at present in the city 6,40O
policemen. This Is small guard for nearly
100000 people. The force has not been
increased in proportion to the growth of
the population. Thus, in 1871, there were
/, 800, 600 inhabitants and police service of
6, 100 men.
The question of enlarging the force has
been agitated many times. 1t is probable
that something will be done this year. If
it is, Paris can thank the Anarchists. The
scare which they caused last spring has put
an astonishing amount of vigor into the
police service. During the excitement
which preceded the 1st of May the ineff-
cheney OF the police was shown again and
again. It was due to no lack of bravery,
skill or care, simply to lack of numbers.
Much of the disturbance and of the de-
administration been more generously
equipped.
The plans for reconstructing the service,
which the Prefect of the police has recently
published, call for /, 100 men more. This Is
not SO extravagant q demand as it sounds,
for Paris policeman is not an expensive
luxury. A newcomer into.the service re-
ceives but $3.50 q year salary, with an an
nual indemnity of $24 for clothes aud $37
for lodgings The uniform is furnished
them with the understanding that they are
not to wear out more than 81. 80 worth in
month, and that if they can be proved to
have been careless with their garments they
pay for the damage. There is chance for
enhancement. At the end of the first three
or four years man, if worthy, is advanced
to the third class, with $50 more salary.
There are four classes to pass through. At
the end of dozen years he may be made an
under-oficer, with o salary Of $500 and the
aforementioned indemnltieA Among the
reforms at present planned is the increase
of salaries Men ut $3.50 will be given $500;
those at $40, $500; the under-officers, now
on $3.50, will receive $420. The indemnitiss
remain the same.
The Position Considered Desirable.
In spite ofthe small pay there are hosts
of men seeking the places. Ordinarily the
candidates chosen have served as under
officers in the army. To get positions they
must be between q and 80 years of age, and
must have stature OF at least ieet
inches good height for FreRchman). The
policemen are. as . rule, the biggest men in
Paris, but they would be obliged to stretch
their necks to look. into the faces of an
American squad. They must know how to
read and to write and must have 9 certif-
cate of good character These qualifications
are strictly insisted upon, but 1t ia claimed
that the great American institution known
as the "pull" is also vigorously used. They
call Il your Recommendation here instead Of