The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-01-16

performance or more delicate work
ITO secure more equal distribution of
nolice protection the city has been d.
vided into thirty-seven districts. each of
which contains station, and is under
the comma and of captain or lieuten-
amt The various divisions of the city
are in charge ofinspectors, who receive
the reports of commanding officers and
condense them for the general superin-
tendent and his assistant. The detective
force is under the direction of a lieu
tenant, with executive powers.
no secure an appointment on the po-
lice force a man must be between the
apes of 81 and IS. He must be not less
than feet s inches in height, and of
weight proportional to his height. He
must be an American citizen-native or
naturalized-ab to read English fairly
well. and must have a thorough knowl-
edge of the city, its principal places of
business, the various street-car sys-
tens and all points Of public interest.
A medical examination = more rigid
even than that required by the war of
fee in the case of applicants for enlist
ment in the army-keeps out scores Of
men who seemingly are pictures of
health, but who, nevertheless, are
afflicted with some organic weakness.
Applicants who have met all the re-
ouirements of the service receive ap-
pointrnents to the substitute corps as
soon as vacancies occur. Inasmuch,
however, as there are constantly on
file from two to three thousand applica-
tions, Endorsed by the examining board,
alder1nanic or some other kind of infiu-
ence is not to be despised by those who
are very anxious for copship honors.
The time was when corrupt aldermen
and Chicago has had more than it's share
of them-realized snug sum every
year by pushing" the claims of indi-
viduals who were wise enough to
grease the official wheel. This was one
of the evils whose extirpation enlisted
Maj. McClaughry's most earnest en-
beavers, and the good results Of his eff
forts are already noticeable by an in
creased esprit de corps. The men are n o
longer afraid of being removed to please
city father who wants one Of his
henchmen rewarded by place on the
force, to the detriment of the DEPART
ment and the city at large.
Police recruits are just about as raw
as military recruits, and it requires
hard work to convert them into mar
tial-looking material. Years ago each
captain or lieutenant was supposed to
train the men in his command The re-
suit was so unsatisfactory that a drill
master was appointed whose duty it is
to teach new men how to march and
how to WELD their clubs
The hardest duty which policeman
is called upon to perform is guarding
the crossings of downtown streets. He
must protect the lives and limbs Of
thousands Of pedestrians, control the
movement of hundreds of wagons, car
riages and street cars, and yet do JUS
tice to all. The task is one whose
magnitude cannot be appreciated by
anyone who has never seen with his
own eyes the pandemonium which
reigns in the principal thoroughfares of
Chicago. The most experienced Off
GERS are detailed for this duty, which re-
N1lIOS ICllc11 LOiS ~ SoSiASN VI sAAAAsA
and an even temper, as opportunities
for using club present Themselves al
most every minute.
The state legislature at its last ses-
sion passed law granting a pension,
amounting to half pay, to all officers
who have served the municipality TWEEN.
ty years, upon reaching the age of fifty
years. Many of Chicago's best officers
have availed themselves of this enact
ment and others have been requested
TO do So A number Of valuable men
have been lost to the department. in
this way, but on the whole the law has
proved of considerable benefit Barna-
cles who chung to their positions long
after passing the period of usefulness
were removed and their places filled
with younger blood.
It is doubtful if any other city in the
union has more perfect police force
it men who are brutal and quick tenn
pered, it is true, but they cannot hold
their positions for any length of time.
The maxim that policemen are paid to
enforce laws, not to break them, is be-
ginning to be practically employed, and
one seldom hears of wanton assaults
made by the guardians of the peace.
Therein Chicago's force differs much
from that of New York, whose mem
hers, according to newspaper reports,
recognize no power above that of their
own hickory sticks.
g. w. WEIPPIERr.