The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1893-11-29
LAST EDITION
SIGNAL SYSTEM
IS DEMANDED.
It Should Be Combined with
a Complete Patrol Wagon
Service.
VIII lUllN ULllINu I'LL NUl,
A Necessity for the More Perfect
Protection of Life and
Property.
CIVILIZATION REQUIRES IT.
Why Has the Sum of 100000
for the Purpose Lain
Idle for Six Years?
CIVILIZATION REQUIRES IT.
Why Has the Sum of 100000
for the Purpose Lain
Idle for Six Years

Nearly six years have elapsed since
the Board of Police Commissioners came
to the conclusion that in order to keep
up with the progress Of other cities New
York should have new and perfect
police signal system as well as complete
patrol wagon service. The Board came
to the conclusion mainly for the reason
that the public demanded a radical
change. 1t was admitted then that we
were away behind the age here and that
Ia many respects the service in little
country villages was as good IL not bet
ter. q
The suggestion was hailed with pleas
Ure. Everybody hopefully looked for
ward to the change. Every one saw
the absolute need of 1t then, yet in spite
If that fact absolutely nothing has been
accomplished since. The same eighteenth
century system. If 1t might be so termed,
is still in existence, and the city is just
SIX years more behind the position it
o cupied then.
Every city of any magnitude in the
United States is ahead of New York in
this respect. Even across the river, in
Brooklyn. they have a system in use
far superior to that here. With St.
Louis. Chicago, Philadelphia and other
places there Is really no comparison to
be made.
If there was a crying demand for a
better system six years ago, what must
the condition be at the present time?
with an ever increasing population, with
the building up of the outlying sections
and the need of additional police protec-
ton, we have, SO far as IA patrol wagon
service or signal system is concerned,
stood perfectly still or else refrigerated.
Not day passes but evidence of pos
tive need of change is apparent. As
matters stand at present N explosion,
fire, accident, murder or riot might take
place at any one OF the thousand and odd
places within the city limits, and there
Is actually no means whereby citizen
could send the intelligence to the near
est police station. This police 0uton
might be a dozen blocks away. 1t might
even be more. Before any one could get
to the station dozen murders might be
committed and the murderers make their
escape.
The best that could possibly be done
Under the circumstances would be to
rush to the nearest telephone office and
turn, would ring up the police station
nearest to the scene. 1t needs no words
to describe just how long that would
take, or what might happen in the inter
val.
Years ago, before amhulances were In
vogue, or the present few patrol wagons
had been put In use, II was the practice
10 stop passing wagon or use push
cart whenever rebelious man oil
woman was put under arrest, and drive
or wheel the prisoner to the court OF
to the station-house.
1t was no uncommon occurrence ther
to see drunken woman on hand-cart
held down by couple of bluecoats
while another held the shafts an
wheeled her along, while "A crowd o
children, boys and girls. followed, think
ing II rare fur. Such practices are nov
considered obsolete. But are they an
worse than the "edifying" spectacle pre-
scented to-day
How often can sights much worse an,
more degrading be witnessed In dozen
Of sections Of New York at the presen
time. TWO hours spent in the TOmb
Police Court, In Jefferson Market or II
Essex Market Court. on any morning
will more than satisfy the most sceptlca
that a change is imperative and mus
be made at once.
ShrIeking men and women, their arm
twisted by policemen and wrunG behin'
their backs, are led into the halls %
justice outside Is the "stretcher" upoi
which he or she has been carried an
paraded through the streets, men, wo
men and children watching the spectacle
the children laughing or throwing mud
following to the very steps of the court
house. and angry because they are no
allowed inside TO see the prisoners an
tics.
Again, how often have policemen
been compelled TO stand for hal