The evening world., 1893-11-29
A Necessity for the More Perfect
Protection of Life and
. Property.
CIVILIZATION REQUIRES IT.
Why Has the Sum Of 800 900
tor 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 a 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
In many respects the service in little
country villages was as good II not bet
ter.
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
of that fact. absolutely nothing has been
accomplished since. The same eighteenth
century system. II it might be so termed,
is still in existence. and the city Is just
six years more behind the position 1t
occupied 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 nave a system In use
far superior to that here. With st.
Louis, Chicago, Philadelphia and other
PAGES there is really no comparison to
be made.
II there was a crying demand for a
better syctem 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-
iiOn No hpNp 81 far as a DltTOl wagon
service or signal system is concerned,
stood perfectly still or else refrigerated
Not a day passes but evidence of a pos
tive need of a change is apparent. A s
matters stand at present n explosion,
fire. accident, murder or riot might take
pace at any one of the thousand and odd
places within the city limits. and there
Is actually no means whereby a citizen
could send the intelligence to the near
est police station. This police aation
nigh be a dozen blocks away. 1t nigh,
even be more. Before any one could get
to the station 4 dozen murders might be-
committed and the murderers make their
escape.
The best that could possibly be done
Under the circumstances would be &c
rush to the nearest telephone office and
ring up Police Headquarters, which. Ii
turn, would ring up the police station
nearest tn 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 ambulances wcie II
vogue, or the present few patrol wagons
had been put in use, II was the practice
TO stop a passing wagon or use Il pusi
cart whenever n rebellious man o
woman was put under arrest, and driv
or wheel the prisoner to the court o
to the sta~tion-house.
1t was no uncommon occurrence thel
to see n drunken woman on a hand-cnrt
held down by a couple OF bluecoats
while another held the shafts" an
wheeled her along. while n crowd o
children. boys and girls. followed. think
Ing it rare flu such practices are nov
considered obsolete. But are they an,
worse thar the 'edlfying" spectacle pre-
sented to-day
How often can sights much worse AM
more degrading be witnessed in dozen
OF sections of New York at the preSen
time. Two hours spent In the Iomh
Police Court. In Jefferson Market or II
Essex Market Court. on any morning
will more than satisfy the most sceptica
that a change is imperative and mus
be made at once
Shrieking men and women. their arm
twisted by policemen and wrung behln'
their backs. are led into the halls 4"
Justice. outside is the "stretcher' upol
which he or she has been carried an