The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-01-17
The Glasgow Police.

selection, and their average height is
 just under six feet. Their average age
 is thirty-four, and their average length
 of service is ten years, They are or
 ganized under a chief constable, ten
 superintendents, and twenty-eight lieu
 tenants, with a number of inspectors
 and sergeants in immediate command
 of the patrolmen, or ordinary consta-
 bles. A majority of the men are High
 landers. They are of excellent personal character as rule, and very faithful to
 the performance of routine duties The force is universally praised by the citi- zens, and those complaints and expres- sions of criticism and distrust that one hears in any American city are un- known to Glasgow. The chief seems to use his own discretion very largely in the selection of men, and there is no or deal of competitive examination to be passed. The selection of the chief is made by the council on recommends ton of the committee, and vacancies in | the other officers are usually filled by promotion. From top to bottom the po- | lice service commands admiration and confidence.
 The police courts belong to this de- partment Justice is dispensed by the lord provost, and by those members of the council, ten in number, who have been set aside by their fellows as ball. ies or magistrates. They arrange scheme of rotation, and are assisted by assessors, these being practising law yers who are paid for advising the citi- zen magistrates on points of law. The magistrates themselves are, of course, not paid; but in order to somewhat tighten their labors, stipendiary mag istrate, or salaried police judge, Is employed at $5,000 Q year, who sits con stantly in the central district and dis poses of a large share of the business. The general police government of the city also employs a law officer or at- torney known as the "procurator fscal,' who conducts prosecutions, when neces- sary, in the enforcement of the sanitary and other statutes and regulations ad- ministered by the council in it's capacity as police board
 Half the expense of police force salar- ies and clothing is met by a govern ment grant, as for all other municipal corporations in the Kingdom, the main tenance of order being in theory and origin a general rather than a local function. The net charge of the police force upon the local rates is only about $250 900. Glasgow has adopted the plan of building very commodious police-sta- ton establishments, in which are sleep ing rooms, kitchens, and mess-rooms for the unmarried members of the force. Retiring pensions are allowed and everything possible is dcne by the municipality to promote a high stan dard of personal character and a strong sense of fidelity among the men charged with keeping the city's peace and order.
 The advantage of abundant illumina- tion at night as police measure seems to me to be appreciated in Glasgow as in few other cities. There is nothing very noteworthy about the gas-lights along the streets, unless the commen- dable clearness with which street names are painted upon the four sides of the corner lamps as well as upon the corn CT buildings should merit @ passing compliment but very notable and unusual is the illumination by the au- thorities not only of all private streets and courts, but also of all common stairs. The cost of gas and wages of lighters for Illuminating the common stairs alone are greater than the same items of expense for lighting all the public streets of the city.
 A part of the extra outlay is recov- cred by special assessments; but considerable margin is a charge upon the general rates. Thus it cost for the year 1887-SS to light private streets and courts about $21,2OO, of which $12,3OO was collected by a special assessment of $975 per lamp, leaving about S9,OOO to be paid from the treasury. The ex- pense of lighting common stairs was $95,5 800, of which $56,SOO was recovered from owners by an assessment of $250 per light, leaving the city nearly $4O,OOO to pay. The net cost to the city of the street-lighting department proper, ex- cluding the two services just mentioned, but including cost of superintendence and central offices that pertain to the three services, was less than $1OO0OO.
 The sums that owners pay the city for lighting courts and stairs are per haps more than they would pay for in- sufficinet illumination if the matter were left in their hands. The excess paid by the city in order to secure pro- per lighting should be regarded, like the police force and the street lamps as a legitimate outlay for public pro- lection, convenience and order As the | chief of police has remarked to me- each lamp is as good as an additional constable The statistics of apprehen- | sions and convictions for crimes show a remarkable increase in proportion to l the number of crimes reported since the | Trust and the stair-light- l ing have opened up the many once dark and almost inaccessible rendez- vous of thieves and criminals, while the | total amount of serious crime has stead | fly diminished in proportion to the pop | Shaw's Municipal Govern | ment in Great Britain