New-York tribune., 1900-01-14

It's not alone in the great cities Of the Old World.
like Penzance, that the lot OF the policeman is
happy Even here, IT free. enlightened America,
policemen feel that their duties, Inevitably Of an
unpleasant nature to OF sensitive temperament,
are not sufficiently relieved by those gentle de-
Nights which are enjoyed even by the hardened
criminals with whom their work brings them into
contact. The Tammany members OF the State
LEGISLATURE ever watchful Of the happiness OF the
voters OF the Commonwealth have noticed this,
and Timothy D Sullivan and Timothy p Sullivan
have introduced a bill TO make eight hours legal
days work for a policeman. II this bin passes
both houses and excites the tender sympathy Of
the Governor who. il has sometimes bean noticed.
aatters himself that he knows a thing or two
about policemen, there VIII be no further reason
why the buwarks Of the law cannot enjoy the
same seasons Of earn and peace as the devastators
of the law.
Citizens OF New-York have always been justly
proud OF their police force except brief periods
when it was under legislative investigation, and
then. it is true. It was sometimes shown that the
police force did things that were not q9lte pretty
bert again not pretty, but massive And so.
looked at the splendid specimens Of manhood that
granted that the force had now reformed, and have
gone right on being PROUD OF X. And tney li hdUS
the city putting these men in making them
stand around and walk around Tor so much OF the
The hours Of patrolnan are not easy TO describe
en- alternate days each policeman mas actual patrol
duty for hours, and on the other alternate days
from sixteen 20 eighteen hours. But they are not
suppresstng riots all the time; they not even
lighting the crowds at fires or making arrests all
the time Doubtless eight hours day spent IN the
steady suppression OF riots would be enough for
any man, and the making OF continuous ar
rests for eight hours a day would undermine
delicate constitution and shatuer the nervous fabric
But eight hours spent IN pleasing and elevattug
converse with other policemen. with cabmen and
serve as a stimulus for four or six or eight more
And II the policeman were TO have eighteen hours
Of the day himself what better could he do with
them than 70 spend them just as ne does the hours
when he his beat. or in places adJacent to it,
The question must be viewed fairly. Robustness
Of appearance does not necessarily imply vfgor OF
health The most shattering nervous diseases
may exist IN bodies which look big and sound
that II absurd 10 think OF any but perfect
health and strength IN connection with them For
such diseases IS the only and, mas been
suggested already the duties OF policeman tend 10
cultivate Just these diseases in sensitive organ
Ism.
Al present the average working time OF a police
man Is not quite twelve hours a day. Under the
new law II would be eight hours Thus II viii be
seen that. maintain the present efficacy OF the
force II would be necessary 20 increase the num-
bers OF the force by nearly One-halI Prosperity
has returned There is new era OF confidence
Money is eagerly seeking investment The indi-
cations OF q return Of the good old times when
Nev-Yorkers positively did not know what TO 40
with their money. One OF the best solutions would
be 70 let them pay taxes with II. Policemen are hF
the only city employees who are working
too hard and too long.