Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-22
OFFICERS CLUB IS MIGHTY
New York Police Commissioner Comments
on London Department,
MEN HAVE EASIER TIME THAN FINEST
Crowds in British Metropolis More
4 TractabIe Than In New York
Omcers seldom Need the
Locust.

Copyright, 1903, by Press Publishing Coz
LONDON, Feb. 21.-CNew York World Ca
blegram-Special Telegram.)-"o police
man with a club Is worth ten without, Is
the conclusion Deputy Police Commissioner
Piper Of New York has arrived at. he tells
the World correspondent, after having
studied the London police system all this
week. Captain Piper came here for rest,
he says, but he has been working hard
twelve hours every day.
ANY opinion l may have given hereto
fore regarding the London police arrange
ments necessarily were superficial" he
continued.
at is only now that l am beginning to
dig down into the matter. One thing that
is perfectly clear is that the police prob
lens here are quite different from those
in New York, because Of the different con-
ditlons and the different people.
with us the natural propensity is to
break regulations, II 1t can be done with
safety. Here the inclination is to obey
the law.
"Londoners are very subservient to the
police and do not mind being held up for
a little time. Our people are in a greater
hurry to get there They are more i'm
patient and less amenable to authority.
The club with us is a necessity. When
ever the London police get into difficulty
they are pretty helpless, though ordinarily
they get along without the club. You had
police TO burn when the king was opening
Parliament.
81 see hostile comment here on my prefer
ence for getting at people in the rear OF a
crowd, and also pushing forward instead OF
thrusting the helpless people in the front
rank back, as they do here; still l adherc
to my view. 1t is the people who are push
ing that you want to stop, not those who
are being pushed.
Take Kindly to Delay.
81 visited yesterday and today the traffic
congested parts Of the city of London, near
the Bank OF England, and the Mansion
House. l saw nothing phenomenal in the
management of the tranic there. II wo
held up trafnc at the corner OF Fifth avenue
and Forty-second street as long as they do
at the bank we should have a solid mass
stuck for eight blocks. The system works
we'll here because the temperament Of the
people is different. Here as a rule the
people don't mind being delayed.
THE police here don't patrol as much as
they do in New York. They seem to stay
about the most attractive part Of their
beats. They would be smartly fined in New
YORK II they hung around as they do mere.
\ That the London police are polite is un-
questionable. but they are obeyed so readily
/, hey have nothing to rufie them.
'In street cleaning, L%ondoners are some
what ahead Of us. ! like the iron boxes you
have on the sidewalks into which the roads
refuse is Immediately thrown. so 1t is not
trodden over. as It is in New York.
But here again different conditions ex-
plain the different system. without tene-
ments IL would be impossible to secure
sanitation except in that way"
Being asked what he thought OF the con-
dition Of Piccadilly Circus and Regent
streets. when thronged with giddy women
at night, Captain Piper answered:
"There is nothing as bad as that in any
thoroughfare in New York. The police
here don't appear to have instructions to
interfere with the women, but such a state
of affairs would not be tolerated in New
York, especially in the main thorough
fares"
The correspondent inquired II the deputy
intended to look into the London detective
department.
IF 1 have time he replied. 81 shall
sail on Thursday. l have been Obliged to
abandon the trip to Paris owing to the
pressure of work here. ! have been treated
with the utmost kindness and considera-
ton, but am about done up"