The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-07-31
TUESDAY, July 81, 1906.
A PRESUMPTUoUs REQUEST.

1t is the duty OF the police department to pro-
tec the property of all citizens from the operations
of the incendiary well as from the depredations
of the thief That duty calls for constant vigilance
on the part of patrolmen and other officers of the
department to the end that loss may not be sus-
tained either by fire or by robbery.
However, it does not seem the duty of muni-
cpal police department extends TO the assigning Of
policemen to the permanent guardianship OF par
ticular property the owners of lumber yards in
this city appear to believe
These gentlemen, perturbed by several de-
structve fires in lumber yards which appeared. to
be OF ncendiary origin, and which brought about
increase in insurance rates recently called upon
Mayor Dyer and made the request that the police
commission be directed to assign policeman to
each yard to keep watch and protect the property.
Chairman Luther of the police commission in
reporting to the mayor on this subject very prop
erly declares such an assignment of patromen TO
what would constitute private rather than publ,c
service is impossible Indeed it would seem that il
the lumber dealers had examined the subject calmly
and carefully they would have recognized the inn
practical character of their request
1t is shown by Chairman Luther that there
in Providence twenty-nine lumber yards and that
at only eight of them watchmen maintained by
the owners, OF these eight yards only four
equipped with time registering apparatus.
1t is pertinent to inquire why, if the lumber
dealers are so anxious for the safety of their prop.
erty they should not take the usual and obvious
means of protecting it. The employment of COM
petent and trustworthy watchmen would furnish
that security against incendiarism they much
desire yet twenty-one out of the total of twenty
nine have not fit to do this
Instead they ask that twenty-one parrolmen
be taken from the public service and assigned TO
the duty of guarding their private property. That
is they want the taxpayers to spend about $4,000
a year to furnish watchmen for their lumber yards
The proposal Is presumptuous, not to say pre-
posterous Indeed it is difficult to understand how
intelligent and level-headed business men could
have been led TO make it. The police department
is not large enough today for the proper discharge
of the duties that within its legitimate sphere
but even were more men available they could not
in justice to the taxpayers be employed in any such
work as the lumber dealers ask.
What they demand is not public service but
private protection and that sort of protection they
should themselves provide and pay for. AS tax
payers they would probably be among the first to
condemn the police commission if it complied with
requests from banks from jewelry manufacture
ers that policemen be assigned to guard their
money and valuables against possible raids by safe
breakers, and their condemnation would be justi-
fed.
Yet the same principle is involved iii the
quest recently made by them and it is equally de-
serving of condemnation. The lumber dealers
secure all needed security against hrebugs by en-
ploying watchmen upon whose vigilance and eff
cheney they can rely, and by installing time
cording system which will insure vigilance and
efficiency
AT all events they should promptly be given
leave to withdraw their presumptuous petition that
they be provided with private watchmen at public
expense