The Washington herald., 1909-05-09
Fsoa ths London Tines.

the headquarters Of the police OF London
The commissioner himself Is 10 be found
. there and the assistant commissioner
heads OF departments; also the chief
constable controlling the &C. L D" and
responsible for all the men in plain
clothes.
Al Scotland Yard every matter affect
ing the organization OF the force as a
whole Is dealt with, including the regu-
lation OF traffic and the protection Of the
public in al emergencies, small and
great. whether II be a question Of clear
ing thoroughfares for a royal procession,
Quenching the ardOrs Of organized hooli-
ganism parsding under the nom dc gUerre
Of the unemployed" or giving Socialist
orators the opportunity Of preaching viO-
lence IN Hyde PARK or Trafalgar Square,
without any breaking OF heads-their
own OF other peoples. At Scotland Yard.
also, the authorities devise ways OF deal
ing with suffragette martyrs. so that.
apart from unpleasant experiences with
mobs they shall not suffer anything Al
al. physically, whatever annoyance they
may eause TO other people.
All orders" are issued from Scotland
Yard, from those which affect the disci-
pine Of the entire service 10 those which
prescibe the pattern OF regulation boot
This has always been 50. and the Yard"
has been the center Of the police universe
since the ''peeler7 supplanted the watch
and the Bow street patrols n 1S2s.
Yet Scotland Yard to-day, though IN
theory performing the same functions
la f70r-m
IN the 'Sgs. is as different IN reality from
those days. as a Lee-Wetf0rd rife from
the old 'Bgbwn Besa"
Innovations Are Numerous.
There Is nothing intriusicaIIy remark
able in this Similar changes have taken
place IN other services during the last
seventy years. But. while IN most in
stances the developments and innovations
have come gradually. and. apart from an
occasional check, each generation has
outgrown the Official clothes Of tie one
before-the old order changing by de-
grees, 10 meet modem TeqUirements-in
the police matters have gone differently.
An examination OF Scotland Yard ten
OF twenty years ago would have discOv-
cred Il 10 be essentially the same as in
the Sos and '69s II is only within the
last decade that precedent tradition. and
routine have been Uprooted with a reso-
r lutte hand where they interfered with
efficiency, and il place CT q system which
conducted business an certain well-worn
grooves there has sprung into existence
q spirit Of progressive development on
scientific lines which has already rev0-
luJiOniZed the relations OF the authorizes
a. the Yard with the force as a whole,
and Is only AT the beginning OF its
achievements This has not entaIled any
outward or statutory change The pTin-
ciple on which metropolitan police gov
eminent was based al the beginning was
the personal responsibility and supreme
authority Of the commissioner for the
tine being. Since Scotland Yard was
created its head has had power 70 regu-
& late al viii the actions OF every man IN
the force. from constable TO superin-
tendert. and 20 impose such discipline
and organization throughout the whole
Of the service as he may decree best in
It's interests OF those OF the public.
The point is that, until lately, each
succeeding commissioner allowed sucn
matters 10 remain pretty much as they
rad been under his predecessor Conse-
1uently. when a commissioner appeared
who possessed ideas Of his own. and
change came that vas Ike q volcano in
It's effects: and yet so quietly and 50
irreslstIbIy was il made that no one
outside the force knew what was hap
pening. and few, perhaps, realize what
has happened even now
Authority Now Centralized.
Not 50 those within Go where you
viii. talk 10 men Of any rank, and you
vii learn that the Scotland Yard OF q
generation ago has passed away as com
pletly as the dodo-never to return The
difference is this: The system Of former
DAYS. IN so far as the everyday work
and duty Of the force was concerned. was
II practice one Of deceltralized author
ity. Now the reins are IN one hand
Formerly. while a constable was super
vised By his sergeant. the sergeant by
the inspector. and the superintendent was
supreme over all three-as Is the case
to-day-no one effectively supervised the
superintendent This IS not so now. The
comm issioner had power by law 10 do
50. either personally OF through a chief
constable. but II was rarely done in old
DAYS. Consequently, each division was
governed IN practice by a separate mas
ter; and for al working purposes the
future OF a constable or an officer Of the
lower ranks lay in the hands OF the
superintendent alone. and the efficiency
of the men II q division or the reverse
depended principally upon the capacity OF
that officer.
All this IS changed. The men and Off
GERS Of each station, though still under
the supervision Of q superintendent
whose orders they must all obey, are no
longer under a man who vas often a
law unto himself and able 20 rule the
destinles OF the SO 20 60o men under his
command Now every breach OF disci-
pine that occurs within his division, how
ever trivial. must be reported at once 10
Scotland Yard. The superintendent can
iufict no punishment, beyond a few days
SUSPENSION from duty for a specific Of
tense. without authority from hezdquar-
ters. n place Of his individual judgment
q board OF discipline" has been estab-
lshed, which IS composed Of an assistant
commissioner, a chief constable. and a
superintendent OF another division. To
this board z constable may appeal against
even a reprimand, II he holds this 10 be
unjustly given And, II the board con
firms the decision OF the superintendent.
the constable has the right OF appeal 10
the commissioner in person. Nor is this
change. fundamental as II IS the only
difference between the old system and
the new Formerly. though a superin-
tendent governed in his own division. no
announcement was given him TO report
10 headquarters any improvements in
organization which experience. ability. or
circumstances with his department might
suggest 10 his mind He had his place
and duty and must keep 20 Il under
penalties. Now. superinterGents have
Informed me. they find they are welcome
At Scotland Yard If they have any sug-
Eestions to make for the greater eff
ciencv. Of the men; and il IS said that at
times the commissioner himself questions