Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-06-29
POLICE OF BERLIN.
Each One Is a Sort of Gar on
His Own Limited Beat.

=" gO0 at u SUI
ton in Berlin" said a professional man
who spent a year in Berlin, you are
not surrounded by a clamoring crowd
of cab drivers, some Of whom a stran-
ger would be foolish to trust. You tell
a policeman what you want-whether
a cab or a porter-and he gives you a
number. When you emerge from the
station uniformed governmental en-
ployee, either cab driver or porter,
stands at attention and salutes you in
a military manner. He has been or
dered for you by the policeman inside,
and when he presents his number. cor
responding to the one the policeman
gave you. you can trust him to take
you or your luggage wherever it is to
go. The government Is responsible for
the safe arrival Of yourself and your
luggage at hotel or other destination.
II the porter should run away with
your belongings the government would
reimburse you.
The police system is wonderful.
The officers carry no revolvers or clubs,
only swords. Each one has only q
small beat to cover-a couple of blocks
or so-that he has time TO be the mont
tor Of the moral conduct of every per-
son in his district. He knows exactly
what each person is doing. where he is
working. how he is spending his leisure
time and whether he is behaving him
self. There is very little crime, and
the police courts have little business.
IF you commit an offense you are
not dragged of to police station. In
stead, your name and address are tax
en- by the officer in the district, and the
next day letter informs you that you
have been fined an amount in keeping
with the character Of your offense
You are told that you either can send
the money by messenger or appear at
the projects Office for trial at certain
time. 1t doesn't pay to give a police
man a wrong address either. because
the system is so perfect that they will
find you anyway and fine you more.
The policemen are instructed to
prevent infractions of the law, not to
wait for persons 10 get into trouble and
then arrest them. Each policeman has
such small district to cover that you
can find one whenever you want one.
He sees that his district is kept clean,
that each house in 1t is sanitary and
that each resident gets fair treatment
from his neighbor. Disputes are settled
with no thought of appeal before they
ever get TO the police station.
soon after 1 arrived l was on my
Nuo 70 ha
saw a policeman at a cab stand ex-
aiming the hoofs and backs of the
horses, the harness and the cushions
and wheels of the cabs.
what are you doing? | asked him
politely
AS representative of my govern
ment.' he replied. 1 am inspecting to
see that the passengers of these cab
men are assured a safe journey with
them. The government is responsible.
you know. and it is my duty to see
that all dangers and possibilities of
discomfOrts are eliminated
His answer was given in a most
! courteous manner.
There are no paupers in Germany.
Everybody pays as he goes. You can
see the result in the independent man
ner of even the street sweeper He
knows he shall be provided for in case
he encounters adversely.
For instance, suppose a lamplighter
or boOtblack becomes i'll or suffers
an accident. BY the way. the boot
blacks of Berlin do a thriving business
because not a man, from street sweep
er up to banker, would think of ap-
pearing on the street Of a morning
! without having his shoes shined. If
/ such a lowly worker becomes disabled
/ the government association of his dis
| trict gives him q certificate to any
! physician for whom he may have a
! preference. 1t is good for two weeks.
and the physician is assured. through
| the association, that the government
| will pay him. If more than two weeks
medical attention is required the as
| ISOLATION issues n new certificate. The
disabled worker pays for his medicines
| In the same way. The physician gives
him a certificate on the druggist. and
| the latter is not allowed to charge
| more than the customers station In
life justifes.
"A ride on the governmental rail
ways assures you absolute comfort
AnHHInE a@sI~11