The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-01-19
POLICE OF BERLIN.
Each One Is a Sort of Gar on
His Own Limited Beat.
EVERY PERSON is WATCHED
Where Man Works, How He Amuses
Himself and the Way He Behaves II
Is the Officers Business to Know.
The Civil Service System.

ton in Berlin" said 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
E q policeman what you want-whether
a cab or porter-and he gives you a
number When you emerge from the
station a uniformed governmental EN-
ployee, either cab driver or porter
stands at attention and salutes you In
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 1t Is to
go. The government Is responsible for
the safe arrival Of yourself and your
luggage at hotel or other destination
If 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 a
small beat to cover-a couple of blocks
or so-that he has time to be the moni.
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 off to q 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 to 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 | arrived | was on my
way to the university one morning and
saw q policeman at q cab stand eX-
amining the hoofs and backs Of the
horses, the harness and the cushions
and wheels Of the cabs.
"'NUat are you doingT | asked him
politely.
LAS q representative of my govern
ment,' he replied. i am inspecting to
see that the passengers Of these cab
men are assured 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 q bootblack becomes i'll or suffers
an accident. BY the way, the boot
blacks of Berlin do thriving business
because not Il man, from street sweep
er up TO banker, would think of ap
pearing on the street OF morning
without having his shoes shined. IL
such n lowly worker becomes disabled
the government association of his dis
trict gives him a certificate to any
physician for whom he may have n
preference. Ii 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 oS
sociation issues a new certificate The
disabled worker pays for his medicines
in the same way. The physician gives
him n certificate on the druggist. and
the latter is not allowed TO charge
more than the customers station In
life justi6es
"a ride on the governmental rail-
ways assures you absolute comfort
and safety. They laugh at our spread
ing rail and 'washout' accidents over
here. The construction Of German rail-
ways won't permit the rails TO spread
And after train passes over a certain
Strptch of tropk n walker follows along
behind to see that all Is safe before
another train Is allowed TO use 1t.
There is no political graft. The mo-
ment man goes TO work for the gov
ernment he is disfranchised. He Is
under civil service, and he has a life
time job II he gives good service, but
the others do the voting.
II met an American lawyer who re
sides there and rather marveled at his