Evening star., 1933-07-16

do that Others busy looking after the horses.
Then comes breakfast By $50 everybody
is busy again. some at riding and horseman-
ship others at physical training. varied with
jiujitsu, a new sport the calendar of events
for the recruits. During that same period, IL
there are enough squads Of recruits. others
taking foot and arms drill army marching and
maneuverng with rifles, while still another
squad is busy taking lecture On the duties of
a ccnstable, learning the laws which have to be
enforced and maintained.
One hour passes, hard work. taxing the
physical strength of any man. but merely the
second Of number Of such periods during the
day. There is a l5-minute rest. and that is not
always rest, for different drills require different
uniforms.
man cannot attend lectures in gym clothes
He must appear in uniform. Nor will uniform
do for stable duty. So that the Is minutes go
quickly. Ordinarily very little of the time can
be spent in resting.
HE third period then starts with the differ
ent squads changing about in their work
during this hour. Add to the list of sublect
lectures the care and operation Ct autos.
motorcycles gasoline engines for motorboats and
lighting plants outboard motors for small craft.
and musketry and revolver practice
Again halt for quarter of an hour and
from II to II the program calls for a regrouping
OF the squads en- the subjects mentioned
The afternoon starts at 80 and from then
to 3:4o there are two full hour periods Every
man who finally qualities has to know how to
handle typewriter like a veteran stencg-
rapher-and, what is more he must be able to
take it apart and put it together again, for ON
the northern beats there are no service men to
call in when something goes wrong
Bayonet fighting is on the afternoon schedule
on the day under observation. 1t is hard work.
lungmg and parrying, against live as we'll Is
dummy opponents
But the day is not yet finished From 4 to
Is another hour period with some Of the men
at drill, others at stable duty and third group
attending lecture on how to make out de-
tachment returns and that includes detailed
reports on what happened and why
To some posts an officer may be sent with
the duties OF policeman. magistrate, coroner.
postmaster. customs officer and few others
added. These things have to be taught And
a mountie can plead his case in court if the
need arises. Just part Of the training
Should any Of the recruits feel that they
have done a good days work. they find that
in the evening there is .study period. The
following day may bring examinations. For
tests are held throughout the course on the
various subjects.
That schedule goes on every day for four
months.
Saturday afternoons and Sundays Quieter.
the recruit has the daily menu of strenuous
training
Four months should show up whether man
Is physically fit or not. If he is and makes a
good showing in his tests there is further two
months of detailed training If not the re-
crIit finds himself mot qualified"
A FTER six months the recruit becomes q
grade constable and holds that ranking
until he has been in the force for 10 months
If satisfactory then, he becomes a first class
constable Each is an advance in pay and
privileges
But the six long months of hard training
physical exercises, lectures and examinations by
no means make a flrSt-c.ass constable from a
raw recruit For the next few years comes the
routine work at the larger posts where there is
always large staff Of men
In this way the recruit learns the routine
work of a post as we'll its major investiga-
tionS for often he accompanies veteran on
important cases to learn the ropes
The force is much more military than most
police organizations. The discipline is strict
Saluting is necessity when higher ranks are
addressed. There is the click of the soldier and
the erectness of the soldier in all actions of
this force
When finally the recruit is placed on his own
at small post with corporal and perhaps
another constable. his duties are many de-
pending in variety on the district assigned
For instance. in the isolated posts in the
north the beat is usually large. covering hum
dreds of square miles There are trappers' Ii
censes to issue custom and excise taxes to COL
lect. myriad of other licenses to issue, patrol
ling the region, aiding the sick bringing rations
to hungry natives, settling domestic quarrels.
checking on traders that they do not exploit
the natives-and host of other things
Solving the crime mysteries of the northland
comes as an interlude to these routine jobs.