NO MORE PLUMP POLICEMEN

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1714, 3 April 1913, Page 3

NO MORE PLUMP POLICEMEN

MODERN DUTIES AGAINST AVOIE- . DUBOIS. ; The mind of the country is considerably troubled just now over the Fat Policeman Problem (says the "Daily News and Leader"). Ever since Sir Robert Peel hit upon tho happy idea of creating order out of constabuiar chaos, the British'policeman has filled tho eye—and his .■uniform—with conspicuous success. , There is no doubt that tho nature of his calling and thp conviviality of his nature have mado him run to fat, and (until just recently) n. lean constable has never by any manner of means been a common object of tho countryside, nor in town for the matter of that. But now—after ail theso years—consternation is stirring in West Sussex, to begin with, at a. ukaso which has been promulgated by the new chief constable there lo tho effect that his policemen must not get any fatter. The chief eenslablo's name is ."Williams, and ho is n Welshman "from the lean hills of Brecon," and that may have something to do with it. Anyway, to tho indignation of the force, Mr. Williams has made up his mind lo introduce tho thin end of (lie and breezy Sussex is already a',shudder as to what may follow. Tho keen, appetiteproducing air of the Downs is conducive to the making of beef and brawn, and the policemen there absolutely ea-iinot help growing plump. But they declare that they aro tit, for-all that. Thero is. a rumour in the. district that if increasing avoirdupois in tho force is in future to be a bar to promotion, a general slriko will lx> declared. Then tho fat will indeed bo in tho fire! A "Daily News and Leader" representative who mado inquiries in official quarters was assured, 011 high authority, tlmt thero is to bo 110 general weight limit to that gallant, figure, the British policeman, that, tho West Sussex movo is entirely local, and thai; it will not spread to other districts. In London, for instance, thero a'ro not nearly so many Falstaflian policemen as thero used to bo in tho old daye. Tho modern speeding-up of everything and everybody has dono much to decrease the general embonnoint of tho populace, and in tho Metropolitan and City Police (though the daily menu is hotter. than ever it was) physical exercise, ju-jitsu, and tho daily dodging of the erratic motor-bus havo done much to keep , the constabuiar waist-measuro within decent limits. Still, there aro plenty of fat policemen to bo found throughout tho metropolis if ono only knows whero to look for them... Tho most famous of theso solid guardians is. perhaps, Al, the mounted policeman who rides at tho head of all Royal processions, but who is still' nimble and aol.ivo in spito of his twonty-odd slone. There aro many olhers who have more or less "soft" jobs in picturo galleries and musoums and other national buildings. Theso arc actually encouraged to cultivate embonuoiut lo a certain extent, for everybody will agree that thero is some thing in looking the part and filling the role, of guardian generously. Another special duty for adiposo constables is patrol business 011 tlio various bridges spanning tho Thames. They aro chosen because they can float more satisfactorily than their skimiicj brethren if they should chanco to fall or jump over tho parapet—an adventure which occurs moro often than ono would suppose in this nmazing city of ours. Another very good point about tho fa! constable is his usefulness in controlling a crowd and his effectuality in quelling a recalcitrant prisoner by.falling upon him. Thus in official circles ho is rather -encouraged than frowned upon. And yot as tho decades pass ho is undoubtedly growing thinner. Ono reason for this is stated to bo tho extraordinary increase of flats in modern London and tho slow but sure diminishing of the oldfashioned "area."