The Evening Star. SATURDAY, JULY 8, 1871.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2618, 8 July 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star. SATURDAY, JULY 8, 1871.

We must confess to not liking the system of retrenchment that has been adopted by the Provincial Government of cut - ting down the salaries of officers necessary to the working of the various departments, Such a plan always carries with it the appearance of a breach of contract; the taking advantage of the position of men who have no present means of helping themselves, who have given up any business connections they may previously have had, and who feel themselves compelled to accept the reduced salaries offered, or to take the risk of some lucky chance, which is not likely to happen in favor of one person in a thousand. Employes under Governments differ in their relative position to the world very materially from those in mercantile or professional life. They are to a great extent isolated. The necessary rules of the service forbid their engaging in any transactions that bring out prominently their adaptation to business pursuits : they are debarred from that extended intercourse with the world that tends tu develop peculiar talent and to bring them into contact with those whose assistance might he useful to them : and they have been accustomed to a certain routine of duties that, fulfilled, renders further efforts not only useless, hut which would he deemed officious and contrary to the rules of the service by their superiors were it attempted. But in addition to these difficulties, which render a change of occupation a peculiar hardship, the faith of enjoying a specific income, usually justifies the adoption of a style of living suitable to the responsibility of the position; and we know of

no harder task than submitting to descending a step in the social ladder. Few can step downward with a good grace. Though it is through no fault of theirs, even the sympathy of friends and acquaintances very frequently becomes distasteful, because it looks like pity. In spite of himself, in spite of the consciousness that he has nothing to reproach himself with, nothing to regret but placing himself at the mercy of an annual vote of a fickle Government, there is a feeling of degradation that tends to a loss of self-respect. We know that ought not to be—but it is so. On these grounds we should have much preferred some other method of reduction of expenditure, had it been possible, than that of filching off from salaries of the officers of the Government. The tendency is to deter good men from entering the service, and to lead those conscious of ability to push their way to leave it. We do not think the Province will be the gainer ultimately. But if such a system is reprehensible in the professional departments of the service, in which the action of the employ6s is only remotely felt by the it becomes a very grave consideration when the cutting-down system is applied to those to whom we look for the protection of life and property. No matter whether gaol warders or police, only the direst necessity can justify tampering with their salaries. There is a prevalent inconsiderateness respecting the value of the duties of the police, which is incomprehensible on any other ground than that of not knowing how much society is indebted to their efforts for its safety. It is of the utmost importance that men of character and intelligence should he employed \ for it is as idle to expect safety from any other as it would be to place arms in the hands of a madman. Now and then events do crop up to shew that there are guardians over the sleeping City, but for whom men would have to keep watch and ward themselves'. We have but to read the records that occasionally reach us of ruder communities than ours, to learn the expedients that are adopted to maintain the supremacy of law. Only so lately as the last San Francisco mail accounts reached us of a whole community turning out as police in search of a criminal. This, however praiseworthy as proving the moral character of the people, is rather an expensive process. The loss of time to each individual, most probably aggravated through want of training and unskilfulness, involved a greater individual expense than if the amount had been given annually to sustain an organised force ; and in the absence of such a force would in all probability have to be frequently repeated. Regarded in this light, the cost of a police force is merely so much per cent, on income, as a guarantee for the common safety. Nor is it a matter to be treated lightly. It is not every man who could fulfil police duties if his life were devoted to them ; and no man can perform them without training. It is only ■necessary to attend the police courts a few times and to hear the evidence adduced, to learn that a policeman may very easily go a wrong way about a very praiseworthy work In this, as in every department of government, a few well trained intelligent and efficient men do the work better than three times their number of incompetent men ; and we do not think, on comparing the number of police with the population, that any could be spared. On these grounds we think the Government ought to weigh the matter well before they reduce their pay. We have before expressed our opinions on this mode of retrenchment, and condemned it. We offered no remarks when the Executive brought in their amended estimates, for wo did not wish to throw any impediment in their way ; especially as the Council seemed so determined on only taking one course, that to have recommended a more judicious one, without that precise information necessary to sustain the suggestion, would have been useless : but in this specific instance, wc believe we are advocating that which is the best for the public. No man fulfils his duty carefully who is uncertain as to his position, and we should be very glad if some system could be devised that would place the whole of the Civil Service beyond the degradation of being tinkered by men who, except the Executive, really know nothing of the duties performed.