INSPECTOR BROHAM ON POLICE DUTIES.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 898, 11 May 1877, Page 2

INSPECTOR BROHAM ON POLICE DUTIES.

The members of the Auckland police force previous to Mr Broham's departure for Canterbury, presented him with u, friendly and complimentary address. The address was presented on the occasion of what, in " armed constabulary" phraseology, is termed the ordinary monthly inspection parade. The members of the force in their address said; — '' As you are aware, we had prepared a more substantial token of our regard for you, but submitting to your expressed wish in this matter, we have foregone the pleasure it would otherwise have afforded us to present you with some object of intrinsic value, regretting it the same time that your exceptionally strict view of discipline has denied us that satisfaction." In replying, Inspector Eroham said ho was obliged to the men of the Auckland districfc for the presentation and for the expressions of regard conveyed in it. He assured them that he was better pleased with it than if it had been made in a more pretentious manner, and accompanied by a purse of money.

The consciousness that he carried with him their best wishes, was reward sufficient for anything he had done during the six or seven years he had been at the bead of the Auckland police force. No position could be more unsatisfactory to one used to the rigid discipline of the Melbourne force, and of those of southern cifir.--, than was his when he first assumed command m Auckland. During his career here he had never referred to predecessor, Mr Commissioner Naughton, and he might therefore take the opportunity now of saying that in spite of difficulties almost insuperable, that gentleman had performed his work well. He had performed his duties faithfully in the midst of discouragements which would hare dismayed many another man. The men received then very inadequate pay, and, consequently, when other situations offered, they accepted them without hesitation. In this way the best men continued to leave the force, and Mr Naughton's efforts to raise it to a high standard of efficiency were thwarted again and again. It was making bricks without straw. At the time he alluded to the men of the Auckland Police were receiving 6s per day, while their more fortunate compeers in the cities of the South had 10s per day. The time when strength and stupidity were looked upon as the distinguishing characteristics of a policeman had passed away for ever. The constable of to-day must not only be possessed of the requisite physique and stamina, but he must be intelligent, and should be remunerated accordingly. 'Without an intelligent witness to give evidence before a magistrate the clearest case would fail and crime go unpunished. He was glad that their pay had recently been raised from 6s to 7s, and if the recommendations made at the recent conference of A. C. inspectors held at Wellington were adopted by the Government, a further increase to 8s per day, besides a clothing allowance, would shortly be made. In addition to this, the conference recommended as an encouragement to continuance in the force that men who left it after serving fifteen years should receive as a pension six weeks' pay per annum, and those who left it after twenty years' service two months' pay per annum. It was to be hoped that the Government would adopt this superannuation scheme, as it would undoubtedly tend to the greater efficiency and stability of the whole force. He had noticed a very good scheme which was in vogue with the London police, and which might be adopted with beneficial results in New Zealand. On the death of a policeman, his comrades subscribed a penny per day, and the result — generally £Bo—was handed over to the widow. Instead of adopting the penny subscription, he thought it should be 2s or 2s Gd. He had intended making a few remarks before leaving, and would do so now as briefly as possible. He had been connected with the police force for 18 years, had passed through every grade, and he had found by experience that the position of a constable was a thankless one. The importance of the police force could not be over-estimated, and yet its members were usually looked upon with contempt by the public whose best interests and general peace it was their duty to conserve. No department of the public service of a country had a more intimate connection with the public than the police. The gentleman then proceeded to point out that the state of its police was but the reflex of the character of the administration of a country. After reverting to the brighter prospects in store for the men of the New Zealand A.C. Force, Mr Broham went on to say that during the time he had held command'in Auckland he had endeavoured to instil three leading principles into the minds of his subordinates for them to carry into practice, viz.—Strict obedience to orders, sobriety, and never to tell a lie. A violation of the latter would be mean and contemptible. In fact, ho could think of nothing so mean or unmanly. The speaker then referred to the idle, insulting, and oftentimes offensive language addressed by individuals tothe police, and counselled his hearers whenever so accosted not to exhibit any anger, but. to show contempt for the persons who so spoke of or to them by silence and moderation. He had often wondered when policemen had been so insulted that they had exhibited no resentment. He also pointed out that it was in their power frequently to reconcile discordant neighbors and squabbling families without the intervention of a Court of Justice. When persons flew to them with a recital of their differences or disputations, they should endeavor to appease the anger of these parties, and dissuade them from venting their spite by summoning neighbors when a little condescension would settle all. In leaving Auckland, he felt glad to know that their future control was to be undertaken by an officer who, like himself, had seen experience in Victoria, the force of which colony was the nucleus of those of the sister colonies. The discipline carried out hitherto by him (Mr Broham) would be continued by his sue- | ccssor —Inspector Thomson. They would have no cause to regret the change. Justice would be done them by Mr Thomson. In bringing his remarks to a close Mr Broham expressed his firm, conviction that in the future the men of the police force would occupy a much higher position in the social scale than they now did. He had long held that opinion, and had recently seen it given forth to the world by Mr Edward Jenkins, in his work "The Devil's Chain," lately issued from the press. He did not coincide with all the views stated in that book, but the one he had indicated he fully endorsed. After several other remarks, the Inspector said it had afforded him great pleasure to think that during his seven years' stay in Auckland he never had a single complaint ma'de t o him by one member of the force against, another. His own position had not been at all times a pleasing one, and if at any time he had spoken with undue severity to any one of them, he now regretted it, and hoped it would be forgotten. He would say no more, as he would have an opportunity of speaking to each privately, The Lixtox Cab.—Acting on a suggestion made to them by Sir William Fergusson, Messrs F. and E. Shanks, carriage builders, of Great Queen street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, have invented a now cab, which they believe likrlv to supersede the Hansom now in vogue. The " Linton," as this new cab is called, after Sir William's scat in Scotland, differs from the old Hansom in this, that everything is cxactlv reversed. The body of the cab is turned completely round, and the passenger sits with his back to the horse. Both to passenger and horse this change will, it is supposed, be found extremely beneficial, and the ndvantages to the former are certainly easy to understand, it lias been already tried, and the patentees seem well satisfied with the trial. A cab of this construction, owned by a medical man, might have been seen in the streets of Edinburgh many years ago.