THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1880. THE MODEL POLICEMAN.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2070, 12 October 1880, Page 2

THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1880. THE MODEL POLICEMAN.

The police have of late been falling into bad odor in the Empire City. The other day they took up a man named Edmonds, who they supposed to be inebriated, but who, in reality, had a broken leg, dragged him along the streets to the lock-np and loft him in a cell, uncared for, till four or five o’clock on the following morning. It was then ascertained that he really was injured in the way he had all along affirmed, and he was taken off to the hospital. But this was not a solitary case. A few days before or after a cabman named Andrews was also hauled off to durance vile on the same plea of drunkenness, and locked up in a cell for nearly seven hours, where he lay on the bare floor quite unconscious. A doctor was sent for, and he was conveyed to the hospital, whore he died soon afterwards. It was then found that the cause of death was an injury received from a fall from his cab, caused by a collision with another cab the previous night. This unfortunate man, Andrews by name, was a quiet, respectable man, and was in no way intoxicated when taken into charge. And even a third case of the same nature is recorded. Another man, taken up about the samo time, was merely suffering from an injury to his leg. An inquiry was held by Mr. Mansford into the first of these cases, and the result was that he exonerated the police from blame, although ho added, “ that had death resulted from the neglect to which he (Edmonds) had been subjected, some one would have been liable for manslaughter.” There can be no doubt that in all three of these cases the police did not act with a due amount of consideration. While entirely acquitting them of any intentional inhumanity, it would appear that a little more caution and a slightly less thorough belief in tho idea that every man who is not sound is inebriated, would have saved them from the blame that has been cast upon them. But the extreme difficulties of a policeman’s position must not be underrated. It is but fair to consider bis everyday connection with most trying and revolting cases. We can picture a model policeman, but it is almost hopeless to expect the ideal to be realised until the state of affairs pictured by a celebrated writer in a sketch of a future state of society comes to pass. There the more trying positions were the highest paid, tho most intellectual men were chosen for posts where the daily contact with crime rendered a strong and cultivated mind the more necessary to prevent a hardening and deterioration of the sympathies. We hold that the average policeman is heavily handicapped in his race in life. Taking everything into consideration, he is humane and careful, hut we cannot expect too much when we reflect on the daily curriculum of his existence. His great enemy is drunkenness —to it he, perhaps naturally, lays nearly every case that comes under his eyes. It must lie with his superior officers to teach him that there are other ills that flesh is heir to that bear a strong outward resemblance to tho prevailing curse.

THE W AIM ATE PLAINS.

Exception is being taken by the local Taranaki journals to the method of the proposed sale of the Waimate Plains. The sale is advertised and the relative amount of deferred payment and cash land has been fixed. With regard to the former, no application for more than one allotment by any individual will be received. Out of 8000 acres, 2300 are cut up into 39 allotments, averaging less than 60 acres each; the remainder is divided into 88 sections ranging from 50 to 100 acres each. Now, it is argued, what is a man to do with such a small section as 60 acres, and will the most desirable description of settler be moved to take up land with a regulation that he is to get so much and no more. The purchaser of cash land is hampered by no restrictions. He has not to reside on the land as has the deferred payment settler within six months, he has not to make certain improvements, and more important than all, he is not tied down to one section only. The deferred payment settler, unable to obtain more than one section, and six miles from timber, which oven then will have to be taken from the Natives reserves, will be heavily handicapped. while the capitalist, the cash purchaser, will have it much his own way.

SHOW EDUCATION.

The Victorian Commissioners of the Melbourne Exhibition are about to try a novel experiment. The idea is to give visitors an insight into the working of the educational system in the colony, and to this end it is proposed to erect a schoolroom in the Exhibition grounds, built on the approved Board type, and to exhibit therein specimens of the work produced in the various schools in the way of penmanship, needlework, &c., &c. The experiment is certainly a novel one, and would probably be interesting if honestly carried out. But human nature is human nature all the world over, and school teachers are no more exempt from common failings than anyone else. As a criterion of efficient work performed in any school, perhaps show copy books, needlework, &c., are the least reliable. Distinguished visitors will praise, hut with a mental reservation. They will have seen the same sort of thing in their own country. The Germans who, we presume, are always the most forward in taking an interest in educational matters, will remember with a smile the fearfully and wonderfully neat presentations of the ghastly and crooked mediaeval characters that their nation still desperately cling to, which have at various times been brought under their notice by ardent schoolmasters. From experience in their own familes they will know full well that the little boys or frauleins who have been supposed to produce these exhibits are, when left to their own devices, as littl* capable of turning out the article as of flying. la point of fact, all such sample work is useless as a criterion of progress. A model schoolroom may bo a useful and interesting object, but any stranger who wishes to gain an insight into the educational system of the colony will take very good care to visit some of the schools himself, and draw his information from the fountain head.