THE HONGKONG POLICE FORCE.
The Hongkong correspondent of the N.-C. Daily News writes as follows --
I note that an officer of the Royal Irish Constabulary (District Inspector Howe) has been seconded for duty here, to reorganise the Police Force. I understand that he has only been lent for a year, and that it is not in contemplation to appoint any new officers over the heads of those now in the Force. What, then, is Inspector Howe coming out to effect? No doubt he can give the force some valuable advice and perhaps render it more efficient. But he certainly cannot by reorganisation rid it of the suspicion of corruption lately engendered. If any permanent good is done to the Force the Chinese element in it must be expunged. Every official whose opinion was ever worth having connected with the Police—except perhaps Capt.-Supt. Deane—has declared that the lukongs are as a body corrupt, as a body utterly worthless in an emergency, and of very limited utility in minor matters, such as preserving order and regulating traffic in the streets.
The late Mr Charles May was very decided in his views on this subject, and no Hongkong official has ever had a better appreciation of the Chinese as policemen. He himself came here direct from Scotland Yard, and during a long residence in the Colony acquired a most accurate knowledge of Chinese character. The late Dr Stewart was also strongly opposed to the Chinese being employed as police. Mr Horspool, late Deputy Supt., who has retired on pension, held most pronounced views on the subject. He would have restricted the employment of Chinese in the Force to the detective branch, in which they are a necessity. But he would have liked to gradually replace all lukongs by Sikhs or Indians, who he declared were worth double as much as policemen and cost little more.
Some years back a fine opportunity to commence this process occurred. About sixty lukongs were dismissed for receiving bribes from gambling houses. But Captain Deane, or the Government, with characteristic fatuity, filled their places with sixty other Chinese who probably were within a couple of months in receipt of similar comfortable retaining fees.
There is another side to this question which perhaps the Government has not taken into consideration, yet it is one that I should receive grave attention at the hands of the Colonial and War offices. With the present slender garrison of this Colony it is most essential that all the troops should be at liberty to act against any possible invader: they should not be embarrassed by a possible riotous outbreak in the slums of Taipingshan. To this end the Police should be able to cope with any such outbreak, and even perhaps be able to lend assistance with the volunteers in defending some portion of the island. But while the force is half Chinese how is this possible! I say therefore make the force semi-military and wholly effective by disbanding the Chinese contingent, and filling their places with Europeans and Indians. The chances of corruption would then be reduced to the minimum, and we should have a fine body of men not only able to preserve order but also capable of assisting the garrison at a pinch. I hope the government will grasp the nettle boldly, and not lay up further trouble by a resort to half measures.
Page 304
1
erus.
THE HONGKONG POLICE FORCE.
The Hongkong correspondent of the N.-C. Daily News writes as follows --
I note that an officer of the Royal Irish Constabulary (District Inspector Howe) has been seconded for duty here, to reorganise the Police Force. I understand that he has only been lent for a year, and that it is not in contemplation to appoint any new officers over the heads of those now in the Force. What, then, is Inspector Howe coming out to effect? No doubt he can give the force some valuable advice and perhaps render it more efficient. But he certainly cannot by reorganisation rid it of the suspicion of corruption lately engen- dered. If any permanent good is done to the Force the Chinese element in it must be expunged. Every official whose opinion was ever worth having connected with the Police-except perhaps Capt.-Supt. Deane has declared that the lukongs are as a body corrupt, as a body utterly worthless in an emergency, and of very limited utility in minor matters, such as preserving order and regulating traffic in the streets. The late Mr Charles May was very decided in his views on this subject, and no Hongkong official has ever had a better appreciation of the Chinese as policemen. He him- self came here direct from Scotland Yard, aud during a long residence in the Colony acquired a most accurate knowledge of Chinese character. The late Dr Stewart was also strongly opposed to the Chinese being employed as police. Mr forspool, Hate Deputy Supt., who has retired on pen- sion, held, most pronounced views on the subject. He would have restricted the employment of Chinese in the Force to the detective branch, in which they are a necessity. But he would have liked to gradually replace all lukongs by Sikhs or Indians, who he declared were worth double as much as policemen and cost little more. Some years back a fine opportunity to commence this process occurred. About sixty lakongs were dismissed for receiving
1 bribes from gambling houses, But Captain t Deane, or the Government, with character-
istic fatuity, Alled their places with sixty
f other Chinese who probably were within
P
}
a couple of months in receipt of similar comfortable retaining fees.
There is another side to this question which perhaps the Government has not taken into consideration, yet it is one that I should receive grave attention at the bands of the Colonial and War offices. With the present slender garrison of this Colony it is most essential that all the troops should be at liberty to act against any possible inva- der: they should not be embarrassed by a I possible riotous outbreak in the sums of Taipingshan. To this end the Police should be able to cope with any such outbreak, and even perhaps be able to lend Assistance with the volunteers in defending some portion of the island. But while the force is half Chinese how is this possible! I say therefore make the force semi-military and wholly affective by disbanding the Chinese contingent, and filling their places with Europeans and Indians. The chances of corruption would then be reduced to the minimum, and we should have a fine body of men not only able to preserve order but also capable of assisting the garrison at a pinch. I hope the government will grasp their nettle boldly, and not lay up further trouble by a resort to half measures
,
Teen Kabumin, which is one of the adunan
Q
23509
REC?
¡Red! 30 OCT 97
304
}
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