60 Lovers of the Horse 



of tluMi- smartness and efficiency, also sending, as a mark of his appreciation, a gold 

 pin to each member of the escort. 



In April, 1900. a census of the Yukon 'iVrritory was taken by the Police, and in 

 August, a school census. 



The event of chief importance to the force in IDOl, was the visit of their Royal 

 Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York, His Royal Highness ex- 

 i)ressing great satisfaction with the appearance of men aiid horses. 



In his annual report at the end of the year. Commissioner Perry diew attention 

 to tiie increased duties ilevolving u])on the force and to the need of increasing its 

 strength. 



He said; "When the force was organized, in 1878, with a strength of MOO men. 

 the 'iVrritt)ries were unsettled, and the control given over to lawless bands who preyed 

 upon the Indians, with whom no treaties had then been made. In 1885, complications 

 with the half-breeds resulted in rebellion, which was successfully quelled. The strength 

 of the force was then raised to 1, ()(((), where it stood for about 10 years, when, owing 

 to the peaceful state of the Territories, the settled condition of the Indians, and the 

 rapid means of coinnnmication by railway into the diti'erent portions, it was gradually 

 reducdl to 7.)0. In 1S!)S, the gold discoveries in the ^ ukoii and the consequent rush 

 of gold-seekers caused the sudden increase of the force on duty in that territoiy to "^.M) 

 men, thus re(lucing the strength in the Northwest Territories to .)00. 



"A further decrea.se has now taken place by an addition to the Yukon strength, 

 charged with the maintenance of order in the Yukon, but the services of the Police 

 have been recjuired in the Athabasca District, a coimtry of enormous extent, with no 

 facilities for travel, but where police w'ork is ever on the increa.se. 



" It may be thought that the .settled |)ortions of the Territories ought m)w to pro- 

 vide for tiieir own |)olice |)rotection, or, at any rate, that the incorporated towns and 

 villages should do so. Some of tlie larger towns lia\c their own j)olice forces, but the 

 smaller towns seem desirous of retaining the X.W.M P constables, claiming that they 

 obtain better service, but doubtless they are largely in(luence(| by economical con- 

 siderations. 



"The population of the Territories has doubled in ten years, and the strength of 

 the force has been reduced by one-half Oui' detachments have incrcasecl from t!) 

 to 71). Although we have only half the strength of ten years ago, still we have the 

 same number of division head<|uarter posts, carrying in their train the staff organiza- 

 tion and maintenance of barracks as though the divisions were of their fornici' strength. 

 The ilistinguished services rendered t(» the Enij>ire ii: the South .\frican \\ai\ by mem- 

 bers of the force, em])hasize the fact that it has a very decided military value and thai 

 in future nothing should be done to impair its efficiency " 



In his amiual report for the following year, Conunissionei' i'eriy again empha- 

 sized the need for an increase in the force, saying: "The contiiuu'd development of 

 the country, the increase of po|)idation. the settlement of icmote districts, many m-w 

 towns that have s])rmig up and tlie constinction of new railways, have gicatly adiled 



