New York State’s New Rural Police 
Protection for Country People 
TS ORGANIZATIOX.—One of last Winter’s legis¬ 
lative acts has a direct and most beneficial bearing 
'on rural life in the Empire State. The new State 
troopers ai’e proving their worth to country resi¬ 
dents most convincingly, I’rimarily, it as said, the 
fine new body of State mounted police was the con¬ 
ception of a woman, who, horrified at an act of nn- 
usually brutal outlawry in a lonely country com¬ 
munity, wrote to her chief executive of the great 
need of country people of a protection for the farm¬ 
ing population of a sort to compare favorably with 
police protection in cities. The final result of her 
appeal was the passage last Winter of a bill author¬ 
izing the organization, training, equipment and main¬ 
tenance of a bod}’ of mounted police or constabulary 
for rural service. Governoi Wliitman was especially 
interested in the measure and appointed Major 
wholly untrained two months previously, attracted 
nearly as much attention as their riders. The uni¬ 
forms adopted, drab or gray in color, with purple 
tie and hat band, are distinctive in cut and color and 
quickly identify them anywhere. They always travel 
in pairs, though when “sleuthing” one may be in 
civilian clothes. They are usually mounted, the 
horses being trained for long rides and quick ma¬ 
neuvers. 
TEIIRITORY COVERED.—They are npw divided 
into four troops, one at Batavia, one near White 
Plains, one at Syracuse and one at Albany, where 
Major Chandler has his headquarters. From these 
points couples or quartettes of the troopers are scat- 
tei’ed over the State, some being found in nearly 
every large town or city. They are especially at the 
service of the country population, for protection 
from common thievery, auto or motorboat bandits, 
petty burglaries, incendiarism, which has terrorized 
so many localities first and last, and not least of all, 
day or two ago when six little Syracuse children, all 
under seven years of age, hearing the beat of hoofs, 
recognized a body of the troopers approaching while 
they were at play. The youngsters promptly lined 
up on the curb, raised their right hands in the mili¬ 
tary salute and remained at attention, the while sing¬ 
ing “America,” until their salute was recognized 
and the troop galloped on. 
FARM DEPREDATIONS.—Valuable farm prop¬ 
erty and farm crops have suffered more and more 
each year from the raids of organized gangs of 
thieves. Barns and other buildings in great nuiii- 
bers have been burned, with valuable contents, and 
horses, pigs, cows, calves and poultry stolen, as the 
use of automobile and improved roads has increased. 
And especially now when values are so greatly in¬ 
creased and crops of all sorts are more abundant 
and this sort of lawlessness is running riot every¬ 
where the need of protection is keenly felt. Com¬ 
munication with the headquarters of the troop at any 
A Division of the New York State Rural Police Ready for Service. Fig. 636 
George Fletcher Chandler, formerly of the National 
Guard, as its head. Major Chandler has by reason 
of experience and personal ability special qualifica¬ 
tions for the position. 
THE MEN AND THEIR TRAINING.—Close study 
was made of the work of the Canadian mounted 
police, also the rural constabulary of Pennsylvania. 
The body of 234 men was chosen from a large list 
of volunteer.s, and had to pass a test for both phys¬ 
ical and mental fitness for the work that was far 
more severe than that re(]uired for army or navy 
service. In mid-July the selection was completed 
and the men entered special training for their future 
work on a farm secured for the purpose near Man¬ 
lius. They made their first public appearance at the 
State Fair at Syracuse in September, when their 
work in policing the grounds won many favorable 
comments because of their courtesy, ability and at¬ 
tractive appearance. Their strong, wiry horses, se¬ 
lected from the best to be found in the West, and 
rioting of all sorts. This latter valuable form of aid 
which may be expected from them has not been 
needed so far. 
RESTRAINT OF LAWLESSNESS.—In the few 
weeks the troopers have been at work they returned 
stolen horses, captured thieves, reduced auto thiev¬ 
ing and auto accidents by a great percentage. The 
people have not really learned how or when to call 
on them as yet. Still they have won hearty com¬ 
mendations for their practical work. Within the 
past week Capt. Barnes’ troop of Syracuse arrested 
three different thieving parties that were preying 
on Onondaga County farmers, stealing fruit by the 
wagon or auto load. These were all given both 
fines and jail sentences. They also did some fine 
work in apprehending and arresting the chauffeur 
who knocked down three Indian girls on their way 
to church in the evening, escaping without recog¬ 
nition or the taking of his license number. Their 
popularity in this part of the State was evidenced a 
of the four named places, or with troopers posted at 
the nearest town or city will quickly place any of 
these trained men at the service of anyone in need of 
them. Soon every man, woman and child in the 
State should be familiar with them as they go on 
their rounds. Get acquainted with them and their 
work as soon as possible, as this will help them to 
help you in an efficient manner. m. g. f. 
The New York School Law 
The Country Dweller’s View 
Your expressed willingness to engage actively in a 
movement for the repeal of the new New York school 
law, provided it can be shown that this law is not 
advantageous to the people of the State, should be 
welcome to many of your readers. It is so exactly 
in line with my own effort to find a way to present 
this subject fairly to our electors, that I take this 
early opportunity to speak for a number of my 
