342 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
February 22, 1919 
THE NEW YORK STATE POLICE 
Are They Wantetf by Farmers? 
For the past mouth we have beeu re¬ 
ceiving opinions from country people re¬ 
garding the value c* the State police. 
Following this will be found fair samples 
of these opinions and on page 320 is a 
discussion of the result. We cannot find 
space for other letters, but these are rep¬ 
resentative of both sides: 
Opposed to The State Police 
I cannot see where they have benefited 
me any ; in fact, they must he very busy 
in other parts of the State, for in all of 
the time they have been organized I have 
seen them on two occasions. There were, 
two of them at our fair last Fall, and I 
met a couple of them once last Fall when 
I was in another town several miles 
away. We are told that all the depart¬ 
ments of the State are loaded down with 
useless clerks and ofliee holders, and I 
think that the State Police are as useless 
as any department the State has ever 
created. I for one am in favor of saving 
that appropriation of $864,000. 
Otsego County. M. B. GIFFORD. 
In this section they have looked after 
some violations of the. auto laws, winked 
at others, and seem blind to violations of 
the excise and liquor laws. It seems to 
me the town constables could attend to 
rural lawbreakers as well as having two 
sets of officers. E. S. JAGGER. 
Sullivan County. 
The opinion of our community regard¬ 
ing the State Police is that that they are 
no benefit whatever and should be dis¬ 
continued. WM. MEINHARDT. 
Monroe County. 
We live on the main road from Buffalo 
to Erie, Pa. We see the State Police 
riding by almost every day. The farmers ( 
here consider them a joke. 
Chautauqua County o. H. SMITH. 
I would be opposed to retention of 
State Police. First, because every county 
has a sheriff with a retinue of deputies 
and should maintain order in their re¬ 
spective counties. Second, their cost of 
nearly $4,000 per man is more than they 
are worth, and far more than the average 
income of those who have to pay them. 
CHARLES RAFFERTY. 
Cattaraugus County. 
We do not need the protection of the 
State Police in this locality, and they are 
considered by the population of this coun¬ 
ty as an affliction rather than a protec¬ 
tion, as the only arrests they have ever 
made here were a couple of farmers who 
drove to town last Winter without having 
sleigh bells on their horses, and they in 
turn were arrested the same day and 
fined for a violation of the law. Tne> 
have been accused of other violations that 
have made them obnoxious to even the 
best class of people in the community. 
Greene County. wm. vredexrtjRGh. 
Very Much in Favor 
The editorial in The R. N.-Y. inviting 
comment concerning the usefulness of the 
State Police has roused the deep interest 
of those who live on the Schenectady 
road, where Troop G has beeu quartered 
lor 15 months. They cover the northeast¬ 
ern section of the State. The troopers 
have not only earned the respect of those 
who see them daily in the quiet efficient | 
performance of their duty, hut they have 1 
also made life and property safe. The j 
road between Albany and Schenectady be¬ 
ing straight and practically level, has been , 
a paradise for racing machines. The road | 
swarmed with them and the tol. of lives i 
taken or maimed was very high. No con- i 
sideration was shown pedef'.rians or the 
market gardeners on tr.e way to town 
with their produce. The troopers have 
stopped this speeding. The roadhouses 
and saloons, running without restraint, a 
grave menace to the neighborhood, _ are 
now obliged to conduct themselves in a 
decent, orderly way. The road abounded 
in tramps, so that, we two womeii living 
alone, slept in constant fear. Now a 
tramp is so rare as. to be almost a curi¬ 
osity. Every Winter chicken coops m 
the‘neighborhood were raided. The con¬ 
stable, living on another road several 
miles away, was of no earthly use at 
night, and although it was costly to have 
the result of a year’s care and feed re¬ 
moved in one night, we accepted it as a 
dispensation of the Lord, to be endured. 
This last, vear no coops were disturbed, 
nor will not be as long as two strapping 
troopers arrive speedily in answer to tel¬ 
ephone calls. Suspicious characters are 
apprehended before they have had tlieir 
chance for evil work. The frequent mur¬ 
ders ot helpless old people living on lonely 
roads have been stopped. Women and 
voting girls live in safety. Are these 
things to be reckoned in terms of dollars 
and cents? It is possible the wealthy 
farmers w r ho are able to surround them¬ 
selves with plenty of help are less inter¬ 
ested, but they should then regard the 
needs of those of lesser degree whose 
lives and property need to be safeguarded. 
Has The R. N.-Y. considered the thou¬ 
sands of dollars the troopers have turned 
in to the State? From the office of Sec¬ 
retary of State Francis M. Hugo comes 
the statement that the troopers have 
turned in to the treasury $350,000 from 
people running cars without license or 
with an old license; also in lines imposed. 
830,000. From various sources they have 
returned to the. State Treasury, during 
the year just ended, over $530,000. We 
have taken The R. N.-Y. for many years 
and we have honored it for the steadfast 
intent of fair dealing; nevertheless, is it 
fair to set forth the cost of maintenance 
of this body of men without also mention¬ 
ing that they have returned to the State, 
during the first year of their existence, 
76 per cent of the cost of their depart¬ 
ment? Is it. fair to a fine, upright body 
of men, who have simply and quietly given 
a high quality of service, without fear or 
favor? Is it fair to those in the lonely 
places who perhaps have not. the skill or 
the habit of voicing their needs? 
CASTILLA CRANDELL FRALEIGH. 
Albany County. 
It seems to he the general opinion in 
this section that there are no grounds for 
criticism of the State Police, and, in fact, 
that there is no general criticism. The 
proposal of Governor Smith to abolish the 
system is looked upon as a “grand stand” 
play for the benefit of New York City. 
Personally, I am in favor of retaining and 
enlarging the force. It has been instru¬ 
mental in restricting reckless auto driv¬ 
ing to an unbelievable extent, considering 
the small number of men available for 
this work. At our county fairs there have 
been less accidents the past year, owing 
to an intelligent regulation of traffic, and 
since the force has been in existence there 
has been less thieving in this section, 
there have been closed several “blind 
tigers” and gambling houses through tlieir 
work. I think the rural people will bo 
very much disappointed if not somewhat 
indignant if the State Police system is 
abolished. a. j. hill. 
Schenectady County. 
In compliance with your request for 
opinions of your readers ns to the value 
of the State Police. I would say that foi* 
three months or more two of these State 
troopers have beeu.stationed in Addison 
and they have been of the greatest value 
to this locality in the preservation ot or¬ 
der, the enforcement of law, and bringing 
to justice violators of the law. Without 
State Police one-half our Stare laws are 
dead letters. Drunken drivers ->f auto¬ 
mobiles are never arrested, though a con¬ 
stant menace to life of others. Dog tax is 
never enforced, and sheep are slaughtered 
by the thousand. By all means keep 
State 1 vilico ; they are worth more than 
they cost the State, for usually they more 
than pay their own expenses by fines. 
Steuben County. D. MACKEY. 
I want State Police. I think taxes 
could be reduced in other ways. Any ben¬ 
efit to the rural community seems to cost 
too much to some people. We are four 
farmerettes on a 140-acre farm, and the 
only man in the family away part of the 
time. It is a comfort to us that we can 
go to the telephone and call for the State 
Troopers if necessary. Also, we are not 
annoyed with hunters, etc., as much as 
formerly. M. A. J. 
Columbia County. 
I am thoroughly in favor of the organi¬ 
zation. I have seen many of the troopers 
traveling tlmnigli this section of New 
York State during the past season, and I 
know of a number of cases where they 
have done excellent work. I exhibited 
my stock at some of our local fairs last 
Fall, and I never have seen more perfect 
order maintained on the grounds than was 
maintained by them. Let the troopers 
Stay. C. J. SHELDON, JR. 
Nassau County. 
Stiff Sow 
I have a Berkshire sow r pig about four 
months old. She gets off her feet and 
eeems to he sore and stiff. I have always 
kept her in a good dry pen and have fed 
her middlings, water and some milk. I 
found that she had four black teeth, which 
I took out. She does not stand long 
enough to eat; has a fair appetite. 
E. c. M. 
Confinement on a dry hoard or cement 
floor commonly causes such a condition 
and constipation is a contributing cause. 
Physic the sow' with Epsom salts in 
slop, or with castor oil shaken up in milk 
if the sow 7 is quite small. Then feed 
laxative slop to keep the bowels active 
and let the pig take exercise every day by 
rooting for shelled corn scattered upon a 
big barn floor or clean swept ground and 
well covered with litter. On fine days 
also let her run out doors. Allow free 
access to Alfalfa hay. Add ground T.ve 
or barley and a little wheat bran to the 
milk slop. _ a. s. A. 
Lame Hog 
I have a hog wdth rheumatism and 
would like to ask you for a remedy. The 
rheumatism began in October, first in one 
foot or leg, then in another, after which 
it settled m the right front and hind legs. 
I gave her sulphur and charcoal a long 
w’hile, but no particular improvement. 
\v. f. T. 
Rheumatism is a somewhat rare dis¬ 
ease in hogs. Usually the stiffness is an 
evidence of rickets or partial paralysis 
induced by confinement and constipating 
feed. Open the bowels wdth Epsom salts 
in slop, or warm water as a drench, and 
then give j.O grains of salol three times 
a day. If any joint is swollen or painful 
rub in oil of wintergreeu once daily. Al¬ 
low' the hog to root for shelled corn or 
whole oats scattered upon a barn floor or 
clean swept ground and deeply covered 
with litter, and allow outdoor exercise 
as soon as the weather will permit. 
A. 8. A. 
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