Ovens and Murray Advertiser at KellyGang 24/7/1880 (4)
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The police force probably continue to be recruited from the same class as it was when it was held in greater repute, but the tone of the whole force has somehow deteriorated. Many of the younger men appear to be vain of themselves, than proud of their corps. Young men are not one whit the worse for a slight tinge of self-conceit in their composition, but our youthful police guardians should assume a little modesty with the cloth. The blue should not be too lavishly faced with brass.Some of them are plainly far above their business.
That kind of thing largely recommends itself to the more romantic of the female portion of the community, of whom these martial LOTHARIOS are most devoted and most favored admirers; but men ridisqle it, and it brings the constabulary at large into undeserved contempt. Yet even regardingsuch dandy members of the force, we never had the slightest doubt that it their gallantry in the field were ever put to the same severe test as we may presume it sometimes is in the ballroom, they would be—shall we say?—quite as “killing.” Amusing and harmless as these quasi military airs appear to us, it is almost incredible what hostile remarks they provoke, and what real injury they do. Were it not so, we would not have considered the matter worthy of notice.
No doubt a good deal of this feeling has been produced by the recent necessity for constables appearing in plain clothes, as the public seem to think a policeman is never earning his money unless he is in uniform. This will disappear when mufti is forbidden; and the sooner the better. A little discretion, and the least taste of assumed bashfulness—where it does not naturally exist—would, we are sure, entirely wipe out the existing impression. Altogether, considering the high qualities necessary to make an efficient police-constable, we think the personnel of the Victorian constabulary generally quite as good as could be expected. But the organisation and discipline are certainly deficient. Both reports unintentionally display this in the strongest light. A strictly military rule would be altogether out of place, and the less red-tape we have the better; but the system has hitherto been too lax in one direction, and too rigid in the other. The regulation—only quite recently relaxed—that men should not move without orders from district head-quarters, always seemed to us to be overstrained; while at the same time it is notorious that constables were not always ready to take the field at a moment’s notice.
At Glenrowan they had no preconcerted plan of action; some of the men had not ammunition enough for any prolonged encounter, and, owing to the difference in the weapons, wrong cartridges were in some instances served out. One would think that under such circumstances every man would have had about him as many cartridges as might make his gun red hot. There could be no pretence of the police having been taken by surprise as they were for a year and a half supposed to be preparing for this very encounter. After Superintendent Hare was wounded the men did not seem to know who was in command.Sub-InspectorO’Connor was as properly, no doubt; but Senior-constable Kelly handled his own men, and Sergeant Steele his, on his arrival—apparently, for some time, at all events, without any present communication or previous understanding.
We have already stated it to be our opinion, that had any other course been taken by the police than that actually pursued, more blood must have been shed; but in nine cases out of ten, in great emergencies such good fortune is not to be relied on. Preparation is the first element of success. That all did so well under the circumstances is not due to the brilliancy of the combination, but to the excellence of the material. There was, of course, a substratum of co-operation and companionship which would have prevented a collapse under any circumstances; but every man chiefly depended on himself and his nearest comrade.Luck favored the police all through—luck and Mr Curnow —but when they got their chance, they did not allow it to escape them. The fight itself took place at the very spot most favorable for the rapid concentration of an overwhelming attacking party.
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