THE NIGHT PATROL AT THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1196, 1 February 1895, Page 33

THE NIGHT PATROL AT THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.

The system of registering the patrols of the night-watchmen at the Government Buildings is being changed. Hitherto Dent's patent Recording clock and Dent’s portable registering tell-tale have been used, but for some time past it has been recognised that this apparatus was behind the times, and must give place to something more efficient. Captain Hannah, the present chief messenger, also perceived its drawbacks when reporting upon the fire appliances about a year ago, and made a recommendation on the subject long before he had any reason to believe he was likely to be placed in his present position. The method hitherto used may be briefly explained. At either wing of each floor of the Government Buildings an iron typebox was let into the wall and it was the duty of the night-watclxman on the stroke of each hour to make a round of all the offices and to take a record of the visit by pushing his tell-tale clock against each type-box (eight in all), which, containing a figured type mounted upon a stem, left the impression of its number upon the card contained within the clock. But the tell-tale was not infallible. If the watchman during his peregrinations chanced to let it'fall the clock would stop and take no more records that night. It could also be tampered withy., although it has never been suggested that such a thing has ever been attempted. But were the watchman of a slothful disposition and given to deceit, he might easily procure a set of numbered type and make the required impressions upon the card inside the tell-tale clock without making his rounds at all. The new system which is to be brought into operation this week admits of no deception. Instead of the type-boxes, brass plates in the form of ah ordinary lock are being placed in the Government buildings—four on each floor, or one at every corner —and the watchman’s duty in registering his hourly patrol will be to merely turn a key in the lock, and the visit will be immediately registered by an electrical clock, double-locked-, and kept in the chief messenger’s room, and the register will be taken out and inspected each morning by the chief messenger." Thus, .every hour 16 registers will require to be made, instead of eight, as heretofore. This system has already been introduced to the Porirua

Asylum, and works well there, and something of the same kind is in use at the Sunnyside Asylum in Christchurch.