Chapter 185: Blue-skinned Livestock
Chapter 184 – Blue-skinned Livestock
The wheels drove over the pavement of the streets of Westminster in the early morning hours, the wheels bringing up a splash of water.
Arthur stood in the foggy, rainy streets of Whitehall, and when he looked up he could see countless ladies and gentlemen walking along the road with umbrellas.
He exhaled a breath of white air, took off his gloves, and was about to push open the doors of the Greater London Police Department, but before he could take a step through the door, he heard a familiar voice ring out behind him.
“Arthur?”
Arthur twisted his head to look, behind him stood an old gentleman wearing leather gloves, holding a black umbrella, with a hard physique, hale and hearty.
Arthur looked at this old gentleman with graying temples and couldn’t help but have a smile on his face, “Mr. Judge? Getting off work so early today?”
“It’s not that I’m off work early, it’s that I’m retired.” The magistrate laughed out loud, “Congratulate me, Arthur, I’ve finally said goodbye to that damned courtroom and can take my retirement annuity and go back to the countryside to enjoy life.”
Arthur laughed, “That is indeed something to congratulate. I have to say, I really envy your days ah. Retirement annuity, there aren’t many departments that can enjoy this, I can only think of God praying now, hoping that by the time I retire, Scotland Yard has also established a retirement annuity system.”
The Justice of the Peace laughed out loud, “You probably don’t know that the Justices of the Peace actually weren’t eligible for pensions in the first place. When the retirement annuity system was first established in 1590, the only people who could take advantage of it were retired officers of the Royal Navy.
In later years, Parliament brought the Army into the system. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the benefits were also extended to public and civil servants, such as government clerks and magistrates’ courts.
Sooner or later, in my opinion, police officers will get a pension. As you know, the government is very pragmatic these days, and as long as you can create benefits and make them feel that Scotland Yard is doing more than they are funding, then sooner or later Parliament and the Cabinet will consider giving Scotland Yard’s officers a decent retirement.
Arthur, remember what I told you earlier? Everything will be fine with you, you are a natural police talent. Look at how many big cases you’ve solved this year, if Scotland Yard were to lose a capable officer like you, it’s estimated that the gang at the Ministry of the Interior would all be blind.”
Arthur sniffed, only half-jokingly shrugged his shoulders and said, “I don’t dare to ask for any pension now, I just beg them to hurry up and make up for the first half of Scotland Yard’s performance bonus.”
The magistrate was stunned at his words, “The Ministry of the Interior is still holding down your performance bonuses?”
Arthur laughed helplessly, “Isn’t that so? You should know that all of Scotland Yard’s funding comes from the local policing tax, but every time Director Rowan goes to the Ministry of the Interior to ask the Secretary of State for money, the reply we get is always: ‘Since it is more difficult to collect the policing tax in some parishes, we can only issue the basic salary for the time being, and as for the first half of the year’s performance bonus, we will need to wait for a while longer’. ”
The magistrate frowned, “Taxes don’t come up? Then what the hell is the Ministry of Finance doing? These asshole things really don’t do anything with their personnel other than receiving a dry paycheck every day. And the Ministry of the Interior is taking you guys too seriously, why don’t you know to go to the Ministry of Finance and press them?
I think they’re used to the benefits of Scotland Yard and think it’s your job to do it. If one day you suddenly give them the slip and quit, those arrogant things with their noses in the air will know what it means to be powerful.”
Arthur raised one eyebrow and pursed his lips, “You really did guess right, I’ve heard that the Lords of the Interior seem to have given us Scotland Yard nicknames in private.”
“Nicknames? What nickname?”
Arthur let out a huff of white air to warm his hands, “I’ve heard that they call us ‘blue-skinned livestock’.”
“Blue-skinned livestock?” The magistrate sneered at that, lifting his cane and slamming it heavily on the wet tiles, “That’s outrageous! They don’t do anything themselves, and they talk so much when they see others doing something?”
Arthur raised his hand to signal the old judge not to be so angry, “It’s no big deal, I reckon it’s probably because Scotland Yard’s collective pay rise a while back upset them. Originally using the security tax to maintain the daily operation of Scotland Yard is tight, so Scotland Yard’s share of the pay raise is all set aside from the office funds of the Ministry of the Interior, taking other people’s money, it would be a hell if they can be happy.
That’s just it, let’s not talk about these demoralizing things, Mr. Judge, you’re about to retire, and when I come back I’m really a little sad to see you go. After all, when I first came to Scotland Yard, I dealt with you almost every day. It’s always sad to see a colleague who is an outstanding and responsible worker leave.”
The magistrate felt refreshed upon hearing this compliment, and he smiled back, “It’s no big deal, the person who replaces me will definitely do a much better job than I did, and will definitely not cause any trouble for your Scotland Yard.”
“Hmm? Has the new judge been chosen yet?”
The magistrate snickered, “Perhaps you could consider training at the Big Four Lawyers’ Guild in London, it just so happens that your education qualifies you for admission to the Big Four, although you are not an Oxford or Cambridge graduate, but it is a university degree no matter what.
And I’ve been here for so many years, at least there are a few thin face, why don’t I give up this old face and let them keep this position for you for a few years. Although this job is not as easy as Scotland Yard, but the good thing is that the treatment is not bad, no matter how to say that the income is also 1,000 pounds per year.”
Arthur also knew that the other party was joking, so he also responded with the same joke: “If that’s the case, why don’t you just list this position, I guess there will be a lot of people willing to pay a high price for it. After that, you can then use the money from the sale of the position to pay for my tuition at the Four Lawyers’ Guild, and at three hundred pounds a year, it’s not something a ‘blue-skinned animal’ like me can afford.”
“Ha ha ha.” The magistrate laughed, “Goodbye then Arthur, and good luck.” Arthur took off his hat and bid him farewell, “And I wish you a satisfying retirement.”
After parting with the magistrate, Arthur took a long breath and pushed open the doors of the Greater London Police Department.
“Good morning, Superintendent Hastings.”
“Well, good morning ……”
Arthur exchanged greetings with his busy colleagues as he made his way familiarly through the corridors and vestibules and up the steps to the office door.
He had just entered when he saw several police inspectors, who had been waiting here for a long time, rise and salute him.
“Superintendent Hastings.”
Arthur glanced at them, “All here quite early.”
The police inspectors were all smiles, “All used to it.”
Arthur also did not talk much nonsense with them, but unraveled his scarf and took off his coat and hung it on the office’s coat rack, then tugged on his tightening white shirt and came to the office chair that belonged to him.
Arthur pulled out a few documents from the files piled up on his desk, he held the documents and opened his mouth: ”Every week we have to hold this sub-policing meeting, I’m sure you’re all tired of hearing those polite words. So, I’ll keep some important things short and sweet, and I won’t delay your daily work.”
The police inspectors each straightened their backs and sat in their chairs, and since Arthur didn’t want to talk at length, they were of course happy to end it as soon as possible.
Arthur glanced at them and pinched the script and read, “Today is mainly to read a few documents to you, one is about the promotion of a few police officers who have outstanding performance in the Hyde Park riots and in their work in recent months.
Firstly, a written application was made by Arthur Hastings, Divisional Superintendent of the Greenwich Police District and Towel Hamlets Police District of the London Metropolitan Police, and approved by the Greater London Police Authority Senior Policing Conference, and the Home Office formally approved and agreed to the promotions of the three sergeants, Tony Eckhart, Tom Flanders, and Charles Field, to the rank of sergeant-at-arms agent.
The three newly promoted sergeants are temporarily attached to the Provisional Survey and Statistics Directorate for the London Region to assist the Greater London Authority in completing the mapping of the streets in the East End of London, pending a vacancy for a sergeant in a police district under the jurisdiction of the London Metropolitan Police Force.
Secondly, in order to continue to improve the quality of police culture, and in particular to address the lack of police officers with prosecutorial skills in the force, and in response to Home Secretary Sir David Peel’s call to rejuvenate the force, the force is planning to visit the University of London next week to identify suitable graduates for employment in the force.
After you go back, you can organize the civilian staff shortage in the precincts under your control, and report back to me. After all, we have this treatment, you also know in your heart, although the University of London has not been awarded a Royal Charter, but no matter how to say that graduates are also university students, let them occasionally go to the streets to patrol can be, if they go often, I think a few months of people have run out.
After all, there are not many fools like me these days, even a fool like me almost ran away to the Royal Navy in the first place, not to mention the ones smarter than me.”
Hearing this, the police inspectors couldn’t help but stifle their laughter, “Superintendent Hastings, don’t be presumptuous. It’s not often you get to this position at a young age.”
“Is it?” Arthur snickered with the material in his hand, “Isn’t there one right in front of you?”
Another police inspector got up and raised his own questioning saying, “Superintendent Hastings, I think we might have a hard time recruiting graduates from the University of London, as you just mentioned, as far as our treatment is concerned ……”
Another police inspector wrapped his hands around his head, raised his eyebrows and laughed, “That’s right, we can only recruit a Oxford or Cambridge with this treatment, and it’s a bit difficult to get the University of London.”
Arthur looked at him with a smile, “Good point. I have also considered this issue you guys mentioned, anyway, this year’s funding is still a bit rich, why not take out part of it as a prosecutorial subsidy. For every day in court that week, the weekly salary will be supplemented by an extra shilling, and anyone who can stand in the magistrate’s court and straighten out their mouths will get the money, so that’s also considered fair. And in that way, those who used to squirm at going to court to line up with a judge and jury should be willing to consider the matter.”
The police inspectors nodded their heads, “That’s a good law.”
Arthur turned over the next page of the document in his hand, and suddenly covered his forehead as if he had a headache: “The last thing, of course, is about the maintenance of order at the venue of the new parliamentary election. You should also understand that whenever a new king ascends to the throne, the parliament will be re-elected. However, the situation of this election is different from that of the past, and you should all understand in your hearts just how lively London City is these days. Absolutely nothing can happen at this juncture, or else when the new cabinet comes up, there will be a good time for us. ……”
(End of chapter)