A Tour Through South America

by A. S. Forrest

THE PENTEADO TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

The Paulistas have built and developed so many fine buildings and institutions that there can be no doubt of their ability to give fitting expression to their high ideals, whilst numerous beautiful residences give ample evidence of their good taste, and would attract attention in almost any city in the world.

The Minister of Justice, Dr. Washington Luiz, has control of a department of the State which is of the greatest importance to the community. All vehicles, cars, carts, carriages, and wagons are licensed under this department, and an efficient method of inspection is in operation. Similarly porters, newsvendors, sellers of lottery tickets, chauffeurs, and hawkers are all obliged to take out licences

THE VILLA PENTEADO.

that are registered in the card catalogues of the department. The system of identification cards, with photographs and fingerprints of the owners, has been brought to a high state of perfection. All known criminals are filed for reference in a separate register from that which is kept for ordinary civilians who for purposes of travel desire to possess a proper certificate of identification. Another card catalogue kept up to date contains full particulars of all houses of business occupied only during the daytime, and the private addresses where the owners can be communicated with at once in the event of fire, burglary, or other unusual occurrence. To aid the police a most wonderful telephonic system has been installed throughout the city and suburbs, so that every constable on beat can always put himself in communication with headquarters should need arise. The street call stations are attached to posts provided with alarum bells for use by day and electric lamps that can be switched on at night, in order to call the attention of the patrol and bring him to the receiver, which is enclosed in a small box. Keys are provided throughout the force which fit these boxes, so that whilst the instrument cannot be tampered with every police officer has access to it, and outlying patrols can summon aid from headquarters, or in turn be hailed whenever necessary. A tape machine at headquarters automatically registers all calls that take place, noting the minute, hour, and date by a series of punctures, thus keeping the record and identification of calls from the various stations.

Motor ambulances, prison vans, and fire-engines can be brought at the shortest possible notice to any part of the town and district within a mile radius, and the equipment of all the “public assistance” motor vehicles is most efficient and up to date. The very latest models of motor-drawn fire-engines, escapes, and wagonettes are held in readiness at the fire-stations, all of which are in telephonic communication with hundreds of call offices throughout the city; indeed, a finer system has not been installed in any town of importance. Great attention is paid to fire drill, a dummy wooden house of four stories being used at the central station for the men to practise upon.

The army of the State, officered and drilled by a French mission, is, although small, one of the most efficient in the Union. The military bearing of the men when on parade and their workmanlike evolutions in camp and field compare more than favourably with those of the Federal troops themselves. In the early morning companies in their canvas working garb may be seen busy at drill in the fields around the city, and the officers are justly proud of their men’s accomplishments. The barracks or caserne is a large and commodious range of buildings, with stabling attached for the mules and horses, a veterinary hospital, fitting and repairing shops, riding school, fencing rooms, and gymnasium, all kept up to a high standard, and but for the language spoken by the men the visitor might easily imagine himself in the “caserne” of a French town.

The duty of preserving order devolves upon a police force which is drilled upon the military system, which apparently well fits them for the carrying out of their civil duties, and few cities in South America can boast of public servants who are better trained or who exhibit as much esprit de corps as the soldiers, police, and firemen of São Paulo.