Untitled

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 102, 2 October 1878, Page 2

Thb motion brought forward by the hon. member for the Dunstan, Mr Ptkb, with regard to an increase of pay to the members of the Police • Force, is one which should commend itself to the unanimous support of the House. There can be no doubt that the present disorganised state of the Armed Constabulary is owing to the low rate of remuneration given to the officers and men, and the statement of the Minister of Justice that no less than eighty men m the Middle Island alone had left the Force during the past year carries a somewhat ominous significnnce with it. The Government organ m Wellington, m a long-drawn article on the subject, sought todrawa comparison between the condition of constables of police and daily labourers, very much to the advantage of the former. Even admitting that a case had been made out, which by no means was the fact, it is absurd to claim that the services of a police officer and labourer should be placed on the same footing. The one must be possessed of courage, strength, discretion, and discrimination ; his integrity must be unimpeachable, and he should be possessed of a large modicum of intelligence, tact, and eduoation. The nature of his calling frequently necessitates the exercise of qualities and qualifications which might be looked for m vain among the laboring class, skilled or otherwise, while his duties almost court the risk of danger and injury. Taking the present pay of a constable at his first Grade of seven shillings per day, or £2 9s for a week of seven days, we hold that i. far from a sufficient remuneration, and the petty increase embodied m Mr Pitkb's motion should be ungrudgingly conceded, that of 6d. per day to the third-class constables ; Is. to tlie second and first-class j Is. fid. to the sergeants ; and 2s. fid. to the sergeant-majorsi Since the Police Force was colonialised the Armed Constabulary has been almost m a state of anarchy and chaos. Those of the Force who were m a position at the time to do so, Bent m their resignations and quitted the service m disgust ; while others made it a convenience until something more suitable' was at their command. The miserable pittance offered prevented eligible or trustworthy men accepting the position, and the consequence was that the Commissioner was compelled to receive any candidate whose physique care him a fitting appearance, and character and experience were purely secondary recommendations. The result was not long m making- itself apparent, and dismissals for drunkenness, negligence, insubordination, and even worse were every-day occurrences. As a consequence such a thing as esprit de corps- became unknown, and from being a model body of men, they became a byeword of scorn, and the laughing stock of the public. This was praticularly noticeable m Otago'— a. place that prior to the colonialisation had been pre-eminent for the efficitjncy of its Police Foree — and one of the Dunedin dailies m referring to the guardians of the public peace and property m that city, who had filled up the vacant ranks, characterised them as men whose hang-dog countenances and slouching gaits bore evidence of a cognisance of their degradation • men who had left other parts for good reasons, and had entered the service to save themselves from starving or worse. To urge as a reason for a continuance of the wretohed pay of the men, that there is an opening afforded to good men, such as advancement' to the better paid ranks, is but sorry logic, for the argument will aoply to the laboring or any other class. What is to breve* t the industrious laborer, wools endowed with the necessary brains, from developing into the successful contractor? And where is the justice of reason^ ing that becrt use, if he has the ability, he can do so, he should receive a low- rate of wages as a kind of set-off.' ATet this is really all that, the argument brought forward amounts to, Ifco '3te\? -Z.^rjdcr,'VhQw-

ever, has made two deliberate statements to which we feel bound to give a point blank denial. In the first place it asserts the members of the " Police Force have free quarters." Of course, if be intended to convey that " a certain portion " of the constabulary are provided with free quarters, we do not care to gainsay it ; but that the Force as a whole are provided with quarters is a mistatement. We have time after time drawn attention to the injustice under which the constable at Palmerston had to labor m having to pay rent out of his miserable stipend, and we know that his case is that of many other officers m country districts. Then, again, the "New Zealander" asserts that members of the Police Force have free medical attendance, but there is just as much truth m that statement as the other. These are privilges which constables have not,. bub there is one which they really do enjoy, which the " New Zealander " has overlooked, and that is the providing themselves with a most expensive uniform at their own cost. We think we have said quite sufficient to prove that the advance m pay asked for, by Mr Pyke is not only just and reasonable, but its concession would be most politic Our motto is, the "laborer is worthy of his hire," and it is absurd to expect that men of intelligence, integrity, and respectablity will undertake such onerous duties, at .he miserable pittance set down m the scale, when they can get higher remuneration from their labor, without the acceptation of any responsibility whatever.