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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4833, 18 September 1876, Page 2

The tactics of the Opposition are certain to defeat themselves, and unless Sir George Grey and his lieutenants desist from their new system of warfare they will find a serious diminution in the number of their party. Many members of the Opposition, who by their evident, honesty of purpose and moderate views have been as a tower of strength to Sir George, are becoming quite tired of the waste of time, and before the present week is out will have forsworn their loyalty to him, if he persists in his present course of procedure. No wavering may be anticipated from the Government party. It has a duty_ to perform, and whatever may be the inconvenience for the time being, we have every confidence it will perform that duty, and show plainly that the first principle of parliamentary government shall not be overridden. On Saturday, just before the commencement of the evening sitting, a few of the gentlemen met and had a slight discussion upon the position of affairs. As a consequence, later in the evening the following memorandum was placed in the hands of the Speaker :

We, the undersigned members of the House of Representatives, do hereby protest against all adjournments except those provided for by the standing orders, and will use every constitutional method to prevent the sameß. W. Stafford, J. C. Wason, A. J. Richmond, J. Sharp, B. Wakefield. J. Henry, T. Kelly, A. P. Seymour, W. R. Russell, V. Pyke, A. Cox, J. Bryce.

The evident purpose of this was that the sitting should be continued through Sunday. The Speaker declined to put the protest before the House; and in consequence of personal appeals, the gentlemen protesting refrained from carrying out their intention for the present. .

In Victoria it has been recognised that the detective force there are underpaid. The Daily Telegraph of July 29 says “ In drawing up the estimates of his department the Chief Secretary has dealt liberally with the detective force, and it may be confidently anticipated that the advance which Mr. MacPherson has made in the pay of the men will materially improve the force and be of a corresponding advantage to the public. Iwo years since Captain Standish made a plain and practical appeal to tho Government on behalf of the detective branch of tho police service, pointing out that the wages they received of 12s. fid., 10s. od., and 9s. per clay was not a fair remuneration for the work done, while it was quite inadequate to induce capable men to join tho force to supply the places of those who retired or were removed by death. The Chief Commissioner was moderate in his demand, suggesting that first-class detectives should receive 145., ami second-class ones I3s. per day, the pay of the third-class men to remain as it was, at 9s. An advance of 6d. per day in the first two classes is all the alteration which has been made in the above scale up till the present time, but Hr. MacPherson has recognised tho justice of Captain Standish’a views, and in framing the

estimates he has, if anything, bettered the Chief Commissioner’s liberality. In future the officers are to be divided into four classes, and those in the first are to receive 155., those in the second 13a., those in the third 125., and the fourth class 9s. per day. In addition to this the men are to have quarters, fuel, light, and water, or, we an allowance in cases where it would be inconvenient for the men to reside in such places as the Government might provide.” There can be no doubt that this is a step in the right direction, forasmuch as the detective force occupy a position of vast importance as affecting the moral welfare of a community, and adequate remuneration is necessary to secure efficient men. It is pointed out by the same paper that it is a matter of importance to have a scale of remuneration which holds out inducements to the officers already in the force, and is also calculated to entice capable men to enter it. Captain Standish, in his reports to the Government on the subject, has more than once pointed out that eligible members of the ordinary constabulary declined to leave it for the detective force, because even at their lower wages of Bs. and 7s. Cd. per day, they were better off than the detectives at 9s. or 10s. fid. Looking at the importance of the police force considered as a general body, it seems perfectly apparent that the officers of almost every grade are underpaid, when we compare their salaries with those of other civil servants. We should be glad to see a similar increase in the salaries of the police force made here, and while alluding to the question as it affects our own force, we may remark that it has on many occasions been the aubjeotof comment that the police force, which includes the detectives, are not only underpaid, but there is something radically wrong in the constitution of the body, inasmuch as the chances of promotion are known to be so extremely limited as to disgust many of those who enter the force, and the consequence is that there are few instances in which men remain in the force longer than they can help. It is too often a popular mistake that any man can be a policeman and perform the duties of a policeman efficiently; but of all popular errors, and they are numerous, there never was one more erroneous. There are certain qualifications indispensable to the efficient discharge of the duties appertaining to the office of a police officer, no matter what the position he may hold. Detectives naturally are a class of men connected with the police force, while their duties are of a special character peculiar to themselves and requiring qualifications not possessed by every man; and in so far as their services are peculiarly valuable in the detection of crime, and its consequent suppression, it is reasonable to suggest that they should not be so poorly remunerated as, at present, they undoubtedly are. We hope to see a reformation introduced into this departmant, to consist simply in holding out inducements which will have the effect of keeping in the force good men, and attracting others who possess the requisite qualifications.