THE POLICE FORGE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8353, 13 February 1913, Page 3

THE POLICE FORGE

PAY OF CONSTABLES STATEMENT BY MINISTER OF JUSTICE. Disappointment having been expressed that under the now scale of pay instituted for officers of the police force, no provision has been made for increasing the pay of constables, _ a “Times” representative yesterday interviewed the Minister of Justice (Hon. A. L. Herdman) on the subject. In answer to the criticisms that were published in yesterday’s “Times,” the Minister mado the following statement : “The pay for a constable for the first three years' of 1 his service is 8s per day, Sunday included, plus Is 6d per day house allowance if he is married, and if unmarried he is provided with free quarters, fuel and light. “The men receive an increment of 6d a day every three years during the first nine years- of their service, then an increment of 6d per day on completing fourteen years’ service, and a final one on reaching twenty years’ service, bringing the pay of a constable of twenty years’ service up to 12s per da'y, including house allowance. Unmarried constables have a mess at their barracks where the cost of their food runs from 12s to 14s per week. Most married constables ot five or six years’ service are given charge of stations, and if these stations aro in the country townships, they usually have sufficient land attached to enable the constable to keep a cow and poultry and to grow sufficient fruit and vegetables for family use. Most of these constables are also clerks of court, .bailiffs, inspectors of factories, clerks to licensing committees, etc., for all of which they receive special remuneration from the department utilising their services. “A reference to the evidence given by Sergeant Moore before the last Police Commission (see page 256) will show that he was receiving £l3O per annum over and above his police pay as constable in charge at Rawene station. Many other constables make large sums in the same way, the least any of them receives from one source or another being £25 per annum. Then these men are provided with good six or seven-roomed houses containing all modern conveniences. “All constables are provided with free helmets, waterproof overcoats, and night-duty overcoats, and are also provided with material to make up their everyday uniform, but they have to pay the tailoring themselves. PAY IN AUSTRALIA. “The following schedule shows the rates of pay and allowances of constables in the various Australian police forces as well as the pay and house allowance ruling in the force: -NEW SOUTH WALES.

Helmets, overcoats-, and. material for making up uniform 'axe provided by the department. REVISION NOW MADE. “When the present rat© of pay for constables was fixed by the then Minister of Justice, to come into force on the Ist January, 1912; it was announced that the pay of the otner ranks would be revised Later on, and this revision has now taken place. “Before the revised scale for constables was given effect to, all constables commenced at 7s 6d per day plus Is 6d per day house allowance for married men, and they had to wait four years for each increment of 6d per day. Now they commence at 8s per day, plus house allowance, and receive their increments every three years. ANOTHER £BOOO A YEAR. “There are 688 constables in the force, and if they now received an increase of 6d per day, it would cost the department £6192 to commence with, and as all ranks above that of constable would have to be proportionately increased to prevent the creation of further anomalies, a further annual expenditure of nearly £2OOO would be involved, making approximately an additional annual expenditure of, say, £BOOO per annum to the pay of all ranks. “At the present time I certainly do not feel justified in recommending the Government to incur this additional outlay. I do not think that the circumstances warrant it. PAY QUITE ADEQUATE. “I am fully alive to the importance of the duties performed by the constable, and speaking generally I have every reason to be highly pleased with their behaviour and attention to duty. The discretion and patience which the men exhibited during the industnaj troubles in the north have not bee,; forgotten bv me. I hope to be able to make the conditions at the different stations more comfortable and attractive, but I cannot see my way to advise the Government to increase pay, which in my opinion is at present quite adequate.”

House Service. Pay. Allowance. e. d. 6. d. To 3 years 1 0 Over 3 years ... 1 0 First-class 9 0 1 0 Senior 1 0 Free uniform. VICTORIA. To 2 years •1 0 2 to 1 years ... •1 0 1 to six years 8 0 •1 0 6 to 10 years ... 8 6 •1 0 10 to 15 years 9 0 •1 0 Over IS years 0 6 «1. o •In cities: otter places, 6d. Free overcoats I A 1 QUEENSLAND. ■ To 3 years — — 3 to .10 years ... 9 0 1 0 Over 10 years 9 6 1 0 Senior 1 0 Free uniform. SOUTH AUSTRALIA First year 1 0 2 to 6 years ... } i? 6 to 10 yeans ... 1 v 0 10 to 15 years 1 0 13 to 20 years 1 0 Over 20 years 1 0 FiiB’t-cLass 1 0 Senior 1 0 JB9 per annum allowed for uniform. WEST AUSTRALIA. To 3 years 8 0 1 7 8 to 6 years ... X 7 5 to 10 years ... 1 7 Over 10 years 1 7 Senior 1 7 Free uniform. TASMANIA. To 3 years •1 0 Over 3 years ... 1 0 •1 0 First-class •1 0 Senior 8 0 •1 0 Free' uniform. •La cities ; other 'places, $d. NEW ZEALAND. House AlPay. lowauca. Tl. 6. d. 6. d. 6. d. Under 3 years 6 9 6 3 to 9 years 6 10 0 8 to & years ...... 90 1 6 XO t> 9 to It years 9 6 1 6 11 0 11 to 20 years ... 6 11 6 Over 20 years ...