THE POLIGEM'S LOT.

NZ Truth, Issue 128, 30 November 1907, Page 4

THE POLIGEM'S LOT.

Among 'the many complaints that are heard from the members of the Maoriland police force is that relating to the retiring age. This is at present fixed at" G5, and a large proportion of the uniformed coves think this a good deal out of the way— it should be made much less. Sixty-five certainly seems a long time to remain m the service to a chap who has entered it as a young man ; running m drunks for such an extended period is apt to grow monotonous. And everybody can't be made sergeants, or sub -inspectors, or high panjandrums ; that's a dry moral, so the big crowd have to remain Number something or other all their natural. Now, m the London Metropolitan police force a man has only to serve 25 years, when he can leave on a pension. Result is that if he joins at 21, he is still a young man, comparatively speaking, when his time is uy. In the Act governing the Maoriland Police Provident Fund the word "may" is used throughout, not "shall," as is the case m the Railway Employees Fund. It says j that the authorities "may" grant £18 ' to the widow whose husband died m tlve execution of his duty, land it "may" make a grant out of (its funds to each child until it has ; attained the age of fourteen years. i When a policeman doesn't die m the i execution of his duty his widow gets ' back what she has paid m to the Fund. A short Amending Bill might be introduced next session altering live wording of the Act. It is stated that the Government have behaved pretty well to the widows and orphans of policemen outside the Fund. lWe are pleased to hear it.