South Canterbury Times, THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1880.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2292, 22 July 1880, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1880.

Wk presume that the recommendations of the. Commissioners of Police, contained in the annual report of the Constabulary, will not be entirely lost upon the Government. Essentially they are a repetition of the advice which has been periodically submitted by the same authorities ever since the abolition of provincial rule and the establishment of centralism. They arc the suggestions of skilled, experienced, and much trusted officers, and for that reason, wo presume they are entitled to as much weight as the admonitions of any of the numerous Royal Commissions that were disengaged during the late recess. Commissioner Weldon recommends that provision should be made" for gratuities and retiring allowances for men incapacitated from further work;” while Inspector Broham suggests “ the recognition of long service by increased pay.’’ In plain words the officers of police ask the Parliament of the country to redeem its olt repeated, but long deferred promises. From tirst to last the police have been shabbily, if not shameful!}", treated. When the Abolition Act was passed the Government of the day stood committed to carry out the contract under which the men joined the force, and .this provided for retiring allowances. No sooner, however, was centralism established than the terms of this contract wore ignored and repudiated, and the members of the force wore invcighlcd into accepting a reduction of pa}" under their new employers by the hope which was held out that ultimately the Government intended to respect the provincial bond, and would provide for rewards and gratuities to old and faithful servants. When the Grey Ministry went into power they promised to enquire into the grievances of the police, and to give them redress, but to the lasting disgrace of that administration, when

the men asked for bread they gave them a stone. It will tints be seen that it successive ministries bad only acted honestly and kept faith with their pledges, these reiterated recommendations of the officers of the constabulary respecting rewards and gratuities would be impossible. To say that the police from first to last have been humbugged and defrauded, is only to express in the mildest, possible terms the contemptible kind of treatment to which they have been subjected. The foregoing remarks arc intended to show that if exemptions to the all round 10 per cent Civil Service reductions are to be made, the Constabulary have a preferential claim. It cannot be denied that this branch of the public service is an important one. It con. sists of many good men and truestaunch. old officers who deserve well of their country. That they have rarely been overpaid is proved by the circumstance that not a few of the best and ablest, disgusted at their low wages, and the small prospect of promotion, have of late years been driven into the hotel-keeping business. Three or four years ago reductions were made, and what tvas the result ? Some of the most experienced and reliable left the force and the raw recruits that were transferred from 'Wellington to fill up the gaps had to be hunted out of it for getting drunk on their beats or for playing practical jokes on their prisoners. Since then the quality of the force has been improved, but even now it is not good enough to stand deterioration. That it will be deteriorated should a reduction in pay be made, is almost certain. The existing rates of remuneration arc shabby enough, and if any alteration is made it should be by way of an increase. The members of the force are at least entitled to the current wages of day laborers, and this is all they enjoy at present. Ordinary prudence should induce the Government to remember the advice of the famous O’Callaghan respecting his coat, and deal “ tenderly ” with the policeman’s pay. Already it has been cut down so fine that another incision would altogether destroy the symmetry. It

would make the force, perhaps, a temporary convenience for the unemployed, but it would certainly drive the best men out of it.

But gratitude alone, wo submit, should induce the members of the legislature to refrain from dealing with the constabulary in any other spirit than one of tender solicitude. How many looking back to the days of their larrikinhood might chant the refrain —

Oh, woodman, spare that tree, Touch not a single bough, In youth it sheltered me, And I’ll protect it now. If gratitude is disregarded, then wo would ask ministers to be prudent. Should they insist upon making a reduction there is no telling what the consequences may be. A wronged policeman, in a reckless frame of mind, is hardly responsible for his acts. It is stated that as the result of the last reduction of a shilling per day, a Dunedin constable arrested a couple of local attorneys, and but for the interference of a superior officer the dock would have been graced by two represent?tives of the Supremo Court charged with drunkenness, although they were “as sober as judges.” We arc sati.slied that neither Major Atkinson nor any other member of Ministry would care about risking such treatment, and therefore we ask them, in view of their own personal safety as well as the safety of the public, not to demoralise the force with, subsistence wages. The wild Maori, deprived of his land by Captain .Russell's landsharks, is a harmless individual compared with the constable driven reckless by a reduction of pay. This warning may bo regarded by some in a jocular spirit, but wc give it in all seriousness. An impaired police force means insecurity to life and property. The force is none too efficient at present. By lowering the pay the standard will be reduced and degraded. The moment the men become dissatisfied, the efficiency of the force is impaired. To keep a responsible body of public peace preservers up to the mark they must be encouraged by occasional rewards ; not discouraged by wholesale parsimonious reductions. Better a thousand times, to dispense with the latest white-elephant Sir Julius Vogel's Prison Inspector—and apply the £2OOO a year that is proposed to bo squandered on him, in keeping the constabulary from becoming demoralised and disorganised by any further reduction in their present miserably inadequate rates of remuneration.

Many will deeply regret to learn that the Timaru Harmonic Society, after a career of usefulness in the cause of (ho art sublime, has entered on an era of penance. To borrow a familiar phrase, the members have “ retired from public life.” Henceforth their light is to be hidden under a bushel— The harp that once through Tara's halls The soul of music led, Now hangs as mute on Tara’s walls, As though that soul were Hcd. The Timaru Harmonic Society is in the position of this unfortunate harp. The soul apparently has gone out of it. Its members have resolved to sing, but only in private for the future. Their music is to be imparted to empty benches. The public will ho strictly excluded from their entertainments. Many will be astonished to learn that such a decree has gone forth and that a society which at one time promised so well has followed the example of Moore’s stupid minstrel boy, who Toro his harp asunder.

If the society is offended, the course the members have taken is not a very wise one. Why not state their grievance, and give the public a chance of removing it ? Wc trust the members will review their resolution. It would bo a pity to bury the Bohemian Girl as they propose doing. The beautiful creature has been paraded before many an audience, and to snuff out her light at this juncture would bo the height of musical ingratitude. Neither is there any reason . why the members should bury their own sweet voices. They are neither in a state of paralysis or catalepsy, and thenvocal charms should not be hidden from the world. That the public of Timaru have a line car for music was proved the other evening by the reception given to the Carandini Concert Company. Let the society come forward again with well-selected programmes, and we have no doubt the music-loving population will display their appreciation in a heart}" and liberal manner.