POOR PAY FOR POLICE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 741, 14 August 1929, Page 6

POOR PAY FOR POLICE

SOUTHERN MEMBER’S DETECTIVES’ LONG HOURS (THE SL‘X’S Parliamcniary Reporter) \VELLI’A‘GTON, Tuesday. Although peopb on various bodies throughout the Dominion advocated less public expenditure. according to 111‘. D. G. Sullivan (Avon) in his Budget speech in the House of Re—presentatives today, he strongly urged more favourable consideration for the police force, saying that there could not be any more economy in this branch of the Govennrnent service. The Christchurch “Sun”. Mr. Sullivan said, had drawn attention to the miserable salaries paid the police, and he quoted the payment of officers ac—cording to service, saying that men with six to nine yeaxrs‘ service got 165 a. day. "W'hy." he said, “we pay general labourers on the Christchurch City Council 165 a. day, and if that may be taken as a. standard the police are woefully underpaid.”»- He stressed the fact that policemen had. to undergo special training and to .have special skilll To pay them such wages was a. miserable proceeding indeed whena man with nine years’ experience was getting 165 a. day. The Government was dong an injustice to men ingispensi‘hle to the countw.

Mr. Sulliszn spoke of pfifice hours of work, detectives working from) 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., 2 p.m. to 53011111.. and 7.30 to 10.30 p.m. Them _weren't their hours of work alone. 'for they had always to be at call.~ There was no possibility of any reductions in police expenditure.