The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 185, 4 March 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1868.

In consequence of some remarks made by the Hon. Mr Fellows in addressing the electors of St. Kilda, Victoria, a curious correspondence has resulted therefrom respecting the " Police Reward Fund." Mr Fellows charged the M'Culloch Q-overnment with transferring this fund to the consolidated revenue, and thereby making use of it to supplement the general revenue. Mr Crews, of Prahran, who was canvassing the district in the Ministerial interest, wrote to the Traesurer for information on the subject, and his letter was referred to the Commissioners of Audit, a permanent bod j, who are uninfluenced by any Ministerial change, and are sworn to impartiality, and their report gives an unqualified denial to the statement of Mr Fellows. From this report it appears that the " Police Reward Fund" for Victoria, amounted on the 31st December, 1867, to the large sum of £69,136 18s lid, and this is included in the Public Account, which is composed of the .Railway Loan Account, the Consolidated Revenue, the Trust Fund, the Fund above alluded to, and various other funds, which by the Audit Act are required to be lodged in even amounts with the six contracting banks. The Public Account amounted to £639,160 16s lOd. Our object in thus introducing this subject to our readers is to draw attention to the necessity of such a fund for New Zealand, in order to encourage the police in their efforts. We do not mean to say that the police are inattentive to their duties in consequence of the non-existence of such a fund, but we do maintain that if it did exist, it would be something to look forward too while they are pursuing their investigations for the detection and prevention of crime. The class more immediately affected by it is that useful body of men —the detective force. " If you! want information, you must pay for it," is an old saying, and the truth of this applies as much to the police force as to any other body of men. In New Zealand an officer, while engaged in following up a criminal or " hunting up" evidence, is allowed his pay and a certain allowance for travelling expenses, and a constable is bound to furnish a report of all reasonable charges, but it often happens that he has sometimes to incur what might be termed " unreasonable charges," and should he be unsuccessful in his mission, he does not care about charging these expenses, to the Government and would rather pay them out of his own pocket thau to minutely account for everything he had expended. The police are but ordinary men after all, and it is therefore unfair that they should be compelled to be losers pecuniarily while engaged on the public service. If a " Police Reward Fund " was in existence it would in a great measure obviate this, and it would breed a spirit of emulation among the members of the force, which, without some spur or incentive, cannot and does not exist. Compared with Victoria the chances of promotion in NewZealand are but few indeed, so that there is not much incentive this way. An illustration of our subject was afforded some short time since in the case of the Deadman's Creek murder. The body of a man was found in a waterhole. He might have been killed, or he might hare met his death accidentally. A police constable and a detective commenced an inquiry, in the course of which they traversed nearly the whole of the northern part of New Zealand, and by a chain of circumstantial evidence so clear and comprehensive, the crime was brought home

to the murderer, who was executed. In pursuing these inquiries the meunaturally spent a great deal of money, and we know for a fact that they both paid large sums out of their own pocket just simply because the charges might bo deemed "unreasonable," and the only reward they received was an empty letter of thanks from the Superintendent. This is certainly not the way to raise a zealous active force in New Zealand, for the reason that the men could not afford this sacrifice mtny times. Without throwing a slur on the force in New Zealand, we ask what has raised the detective force in Victoria to its present high position ; nothing except this very "Police Reward Fund." Could Black, Mainwaving, Bason, Kilfedder, Williams, and other well-known Victorian detectives, have afforded to pay all " unreasonable" charges out of their own pockets while engaged in detecting crime. Would active Sergeant Summerhayos, the terror of Melbourne evil-doers, men and women, be actuated by the zeal and activity which characterises his movements, if he had only his bare pay to look forward to reimburse him for any expense he might be put to. The mere fact of being rewarded is a proof that a man's exertions are appreciated—let the reward be ever so trifling. If the Deadman's Creek murder had occurred iu Victoria, and the constables had been similarly employed in its detection, we have not the least hesitation in saying they would have received some more substantial acknowledgment than a mere empty letter ot thanks. In conclusion, we would urge the establishment of a " Police Reward Fund" in New Zealand, and although the force is efficient now, it would become doubly so if there was something more substantial than a mere empty letter of thanks, and a lessening of the private funds in in prospective.