WOMEN POLICE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 49, Issue 198, 7 June 1929, Page 4

WOMEN POLICE.

ATTITUDE OF THE MINISTER. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, June 6. "I am not in favour of women police," said the Minister for Justice (the Hon. T. M. Wilford) when replying this morning to a deputation from the New Zealand Justices of the Peace Association annual conference, referring to a request that women, should be appointed to the Police Force. "While I am Minister for Justice I will never recommend the appointment of women police."

The Minister pointed out that the late Sir John Safmond had stated that under the present law women police could not be appointed. Therefore it would be necessary to amend "the Police Force Act in order to make the change! The appointment of police matrons, who were not sworn in as officers of the Force, was quite a different thing. A woman who took the oath of office as a member of the Police Force must carry out all the Police Force regulations, which she could not do because of her sex. The Minister gave it as his opinion that if women were to become members of the Police Force they must take the oath in the same way as a policeman, and be prepared to carry out all the duties which a policeman was called upon to perform.