CHANGES IN POLICE FORCE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 261, 31 July 1937, Page 12

CHANGES IN POLICE FORCE

Shorter Working Week RECRUITS COMPLETING TRAINING Dominion Special Service. Auckland, July 30. Extensive changes iu the Police Force throughout the Dominion will be pub into operation in a little over a week’s time, when 125 recruits will have completed their training at Wellington. The Minister in Charge of Police, Hon. P. Fraser, announced in April that improvements in the pay and hours of work of members of the Police Force had been agreed to by the Government. He stated that it had been decided to reduce the hours of work of police from 56 to 48 a week pis soon as a sufficient number of men could be trained to enable the working week to be reduced. With that end in view 125 men were sent to train at a special camp at Trentham as the accommodation at Wellington was insufficient. It was also announced at the same time that it had been decided to advance the pay of members of the force by 10/- a week. “It- is only fair,” said the Minister, “that the police should receive some additional pay to make up to them in some measure for our inability to reduce hours of duty at a time when hours generally have been reduced.” At the same time it was also stated that when the 48-hour week had been established successfully, the question of further reducing hours of duty would be given consideration, and it might be necessary to review the whole question of remuneration in relationship to a reduction of hours and to the conditions generally prevailing in the public service. Apart from the fact that even the large number of new constables will barely suffice to enable the introduction of the 48-hour week, the authorities will be faced with the question of a further reduction in hours. When it was announced that a 48-hour week had been granted, disappointment was expressed by some of the police that a 40-hour week had not been granted. To enable a further reduction in hours more recruits would have to be trained.