THE POLICE SUPERANNUATION FUND.

Evening Star, Issue 8529, 30 May 1891, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE POLICE SUPERANNUATION FUND.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Sinoe my letter on the above subject in the Evbning Star of the 4th inst. I have received full particulars of the working of the fund in Tasmania, which your readers who are interested in all that concerns the welfare of the colony of New Zealand will gladly ponder over, in order to urge npon the approaching Parliament the necessity of legalising a provident fund for the New Zealand police. The Launceston polioe superannuation fund having worked so satisfactorily, the Bobatt police and the territorial polioe followed on the same lines. In New Zealand we can afford to deal more liberally with our police than is done in the colony of Tasmania, and therefore a larger compensation allowance should be made than is set forth in the following rules. lam sure the public mind will be unanimous on the point that a sufficient superannuation allowance should be given worn-out constables, and that they should not be objeots of charity in their old age—a oondition which would be humiliating to them, and discreditable to the community whose servants they had been. As the polioe force throughout the colony numbers about 500 men, it is a matter of great importance that every inducement be held out for good men to enter the service. The following rules fully explain how the fond for the Launceston police is sustained and increased, and the rates of annuity paid from it. Some modification of these rules would, of course, have to be made in order to suit the circumstances of our police j superannuation fund. In rale 13 I would substitute two years for "one year," At the commencement of the present year, the Launceston polioe fund amounted to : Superannuation branch.. ..£7,393 10 1 Reward branch 2,291 3 10 £9,084 13 11 This is a highly oreditable state of affairs, when it is taken into consideration that the entire force numbers but thirty four men. Under similar circumstances as regards the working of a provident fund, what a handsome provision could be made for 500 men in New Zealand ? Depend upon it, that a community which can afford to make it worth the while of good men to serve in the police force as the profession of a lifetime, will at all times command the confidence of capitalists, for a country that preserves the strong arm of the law in its highest state of efficiency will prosper politically, socially, and financially. Trusting that the agitation in the interest of our worthy guardians of the peace, and also in the best interest of the colony in general, may be successful—l am, etc, A.B. Dunedin, May 29. PREFACE. The rapi J increase of the neward branch of fund has enabled the City Council to make the important provision contained in rule 13, which provides that an allowance not exceeding one year for each five may be given to those whose records show they have served with more than ordinary diligence and fidelity; the increase in annuity consequent thereon to be paid from reward branch. RULES, Interpretation. 1. In the construction and for the purposes of these rules : Family of a deceased member shall mean and be limited to his widow and such of his children as are under the age of sixteen years, Compensation allowance shall mean that compensation which is given in a gross sum, as contradistinguished from annual allowance. Treasurer shall mean the treasurer of the Municipal Counoil of the City of Launceston for the time being, and he shall be deemed to be a member of the polioe force, and subject to the provisions of these rules.

2. The fund shall consist of superannuation and reward branches, and the accounts of same shall be kept by the treasurer, and the fund and the aooumulations invested in suoh manner and upon suoh securities as the Municipal Council for the time being shall approve and direot. 3. The superintendent of the Launceston municipal fund shall be speoial auditor of such fund, and report thereon from time to time as neoessary or required, and, furnish annual report to the Municipal Council,

4. For the maintenance of the superannuation branch there aJMI be deducted monthly from the. pay of each member of the force whoae date of appointment is antecedent to the first of January, 1878, and who was then under the age of thirty years, Is in the £ ; and from those, then, over that age the deductions per pound shall be:

SO and under 85 ~ .. Isld 35 ~ 4ft .: .. laSd $> ~ 4* •■ ~ ÜBd 45 • „ 6Q -. ~ Is 4d 60 ~ 56 ~ .. la 6d 66 „ QO .. .. la 6d. And from all constables since appointed, or who hereafter may be appointed, deduqUons in accordance with above loaie. aße a on their ages, at date of At sixty yea W Ml dedans Bban cease< i 8. There shall be »pprcpx!j&,(ie«2 and oarried to credit of branch half of all sums ji\iU tue Council in respect to offences prosecuted by the police, all fines and forfeitures on constables for breaches of discipline, etc, a fourth of all gratuities permitted to be

received by the police, and the authorised deduotiona during sickness. 6. From thia branoh shall be paid all rewards whioh the Municipal Oounoil may grant to members of the foroe for extraordinary diligenoe and exertion j all additions to salary as good service pay ; snd all additions to annuities and compensation allowance beyond the amount allowed in respeot to service, 7. la the case of members of the force disabled by woundß or injuries reoeived in the performance of their duty, and who have not service to entitle them to adequate provision by way annuity or compensation, the Municipal Council may grant such additional annuity or compensation allowance as they think fit, provided the annuity or compensation given does not exoeed the maximum whioh would be given in respeot to forty-two years' service ; and in case any member of the force is killed when in the discharge of his duty, the Munioipal Oounoil may grant to Mb widow and children, or either, such compensation within tho limits aforesaid as they think fit. 8. All deductions by these rules authorised shall be made monthly by the superintendent and shown in pay-book, and the amounts immediately paid over to the treasurer, who shall give receipt in pay-book for the* same. The superintendent will deduct all fines on constables, and collect the portions of gratuities appointed to reward branoe, and pay in like manner to treasurer, and also furnish him monthly with a detailed return of fines etc., imposed in respect to offences prosecuted by the police. 9. Eaoh member of the force who serves with diligence and fidelity until he attains the age of sixty years, and who then has fifteen or more years' service, shall be entitled to retire on an annuity for life, the amount of whioh shall be determined from Tables I. and 11. following, by taking the value of a pound (Table I. in line with his years of service), multiplying this by 5 per cent, of his salary, and dividing the product by value of annuity in line with age (lable II.), In no oase, however, shall the years of servioe be deemed to exceed forty-two, or the age of sixty years.

10. Members of the iorce who u»ve not attained the age of sixty years, but who by reason of mental or physical infirmity are unfit for further service—such unfitness to be certified by a medical board as likely to be permanent—shall be discharged with compensation allowance if they have Berved for less than fifteen years ; if for fifteen years or more, with annual allowance as provided in rule 9.

11. Compensation allowance shall be at the rate of six tenths of a month's pay for each year of servioe up to three years, seven-tenths of a month's pay for each years service from three to six, and so increasing one-tenth triennially. 12. Annuity and compensation allowance shall be calculated on the salary in respect to whioh deductions are made, and on the average annual salary paid the five years preceding discharge or death, and shall be computed from the date of each member's first appointment. 13. The Municipal Council may, on the recommendation of the superintendent of police, grant, on discharge on superannuation or compensation of any member of their police foroe whose records show he has served with more than ordinary diligence and fidelity, an addition to servioe not exceeding one year for every five years actually served, and the superannuation or compensation allowance shall be based on total service with addition so made. The increase in superannuation or compensation allowance consequent upon such addition shall be charged to reward branch. The Council may grant like addition in the case of a superintendent, but in no case shall superannuation or'compensation be given for a longer service than for forty-two years. 14. Members of the force who may hereafter resign, and against whom there shall be no complaint for misconduct at time of resignation or shall be satisfactory to the Council, shall, on discharge, after two years' service, be paid 50 per cent, of the amount deducted from them under Rule 4; after five years, 60 per cent.; and so increasing 10 per cent, triennially until the whole be returnable. 15. In case a member of the force dies before discharge, and leaves a family, there shall be paid the family a sum proportioned to the maximum compensation allowance the deceased member would be entitled to receive in respect to service at time of his death. If a widow only, or a widow and one child, five-tenths ; if a widow and two children, six-tenths; and a further tenth for each additional child; or if there be no widow and one child «nly, or two children, five-tenths; if more than two children, an additional tenth for each child, as in the caße of widow and children ; provided that in no case the amount paid exceed the maximum compensation deceased member's service entitled him to.

16. In case of a member discharged on annuity dying within one year after discharge, there shall be paid to his family fivetenths the amount they would be entitled to receive under preceding rule; had he died before discharge—if within the second year, four-tenths; third year, three tenths; fourth year, two-tenths ; fifth year, onetenth.

17. The compensatio allowance that shall be given under the two preceding rules may be paid in one sum or by periodical instal and in such manner as the Municipal Council shall direct.

IS. Members discharged on annuity may, with the consent of the Municipal Counoil, commute suoh annuity for a fixed sum to be paid as compensation according to scale in rule 11.

19. All payments authorised to be made under these rules shall be made through the superintendent of police, and by him entered in hie pay-book, and receipt for same taken therein.

20. Every person to whom an annuity is graqted before he attains the age of sixty years shall, until he has attained that age, be liable to be called on to fill any office under the Municipal Council for which his previous services may render him eligible, and the salary of which, together with, h,is annuity, shall not amount to les.s than the salary and allowances of his former office; and if, when called, upon to do so, he declines to execute the duties, thereof satisfactorily, being in a, competent state of health, he sha,U, until, he. attain the age of sixty yearsj forfeit his right to the annuity which had been granted him. 91. Any person to whom annuity is granted under these rules, who shall be convicted in any court of justice of any treason, felony, or infamous oriole, shall, upon conviction, fQife\s $1) right to the annuity which, h,ad been granted him.

jT ABLB I. || TABLB II. Years |Amount of £ perl i Value of Annuity of | Annum at 5 Age. of £1 at 5 per Servioe. per cent. cent. 15 ; 21.6786 35 14.127 1G 23.6575 86 13.987 17 | 26 8404 85 14.127 18 ' 28.1324 86 13.987 19 30.5390 37 18.843 20 , 83.065J ' 38 18.695 21 | 36.7192 39 13.542 22 38.6052 ! 40 13.390 23 : 41.4305 i 41 13 245 24 ; 44.6020 1 42 18.101 25 ! 47.7271 ! 43 12.957 26 : 61.1134 44 12.806 27 54.6691 45 12648 28 i 58 4026 46 12 480 29 ; 62.8227 47 12 301 SO 66.4388 48 12.107 31 1 70.7608 49 11.892 32 75 2988 50 11.660 33 80 0638 51 11.410 84 ' 86.06H9 62 11.164 85 : 90.3203 53 10.892 36 95 8363 ! 54 10.624 37 ; 101 6'M ; 55 10 347 38 107.7095 ! 66 10.063 39 ! 114 0960 ' 67 9 771 40 120 7998 J 58 9 478 41 127 8398 69 9 199 42 ! 135 2317 i 60 v.flin