POLICE ALLOWANCES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9168, 17 March 1910, Page 7

POLICE ALLOWANCES.

HO USING AND TRAVELLING PAYMENTS. Substantial increases in the scale of travelling and house allowances have been made by the Government as part of the scheme of reform of the Police Department now being carried out by the Hon. Dr Findlay (Minister of Justice). The Minister explained the new conditions to a New Zealand Times' I representative. "Hitherto," he stated, "married sergeants who are not provided with quarters, have received house allowance of 10s 6d a week, and married constables, wlio are not provided with quarters, have received 7s a week. The rates, in future, will be sergeants 14« a week, constables 10s 6d a week, that is to say, an increase in each case of 3s 6d a week. The increase, however, will be granted only in the four centres. I have had a return prepared showing the rents paid by all married constables and sergeants, and a comparison of the rents actually paid shows that the rents are higher in the four cities than in the outside districts, or, to put it in another way, that generally speaking, cheaper and better living accommodation can be found in the out-districts than in the four centres. The' increases given will fairly equalise the real wage.

TRAVELLING ALLOWANCES EQUALISED. As regards travelling allowances, the principal complaints that have reached me are that sergeants and constables received only 6s a day, while detectives received 8s a day, also that 6s was not sufficient at the present. day to enable a man to travel without loss. Both these complaints were fairly well founded. Under th© new scale the rates will be as follow: Inspectors and sub-inspectors 12s 6d (no alteration). Station sergeants and sergeants 10s {previously 6s). Chief detectives 10s (previously 8s). Detectives and acting-detectives 9s (previously 8s). Constables 8s (previously 6s). ' 'I have not been able to make other than an approximate estimate of the cost of these alterations," continued the Minister, "but I have every reason to believe that their cost will be more than counterbalanced by economies in other directions, which have either been carried out, or are in con- j templation. The changes will take effect from April Ist next, and I believe that they will give great satisfaction to the force as a whole."