JOIN THE FORCE

NZ Truth, Issue 604, 13 January 1917, Page 6

JOIN THE FORCE

A Haven of Safety Policemen and the Military Service Act i ■ ; ■ . . .■■ An Unsatisfactory Position (From "Truth's" Dunedin Rep.) The question of the police and military service arises again and again, owing to the steady inflow. of young; men to the force as a haven of; Safety and the arrival within the last few months of married men from England, who have " since joined, while married colonials have been refused. Many patriotic 'policemen have remarked, that they are only too willing to go to the front, if the Government will GUARANTEE THAT THEIR JOBS will not be filled m their absence, and their superannuation money allowed to go on. Of course, the Government, very unwisely, we think, force a policeman to give up everything 'In order to go to the war, and further, does riot hold out any guarantee of employment to him on his return. Just the. other day Constables Cowan and Wynne donned the khaki, but m so doing had to resign, cancel their superannuation, and feel that no prospect of employment m the force will be held out to them on their return. Many men have approached "Truth" m regard to the matter, and all these have service of several years. They realise that they cannot go while they' see the positions of others who have gone being filled by young, single men, and married men who have run' "away from Old England to avoid their obligations. The police are situated similarly to, the. railway men, and we think that the remark made by Chairman Widdowson at the last sitting of the Military Appeal Board, m Dunedin, should also hold good m the CASE OF THE POLICE. Mr. Bowles, railway district traffic manager, appealed on behalf of a shunter. The chairman informed Mr. Bowles that his department "had been recruiting men who wer^ needed by their country m a most important capacity." Captain Free" said, "The Go* vernment should set an example to private employers." Both these remarks i apply very forcibly to the Police Department. Instead of setting the example, to private employers the 'Government is busily engaged .m increasing the size of the force, accepting the services of any healthy, single young man who offers himself, and thus put a complete damper on the policeman who does wish to enlist. It is unfortunate that private employers must surrender valuable, expert men m many instances, while the Government picli up the very types of men suitable for the force and retain them m New Zealand. Various responsible police officers and policemen m Otago, Southland and from the Wellington district, allege that several young, single men have joined the force within the last twelve months, and on the other , hand, Truth" v is fully aware that several' married men, of good physique and conduct, have been refused admission from Otago. One ojf. these married men is an ACCOMPLISHED BOXER' AND WRESTLER, and has four children. These remarks are absolute facts. In view of all this, does not the following seem strange 'm the extreme: It was stated at the sitting of) the Military Service Board at Wellington, on Wednesday, that the exemption of policemen would be sought, on' the ground that it would be contrary to tho public interest to send them to the front. The military representative asked: "Is it the intention to appiy for the exemption of mon who joined the force, say, only last year?" The Commissioner of Police replied, that latterly the department had taken on practically no police at all. The lest lot taken on was only sit, and special care had been taken to ascertain that they were not liable for military service. AS a matter of fact, they were not recruiting, so they had to make an effort to retain every man they had m the service.