THE KING'S MEDAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14004, 13 September 1909, Page 3

THE KING'S MEDAL.

.Mr Gladstone l , in the Houso of Commons recently, said tliat the King, on Ins recommendation, Jiad approved of the establishment of a medal, to be called the King's Police -Medal, as a reward for courage and devotion to duty on the part of persons serving in the constabulary forces and fire brigades'throughout his .Majesty's dominions. ■The medal was one of honour and special merit, ami would be. given not lor long service alone, but. oijjy.wlieu that service is sufficiently distinguished by courage or devotion to duty. " 1 am very glad to hear of the establishment of the medal," said Sir Robert Anderson (late Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis) to a "'Daily Chronicle" representative recently. ''Anything which is calculated to stimulate courage in a moment of peril is, of course, to be commended. '"Apparently the medal will he awarded only where 'courage is joined to length of service. J take it that an oflicer who should perform a meritorious dee<l would not be eligible for it if he had been in the force merely a few months. '" Hitherto officers have looked to promotion as the -reward of good ser-, vice—and no doubt they will continue to do so. From time to time also, grants have been made to those who have shown bravery in the performance of some hazardous duty, j At the time of the dynamite outrages, for example, several of those grants were made. • " Jn the past, therefore, brave deeds hare usually not been overlooked. All the same, I liave no doubt that ijie establishmcnt of the medal will ; )e viewed with great satisfaction by the police generally."