REPORT.
In obedience to the lustructions conveyed in His Excellency the Governor's Memorandum No. 250 of the Twenty-first day of October last, we have the honor to report on the subject of Retiring Pensions to Members of the Police Force of Hongkong.
The existing arrangement is based on the provisions of Section XII of Ordinance No. 9 of 1862, which is as follows:--
"Whenever any Inspector, Sergeant, or Constable shall have completed the "full Term of Service of Ten Years in the Police Force, he shall be entitled, in "addition to the Bonus or Passage money mentioned in Section X, to an Annual "Pension of Fifteen-sixtieths of the Annual pay of his Rank, and also for every "full and complete Year's Service after Ten Years, to an addition, to the Annual "Pension, of one-sixtieth, in respect of each additional Year of such Service; and "such Pension shall be computed upon the Amount of the Annual Pay enjoyed "by the Person retiring at the Time of his Retirement; Provided he shall have "been in the Receipt of the same for at least Three Years; otherwise the Pension "shall be calculated upon the Average Amount of Pay received by such Person "for the Three Years next preceding the Commencement of such Pension; "Provided always, that His Excellency the Governor shall and may grant "Superannuation Allowance or a fixed sun by Way of Compensation, to any Inspector, Sergeant, or Constable of the Force, who shall be disabled for further "Service, by reason of Wounds or Injuries received in the actual Execution of his "duty."
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This question we have very fully considered and discussed, but in reporting the result of our deliberations, it is expedient to premise that the views now submitted are intended to refer prospectively, and not to the position of Members of the Police Force who by this time have become qualifiedto Retiring Pensions.
We consider that the Police Ordinance No. 9 of 1862 undoubtedly requires amendment, as we unanimously hold it to be prejudicial to the best interests of the Colony that any Member of the Police Force, though he may have done nothing actually to deserve dismissal, should by mere force of lengthened service be able ipso facto to claim a Pension which the Executive is unable to annul or modify in the event of any mal-practices being subsequently discovered.
We, therefore, would suggest that Section XII of the Ordinance mentioned be altered in such manner as would allow of no Pension to a Police Officer being granted except on approval by the Governor in Council.
And further, the same Authority should be able, at any time subsequent to the granting a l'ension, to order its withdrawal should satisfactory proof be adduced of mal-practices on the part of the Pensioner during his term of Service.
The Pension should be at the rate already fixed, but in certain cases it may be deemed advisable to modify the amount or grant simply a Bonus or Passage money, and this power should be reserved to the Executive Council.
In making this suggestion, we have not lost sight of what has been put forward by some who maintain that, without holding out great inducements to good men to serve in the Colonial Police, a difficulty will occur in obtaining recruits.
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We have had under examination European Constables of all ranks, and the conclusion drawn from our enquiries is, that men do not join the Police Force for the prospective advantage of a Retiring Pension, but solely with a view to improving their present condition.
It appears that in the Hongkong Police Force, but few join with any intention of remaining long in the Colony. If they be Sailors, as many of them are, their roving disposition induces them to enlist for a change only, and, if they be Soldiers, the increased rate of pay to that which they received in the Army, alone explains the cause of their soliciting a place in the ranks of the Police.
With reference, also, to those Europeans who have but lately arrived from England, we learn (from one of them, a most intelligent Officer) that, when Volunteers for the Hongkong Police were desired to come forward, the advant- ages of the service were explained to be of a purely temporary nature, no mention being made, until the last moment before departure, of the provisions of Section XII of the Local Ordinance already quoted.
These men, however, seem to have no intention of serving beyond five years unless they can obtain leave for a trip home, and we are of opinion that, even if at the expiration of five years' service greater inducements, than the Ordinance at present holds out were pronused, still such men as are wanted in the Force would be disinclined to remain.
Uundoubtedly, the service entails far harder work than that experienced by British Soldiers in Hongkong or Police Constables in any portion of Great Britain, and it is most requisite to offer inducements of a higher class than that attainable by serving in other positions. But though the labor is of so peculiar a nature, and such as, owing to effects of the climate, has almost invariably prevented any very lengthened stay in the Colony---yet there seems no reason why a man who had become unfit for Service in Hongkong should not still be able to do profitable work in his native country.
The advantages, therefore, should be great for the time being, and no adequate Public gain will be effected by promising rewards, in the shape of Pensions, to be enjoyed many years hence.
Under any circumstances, however, we are of opinion that unless provision be made for men to go home at the end of five years, the term of ten years now regulated by the Police Ordinance should not be altered.
The men are enlisted in England for five years, at the expiration of which period they are entitled to a Bonus of three months' pay. This is sufficient in the case of Inspectors to provide a passage to England; and as a further enlistment in Hongkong for five years (making on the whole a continuous term of ten years of most arduous duty) may be effected with the fullest intention of serving this period, yet for the last two or three years at least of this period owing to the exposure and the laborious duties imposed but few are capable of completing their term with advantage to themselves or to the Colony, and expediency would call for not holding out inducements to the men to stay on except after a complete change and rest from work. They should be advised to go home, and notice given them that if within eighteen months they felt willing to re-join, their return passages would be paid by Government, which would thus secure experienced men in place of raw recruits.
These should be called on to enlist for five years more, aud after ten years the same plan should be adopted of sending them home with the prospect of a return, when the then near advantage of a Pension after the third period of five years, or of fifteen years in all, would doubtless induce men to serve their full time.