61
the
year 1884.
That under what is known as
the 15 year system a European Policeman
must serve 15 years
in the Force before
he becomes entitled to a pension.
That most of your Petitioners
have relatives in Great Britain to whom they are desirous of remitting a portion
of their pay and that the
Policemen serving in the
Police Force under the 10 years System have the privilege of remitting home half their pay at the rate of exchange of four shillings
and two pence, and they
become entitled to pension at the end
of 10 years only.
That the fall in the rate of
exchange between this Colony and Great
Britain has made it almost impossible
for your Petitioners to remit any
portion of their pay home and such fall has in effect
reduced the pay of the men
under the 15 years system to less
than the pay of those under
the 10 year system;
for if you convert $110, the pay of the ten into sterling, half at the rate of 4/2 and half at the rate of the day say 3/1, it makes £7.5.0 whereas,
if you convert $45 the whole of the pay
of the 15 year men into
sterling at the
rate of 3/4 it only
makes £6·18.9. That the pay of the European
Constables in the Singapore Police Force
with allowance amount to $50 per month.
That the number of
men in
the European Police Force who have actually received pensions since and including
the year 1877 is only
nineteen.
That the death rate in the
European Police Force is
very low, less than 23 men having died since 1878
through the effects of the
climate.