42 are essential to place the Yard Police on a firm and satisfactory footing:
1. Recruits to be obtained from the Home Metropolitan Police, or Police of large Provincial Towns - such as Liverpool.
We are confident that whilst men are recruited locally, under existing circumstances, no material improvement in the morale of the Police can be expected. The majority of recruits will continue to come from adventurers, and the class who, after loafing about the Town, ultimately find themselves destitute, and compelled to do something for a living. We have no faith in the written characters of these persons, characters which generally purport to come from employers residing in parts of the world very remote from Hong Kong.
2. Pay and prospects to more nearly approach those of the Colonial Police, and one grade of constable only to be borne instead of three as at present.
Notwithstanding the objections to Police Pensions stated in former correspondence, we consider the question to be one of great importance. There is no reason to suppose that intelligent and respectable men (the only men desirable as Policemen) will spend the best years of their life at such a place as Hong Kong, at the risk of breaking up their health, when they have nothing to look forward to but a small gratuity and a free passage home. Taking into consideration the depreciated value of the dollar, and the enormous rise in the cost of living, it is clear that no material saving as a provision for invaliding, or old age, could be made from a constable's pay.
3. Marriage to be permitted to all persons on reaching the rank of Sergeant, and to a certain proportion of constables after 5 years' service.
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are essential to place the Yard Police on a firm and satisfactory footing:-
1. Recruits to be obtained from the Home Metro-
-politan Police, or Police of large Provincial Towns - such as Liverpool.
We are confident that whilst men are recruited locally, under existing circumstances, no material improvement in the morale of the Police can be expected. The majority
of recruits will continue to come from adventurers, and the
class who, after loafing about the Town, ultimately find themselves destitute, and compelled to do something for a
living. We have no faith in the written characters of
the se persons
characters which generally purport to come
from employers residing in parts of the world very remote
from Hong Kong.
2.
Pay and prospects to more nearly approach
those of the Colonial Police, and one grade of
constable only to be borne instead of
three as at present.
*
Notwithstanding the objections to Police Pensions stat- -ed in former correspondence we consider the question to
be one of great importance. There is no reason to suppose that intelligent and respectable men (the only men desirable as Policemen) will spend the best years of their life at such a place as Hong Kong, at the risk of breaking up their health, when they have nothing to look forward to but a small gratuity and a free passage home. Taking into consideration the depreciated value of the dollar, and the enormous rise in the cost of living it is clear that no material saving as a provision for invaliding, or old age,
could be made from a constable's pay.
3. Marriage to be permitted to all persons on reaching the rank of Sergeant, and to a certain proportion of constables after 5
years' service.
We
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