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Your petitioners further ask for a change in the uniform at present provided.
For summer wear they have at present issued to them a material coarse in texture,
which is not only uncomfortable and has no ventilation, but is given to extreme shrinkage. This same material is worn in common with your petitioners, by the Chinese and Indian Police, by Sanitary coolies, and by the Chinese messengers and
station coolies. On the other hand a white drill uniform is worn by Indian warders in the Goal, and by the Indian and European Police in the Royal Naval Dock-yard. If your petitioners' services can be regarded as at least equal in use to the Colony to those of Indian warders, and of more importance than those of Sanitary and station coolies, then they ask that they may be equipped with equal or greater com fort and that their general appearance be accordingly improved. Your petitioners further ask that a finer quality of serge be used for the winter uniform, that the white piping be done away with, that a patrol jacket with breast pockets and shoulderstraps be adopted in place of the present unsightly tunic, that waterproof capes and leggings be issued for wet weather in lieu of the present capes which are utterly useless for the purpose intended, and that a military pattern Field service cap be adopted in place of the cap now worn
Your petitioners further ask that married quarters and free passages for wives and children be allowed to all men with five years service. At present married quarters are only allowed to Crown Sergeants, although they have lately been allowed as a privilege to a limited number of Lance Sergeants. The rule regarding Crown Sergeants was made at the time when it was possible for a men to attain that rank with only two or three years service, whilst at the present time the usual period for such promotion is from 10 to 12 years. It is the view of your petitioners that marriage not only guarantees stability of character and fitness of health, but is a state which should be encouraged rather than rendered difficult or impossible as is the case in the Hongkong Police. In the Metropolitan Police matrimony is encouraged to the extent of allowing members of that Force to marry at any time and of immediately granting them quarters or rent-aid. The present rule regarding free passages to wives and children is, owing to the stagnant state of promotion a severe and trying hardship to men who desire to keep in health, and remain in the service without separating from their wives and
children.
Your petitioners find that to fill the various hours which they have off duty
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