CO129-518-5 Proposals to set up Police Federation 19-8-1929 - 3-10-1929 — Page 11

"1

Branch Boards in the various Forces can submit representations

to the Secretary of State, their police authorities, or Chief

Officers of Police. Specimens of the Minutes and Resolutions

of the various Central Committees of the Federation, and of

Resolutions submitted by the Metropolitan Branch Boards are

enclosed.

lir. Clynes may add at this point that Chief Officers and

Superintendents are able, if a casion arises, to discuss

questions affecting them by means of a non-statutory system of

District and Central Conferences (which is, however, primarily

intended for the discussion of matters of general police

administration) for the two ranks separately, and to make

representations either direct to the Secretary of State or

through their delegates on the Police Council.

The Secretary of State has no hesitation in saying that

so far as England and Wales are concerned the establishment of

the Police Federation has been amply justified by the results.

The Federation has not only served the constitutional purpose

for which it was set up, but has afforded from time to time a

ready and satisfactory means of ascertaining the views of the

ranks concerned on questions initiated by the Secretary of State

or police authorities. Whether such an organisation would be

suitable for adoption in the Hong Kong police is, in view of the

special characteristics of that Force, a matter on which

Mr. Clymes feels hardly competent to express an opinion, but so

far as he can judge there would be little scope for anything in

the nature of the full scheme, which, as Lord Passfield will

appreciate, was expressly designed to provide for the

representations of the members of a large number of independent

forces. It appears to him possible, however, that an

organisation might usefully be adapted from the Branch Board

side/