H.—27.

9. That, in lieu of the yearly superannuation allowance, a member retiring from the Force on completing twenty years' service, or longer, may, at his option, be paid a month's salary for each year's service. 10. That any member of the Force who resigns after completing fifteen years' service shall be entitled to receive one month's salary for each year's service. If any member resigns after completing five and before completing this term of fifteen years' service, he shall have returned to him the payments he has made to the fund from the Ist of April, 1898, up to the date of his resignation, without interest. 11. In the event of a member dying within five years of the period when he might retire ; or in the event of any member dying who has completed fifteen years' service, who has not retired, it shall be lawful for the Board, in their discretion, to pay to the widow or family of such member any sum not exceeding five years' superannuation calculated according to the length of service of the deceased. If a member dies before completing fifteen years' service, the Board may pay to his widow or family such sum or allowance as it thinks fit, not exceeding one year's pay. In the event of a member who has been superannuated dying within five years of the date of his superannuation, the Board may continue the superannuation allowance to his widow or family for the period of five years from the time such allowance was first granted. 12. Any member of the Force dismissed for misconduct shall not be entitled to any compensation or allowance whatever unless he has attained fifteen years' service ; and not then unless by express resolution of the Board, who may grant such compensation as they think just and reasonable, in no case to exceed one month's salary for each year's service. 13. When any member of the Force is compelled to resign through permanent injury received in the execution of his duty his case shall be specially considered by the Board, who may grant such superannuation allowance or compensation as they shall think fit, having regard to the cause of the injury and the length of service of the member so disabled. 14. Any member in receipt of superannuation allowance, on being convicted of any indictable offence or disgraceful conduct, shall thereupon forfeit his superannuation.

Appendix.—Supebannuation Fund. Table 1. Four hundred and sixty-five men in the Force under fifty-five years of age : — £ 14 Detectives ... ... ... ... ... 2,883 11 First-class Sergeants ... ... ... ... 1,912 22 Second-class „ ... ... .... ... 3,623 14 Third-class „ ... ... ... ... 2,178 116 First-class Constables ... ... ... ... 16,982 104 Second-class „ ... ... ... ... 14,274 184 Third-class „ ... ... ... ... 23,570 65,422 Add long-service pay ... ... ... 5,500 £70,922 Payments on above sum of £70,922, at 5 per cent., £3,546.

Table 2. — Showing hoio the Fund should stand at Ist April, 1898, when it will become operative for Superannuation Allowances. 1. Annual contributions from, the pay of members, £3,546 £ £ (see Table I.), for five years (a.) ... .., 17,730 Compound interest on same (five years) ... ... 2,841 20,571 2. Beward Fund, &c. (b.) and (p.), say ... ... 1,500 3. Government grant (d.) ... ... ... 20,000 21,500 Compound interest for five years ... ... ... 5,938 ■ 27,438 Total fund at start ... ... ... ... £48,009 The members of the Force reckon with confidence on being reasonably entitled to expect from the Government at least the sum of £20,000 as above, seeing that under the present system the Government pay the amount of one year's salary to every member on retiring. It will be seen by Table 1. that the present liability of the Government in this respect amounts to £70,000 —that sum being the amount of yearly expenditure on salaries to the 465 members of the Force assumed to come under the provisions of the Superannuation Fund; and by this grant the Government would be relieved at once of all future liability, with a saving of £50,000. A. —Many persons are in full possession of all their mental faculties at the age of sixty, but physical strength has begun to suffer abatement, and vigorous physique is indispensable in a policeman. Fifty-five years is the age for retirement in Victoria, sixty in New South Wales, but the Commissioner, in a recent memorandum, recommends a change to fifty-five. The

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