QSA847288 1888 Letter from David Seymour to Colonial Secretary 29 August, In letter 88:7767 Colonial Secretarys Office In Letters DR69594

[written at top, centred, in red ink] Police In reference to the number of Police as compared with the other Colonies

[oval stamp, left of centre] COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE, QUEENSLAND 07767 / 31 AUG 88

[left of page] In your reply be sure to give this number in the margin: 88 : 6016 Col. Sec.

Queensland

POLICE DEPARTMENT,

COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE,

BRISBANE, 29th August 1888.

Sir,

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated the 20th instant forwarding to me a comparative statement of the strength and cost of the Police Force of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, and requesting me to furnish you with a full statement of the reasons, which in my opinion rended so large an increase as I have recommended for this year's estimates, necessary, and at the same time to explain why the cost of the Police Force in proportion to population should compare so unfavorably with that of the other colonies, particularly with South Australia.

As regards the first part of your letter I beg to point out that there are many requests for new stations, and additions to the strength of others, rendered necessary by the increase of population,

The Honorable

The Colonial Secretary

awaiting attention immediately the estimates are passed and the extra men asked for provided. Of this you are already aware as many of the applications have been made direct to yourself. Table A, herewith, will show that in the salaries part of the vote a sum annually remains unexpended. This occurs through (1) the men in Brisbane not receiving the full pay during the first six months of their service; (2) men going on leave for periods exceeding the limit of full pay; (3) men under suspension not receiving pay; (4) vacancies etc.

In regard to the second part of your letter I have prepared a table (B) from which you will observe that the police of this colony receive less pay and allowances than those of the colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia or New Zealand and as to the cost - coming under the head of contingencies - this colony cannot bear the slightest comparison to the other Australian colonies, as the circumstances and general conditions are very dissimilar. New South Wales and Victoria have territories which are not only smaller than ours but

are well populated, and consequently the work of the police is more concentrated than in Queensland. South Australia although possessing a larger area, as a matter of fact, is the smaller colony, its population being confined to a part of the south and a patch in the north, the remainder of the territory being almost unsettled. These circumstances are totally different in Queensland; here the territory is larger and population is sparse, settlement is spreading and new gold- fields are being opened, and our stations are scattered over an immense area. Demands for additional police are received daily, and as an instance of their urgency I enclose a request recently received from Inspector Morrisset. The gold escorts also absorb a number of men and a great deal of expenditure, with which the other colonies, whose railway accommodation is ample, are not hampered. The long distances apart of our stations also make the escort of prisoners very expensive, requiring men to be continually engaged in this service owing to the long time they are occupied in the journies, conditions

which do not exist in the other colonies.

I have prepared a table (C) showing the cost of the Native Police alone, which as you will perceive amounts to £10622.3.8. This does not include trackers but merely the troopers and their officers who are engaged solely to protect settlers from the blacks; another condition with which the other colonies are not saddled.

In conclusion I would beg to refer you to the fact that there are no places in the colony where stations are in existence at which police are not required, or where there are more officers or men than are absolutely necessary. As regards the expenditure, every effort is made to keep it down, and the check in the Head Office is as perfect as it can be made, and I can with confidence say that the Department cannot possibly be managed more economically than it is.

I have the honor to be

Sir,

Your most obedient servant

[signed] D.T. Seymour

Commissioner of Police

Comparative Statement of the strength and cost of the Police Forces of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia