South Yorkshire Times, October 12.
Conisbrough Man Looks at the N.Z.Police.
A former Conisbrough policeman, Mr John Speight, who emigrated to New Zealand, compares that countries police system with the system in Britain.
Mr Speight, formerly of Ferry Lane, Conisbrough, writes in a letter to friends in the village, “I get quite a bit of ribbing about relative policing, and to make matters worse, an article called from the “Guardian”, written by someone who must not be in possession of either the facts or his faculties, said that England was in a state of traffic control reached in New Zealand in 1936.”
He explains that in New Zealand there is a separate traffic control corps, apart from the national police force. “You never see a policeman helping traffic, doing traffic duties,or reporting an offence. In factyou don’tsee a policeman doing anything.”
He says that finds “mulcted” from the motorist are used to alleviate rates, and in fact are taken into account when officials budgeting for next year’s rates.
No liaison
“There seems to be no liaison between police and traffic corps, and according to policeman who work with me, they detest each other.” Mr Speight adds: “The motoring public have no respect for the traffic officers, chiefly because it is so easy to get tickets for parking and speeding etc. In short, there is absolutely no fair comparison between what I have described and the English system, where every policeman has a responsibility towards road users, as well as the policeman in traffic departments.”
Mr Speight also describes provisions of New Zealand’s Social Security Plan, which he says falls far short of provisions in this country, even though New Zealand was one of the first nations to adopt Social Security.
A doctor receives a fee of 7s 6d from this patient and a further 7s 6d from the State, but medicines are free. Child benefit is 15 shillings for each child. Spectacles, dentures, and hearing aids and the like have to be bought.
There are two retirement ages, says Mr Speight, at 60 and 65 – and he writes: “At 60 they are not allowed to earn more than £3 a week, but at 65 there are no strings attached. Not many people do apply for the 60 year pension, preferring to work until 65 years and then manage on the pension from their old job, do light work and draw pension as well,” he adds