POLICE WITH TWO WAYS OF SPEAKING

Chronicle (Levin), 24 May 1946, Page 5

POLICE WITH TWO WAYS OF SPEAKING

GLOVES TO TRADES HALL BUT FISTS TO STUDENTS j

Received Thursday 9.5 p.m. SYDXEV, Alay 23. j The attitude of controliing otticers of ; the Xew Wouth Wales police in a mim- ; iier of recent evcnts, is puzzling a I Jarge section ot' Sydney citizens. After a meeting of citizens called to protest i against the arbitrary rule of niinorities of workers, four rival Sydney papers published photographs of the nien i wrestling on the platform of the Tovvn Hall and reports of an' organiseil at- ' tempt to break up the meeting. Deiqiite ' tlie presenee of 2000 people who saw the happeuings, the police reported to tlie State Parliament that " tliere were no instancos of nien and women struggling while being ejeeted", that the iieiting was orderly, and that the Press descfiptions were exaggerated. ; The Preinier, Afr. Alelvell, endorsed the report in the face of the testimoiiy of members of the Stale Parliament who were present.. j Prior to this the police descended upon restaurants to enforce an old law that they must close at 10 p.m. on Sundavs. The jiolico attack on Glassop's boolc "We Were The Rats", although it had been on the bookstalls i for some nionths, belonged to the same { order. Finally the police, after permit- : .ting Alav. Dav- and other parailes, ' banned students " from holdin'g. their | annual festival procession through the1 streets of Sydney. The inevitable hap- ' pened and the students ehallenged the j ban by running the blockade iiito the ' middle of the city. Further student : frolic which took place last niglit has brought a dictum t'rom tlie Police Superintendent that by their larrikinism the students have jeopardised chances of holding anotlier proeession and that if they continue to behave questionably, "arrcsts are likely". Thus the same authority .whicii failed to see anytliing disorderly in an organlsed attempt by 300 people to prevent | speakers at the citizens' meeting from stating their case, is preparod to prosecute university students who cclebrate capping ceremonies in the traditional wav. "Some niadness seems to have in--fected the Xew South Wales Police Force, " says the Telegraph. The police report on the meeting and Mr. AlcKell 's acceptanco, despite public ojiinion, "is e'xplained by tlie fact that tlie Government is anxious to sliow that there was no rowdvism at the

meeting because it is anxious to avoid offending the bosses at Trades Hall who declared out of order the public protest against strikes at the expense of the community. A policeman is supposed to Lo the guardian of the public and not the servaut of politicians who happen to be in power at the moment. " Tlie Sun also points out the importanee that the public. should have complete confldenco in the police. "TTnfortunately neither fhe Premier nor Police Department has done anytliing to bridge tlie gap which lies between the plain facts of happeuings reported by responsiblo witnesses and the police versirm of the sa-me events. "