GAVE LIQUOR TO POLICE

Chronicle (Levin), 28 September 1948, Page 6

GAVE LIQUOR TO POLICE

Press Association)

Hotelkeepers' Allegations At Inquiry

f Per

NAPIER, Sept. 27. Allegations that he had made gifts of liquor from time to time to members of the Police Force were made by .1 ames Cliiford Bolger, the licensee of the Caledonian Hotel, Napier, when giving evidence before the Committee of Tnquiryv whieh began sitting today. .. The cOminittee, whieh was appointed iby Mr. Frasjer as Minister in charge ot H;he Police, fronsists of Mr. E. L. Walton, S.M., and Superintendent J. Denrpsey (Wellington). The hearing is expected to last three' days, and at the eonelusion the committee Avill report to the Gommissioner of Police. Mr. T. P. Gleary appeared for' the Police Department, Mr. J. Meltzer, the secretary of l.he New Zealand Police Association, for the individuat members of the force concerned, Mr. Graut for the Licensed Victuallers 5 Association, and Mr. H. W. Dowling for Bolger. . Mr. Gleary said that when Bolger appeared in Court, charged with licensing breaches, evidence was given by Gonstables B. Natban and E. Stentifora that on visiting the Galedonian Hotel they found a number of men in the private bar. Bolger and his bar manager, Joseph William Hurley, in evidence made certain allegations against the two constables. In order to question their credibility as witnesses uo other members of the force were then inentioned; but Mr. Gleary said he understood that two others would be referred to during the inquiry. All the members of the force concerned had been interviewed, and had denied the allegation. Licensee 's Evidence. Giving evidence before the committee, Bolgei said that soon after taking over the hotel he was approached by three police constables — Gonstables Nathan, P. Miller and G. Davies. They were in uniform and asked for, and were given, drinks. They also asked witness to leave liquor for them. "They would let me know where to leave it and would riug to say when," said Bolger, who added. that a number of telephone calls were subsequently received, mostly at night time. No uariies were inentioned during these telephone calls, but witness ltnew who was spealdng. The ' ' boys in blue ' ' was the plirase used and witness kuew their voices. In response to these calls ' witness left liquor in a car slied iu the hotel building, in rubbish recexitaclcs, and beliind tlie garage opposite the hotel. Liquor was also delivered to thp police statiou once or twice. The naturj; of the liquor variod according to the , iiequests made.'k Mr, G|eary| -How often d'id you leave out liquor? ' v?v Witness: Nearly every night. If I missed a night 1 was asked the next night for a double issue. Mr. Gleary: Did you deliver liquor) to someone in an alleyway near the i garagei Witness: /Yes. Mr. ' Gleary: To whom? Witness:: Gonstables Gater, Nathan, Miller, Stentiford and Davies. There.i was also appther whose name i do not i kho'vy., : i" ■ v Bplgcr, sai'dyiie liad estimated that he li'ad handed1-. tO'-the-oplice a total of 200 dozen bottles of ale and 81 bottles of spirits. He had been approached bv the police for liquor while serving in the bar after hours. About 10 days before Ihe poJice raided his hotel he was visiled by Gonstables Nathan, Stentiford and Peter Miller, who said lio was not to leave any more liquor Out as it was getting a "little hot around town. ' ' They said they were not taking liquor from any hotels for a while. Asked by Mr. Meltzer wky he had given liquor to the police, witness replie'd: " Beeause ' it was demanded from me. ' ' Mr. Meltzer: Who got the major portiou of it? Witness: Pour men, Constables Nathan, Miller, Stentiford and Davies. Gonstable Gater dld not get as much as the othfers. Witness did not- reCall saying at tlie hearing of the cliarges in June that if he was told to get out he would do sc and that if he was asked for £1000 he

could pay it. He did recall that he was "obeying a man in authority" when he han-ded over the liquor. It could be described, said witness, as either buying immunity or saying his skin. He may have been prouiised certain privileges but was also threatened with the "big stiek. " Re-examined by Mr. Cleary, Bolger said he was not happy about giving liquor to the police. Mr. Gleary: Did you think of going to the superintendent? Witness: I did but thought I would have been vietimised afterwards as 1 have been since April. They have been on niy doorstep siuee then and. have even been in the hotel at 5 o'clock in the morning disturbing the guests. Qnestioned by Superintendent Dempsey, Bolger said he first delivered liquor to the police' station before last New Year. From then until early in April deliveries to the ' police ' station ave'raged two cartons a week. Asked by Mr. Dempsey why he gave the liquor to the police, witness answered that they . were men on the beat and to him they were men in authority. Desmond Price, porter at the Galedonian Hotel, said he. had not been asked by Hurley, bar manager, to say anything about leaving liquor for the police. Asked by Hurlej' in the sarne interview, whose side he would be ou if anything canie up, witness had answered: "I am on neither side. 1 just work here for a living. " Mr. Meltzer: Did Hurley tell you he was going to support the licensee? Witness: Yes. Mr. Meltzer: He asked you to do the same ? .Witness: Yes. I refused. Left Liquor for Police. j Evidence that he had seen his predecessor leaving. liquor for the police, was given by J os'eplt ' Williatn Hurley, bar,, manager , Of the Galo'donian Hotjl. ' who had been emi)l6/ed in tirat position since the e.nd of last DeceniTjer:' 'Witness said he i-fecei'ved instructiolis' fioru the licensee. about leaving liquor for the police. On oue occasion he had delivered a . a carton / coutainiiSg. ninc ■ bottles of beer4 and three of sherry to Nathan in the all^v wuy on the opposite side of the ro-id hotel. Witness said he had left the -liquor in the liote'l garage seven or eight tiines and tlie jught porter left liquor on other occasions. Usually six bpttles of beer were left in the garage. Witness added that lie: ansvyered the t.elephone on four or livq, occasions when Bolger was not available, aqid.was told - it was the "boys in bluq," The person ;at the other. end asked it'. tlie liquor was ready. Mr. Gleary: .llaye you seen .con-, stabfes in the hotel at night time? Witness: Yes. . :* Mr. Gleary: Were they in uniform? Witness: Yes. Mr. Gleary: Did you see thqm consuming liquor in the hotel? Witness: Yes. I have actually seen them two or three times. Witness said he had seen two constables in the hotel. Oue was Gonstable Nathan but he only saw the back of the other. To Mr. Dowling, witness said it was Nathan to whom he gave the liquor in the alleyway. v Witness said Nathan told him if he said anything about giving liquor to the police, they would niake it Hot for him anvwhere in New Zealand. Witness told Mr. Meltzer that wliat Price said about their conversation was all lies.