THE POLICE FORCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 572, 29 July 1909, Page 5

THE POLICE FORCE.

EVIDENCE AT CGRISTCHURCH.

ALLEGED POLITICAL AND MABONIO INFLUENCE.

"SMALL PAY THE ROOT OF THE EVIL. , ' (By TolcgraDh.-Preeß Association.! ■ ' Chrlstohuroh, July 28. Tho Police Commission lcsumcd its inquiiy r to-day. , Sergeant Edward Mackay, of Rangiora, eaid that ho was enrolled Iμ 1877, and promoted to sergeant m 1894 Hβ considered that tho pay was not sufficient to cnablo sergeants to keep up the standard of living that they were bupposed to keep up. Tho position of sergeant in charge of' a country etation was not much better than that of a man on tho beat a as tho former had to do r longer hours, and was liable to be called t out at all times of tho night. Ho did not think that tho same class of men, physically or intellectually, were coining into tho force now. Ho could not say that tho moral standard was lower. Ho complained in regard to promotion that officers juniqr to him llad been put over his head Inspector Mitchell, of lnvercargill, was promoted, to bo sergeant i in tho month as himself, and was now inspector. Inspector Dwyerihad been junior to liim, and was now mspectoi'. Sub-Inspec-tors O'Donovan, Norwood, and M'Gfath nad been junior to him, tho last-named in eervico j only. Station-Sergeant King had a.lso been' minor to him. Tliero were officers senior to , him in tho service who were junior to him in j tank i Sergeant Fouhy, in charge of Asliburton > sub-district, said that he hod nothing to bring before the commission. ,In replj to Mr Bishop, ho said that in his opinion the plass of men coming forward to join fho force was"not physically or intellectually equal to what was |)|ie caso some jeare ago. t This ho attributed to the conditions not being attractive enough, Ho did not know that tho moral standard had deteriorated, | but tho men did not havo tho same energy' or stamina thqt they used to have. Aβ to' pobtical influence, Lo had heard a, good deal about it, bVit ho could not put be fingor on a ca&3 flp had suspected a few cases, but did not know of anj To Commissioner Dinnio. Small pay was ' the root pf tho ov il as far as any dissatisfaction was cancelned. Inquiries wade about candidates foi tho forco were Vnoro strict than they used to be. To Mr. lji&hop. He favoured six 'uotfbs' piobatioiwry pciiod for constables. Influences at Work. Patrick James Fitzgerald, constable at Lrttclton, said that ho joined tho force on Dcceinbc-i 9, 18')3. He thought that tho gianting ot iho franchlso was directly agmiht tho lnteiests of the polieo as a body ot men. Political influence was used, and used Laigelj If it (.topped thoro it would not bo quite so bad, but theio vvoro other influences which vverp more,pernicious. IJo would have to refer to Masonry and its influence. Every honest Mason would admit that there was a number of men admitted to the out-skirts of Masonry who were exploiting it for all they wero worth. There was 1 moro dissatisfaction in the polico forco now than ever iinco ho joined. He complained that promotions were inado m some cases Without regard to seniority or ntness. Ho condemned the special examination lnsti'tuted by,jConimi£Sioner Diaiue. Out of 26 promotions made recently only siv or eight had passed the cxainanation. The examination was spokon about as being instituted to block certain men. Ho (witness) was looked upon as a_ ''dangerous man," and _ was a marke'd man in the distnet. He objected to tho circular issued to tho police setting'out that 'applications for situations ontjeido tho pohcovservice wore not to po mado without tho sanction of tho commissioner. It was gonerally said that tho reason of tho circular was that a constable came into competition w.Ui t)ie present commissioner's son for an outside- situation. Referring, to Afasonic influence, witness sajd that two constables v\oid reported from Lyttolton. One who was not a Mason was transfeirod to Wanganni and the other remained in 1 Lyttelton. _- i Somo Complaints,, , Whilo witness was in charge of St. An- ' drews ho mado' application for ' promotion, and was informed that Uio application could not bo entertained as he had not passed the annual examination.' Ho also complained that the house allowed him at St. Androws vvaa oxtromoly unsuitable, ' His quarters there- write' ultimately burned down, and a dotectavo was sent to make an inquiry.' Tho inquiry w&?, witness considered, not really into the fire,' but into whether he foad been, drinking"in St. Androwe or not! '' He objected to, t3io detective who made pho inquiry. It was an insult to send liin on that mission.: Referring to his general experienco in Canterbury, the witness rakj that ho thought that he had been prejudiced in the oyes of Inspector Gillies. Ho complained ' that' the commissioner had fined him 20s.', because ho was a man who needed to bo under strict supervision. He also alleged tliat 'a 'constable' nailed Wado and his \vife, who used to , bo stationed in the Waimate dis- * trict, Kept tho authorities adyieed by correspondence about every man in the district. Thcio was very great dissatisfaction about that. \ Tho inquiry will ho resumed to-jno-rrow. ,