THE POLICE COMMISSION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 573, 30 July 1909, Page 9

THE POLICE COMMISSION.

<\'A MAGISTRATE'S STATEMENT. CONSTABLES AND SERGEANTS GIVE EVIDENCE. - DISSATISFACTION REGARDING PROMOTION'S. (By Telegraph-Press Association* ' « ' Chrlstohurch, July 29. The Pohoo Commission (Mr. H. '\V. Bishop) sat again to-day, and 1 took further evidence G. Day, S M., said sly grog-selling was a' difficult thing to dotcct, and it was only natural that mpans had to bo used which would not bo used in other matters Mr. Bishop said it was more a question Of ethics as to the methods employed to detect ollenders. ■ Mr: D-»y said that he did not think anything could bo said against tho methods employed, provided a constablo did not go out of his way to induce a man to commit-an offctibq. Witness added that ho thought it was very desirable that in cases whoro rewards'or allowances wero involved, prtsecutiorts, should bo conducted by tho Crown Solicitor k and not by the pol ! c Mr.-jDinnio said that a constable was only rewarded for sly grog cotiviuioiii,. Mr-Day replied, that tho eftcot was that a constablo was apt to strain a caso fli order to got a reward He could not say whothor it was necessary or not to offer rewards to induce»c constables to detect olfendois Ho thought jt would bo better that constables sholtku be, omployed m, sly »grog cases than private individuals ' To Inspector Gillies Tho idoa'cxisted that Wore.Was plenty of sly grog-selling at Ashburton, but he was satisfied that the police <n d ?. nt > all T tn c7 could to detect offendois # Unstable Jackson, of Addington, said ho join«l ( theforco m April, 1892, and had been stationed in various parts of Now Zealand, including Akaroa, whero ho had many duties t<i perform ho had prosecuted in all his own cases, and had carried,out some successnil Sly grog-selling prosecutions When ho v applied for promotion, .he was told ho had to pass tho police examination Ho "went up alul failed, but a numhor of men junior to him had been promoted without passing the piiamniation He was an old Mason, and that showed Masonic influence had little m- n Hay of Promotion Tho Commissioner said tho statement was one which was very difficult to disprove, od was oho which it would have been better had it made. Ijl.rcply to Mr Dmnio,' Constablo Jackson Bam the> chief dissatisfaction in the service was* that relating to unfair promotions. lo inspector Gillies He had never hoard that, the inspector had asked sergeants to furnish him with confidential , reports relating ,to constables under them. To Mr Bishop Careful inquiries should bo made by a competent man before an am>h- ' cant Was admitted to tho force Cohstablc Maloney, of AUaroa, said he was enrolled in October, 1904 In 1905 ho was sent after two escaped prisoners, and, witlrConstabo Roche, had arrested tho men after somo difficult} Ho had received no recognition for that work, although for a sinMlar caso at "Wellington two detectives had .been rewarded In 1908 ho had applied tava certain position, but it was given to a man imiior to him ( . m ,Dvnnie said rewards were not given by the Police Department but by the Justice or Prison Department Sdrgcant Rotter said it 1 would '-have a tendency to truthfulness ,if evidence at departmental inquiries were given upon oath .inducements should ,bo offered to bring bottor men into tho force His opinion was that the. present men have not sense of'duty, animating those in days gone by He believed that political influence existed to some o\tent. Men guilty "of immorality shouldj he considered, be dismissed. Tho police force could not he mado a clean force unless tho men wero moral and- sober.' . l IH ?,? rgeant Dollov an said he-was'Stoolled' in 1876.-and promoted m 1904. ' Tho condition of tho, police now was much "better wasjjn the past Ho had been kept 3 t Okarito for fifteen years, although ho had been,assured when ho went there that ho would receivo early promotion ■Ho was transfened from OLanto without promotion Ho was promoted m 19Q4, and stationed in Uunedin shortly after the Dunedin scandals bniko 'out, and he mado a statement at tho tnqu,ry and soon afterwards'was transferred to Chnstohurch against his own i wishes Sergeant Hodgson said he, had joined tho , 'oroo m,1892, and N was promoted on tho first 1 of tho present month. Ho considored ihe type of recruit had deteriorated of "ate, both 'morally and physically. Ho considored from what ho had hoard that better discinlmo could have bee 1 observed at tho Mount _Cook training depot. < Had bettor discipline boon maintained, undesirable men would oiotbably not ha\o been rceoivod into 1 tho force permanently i The inquiry will be resumed to-morrow ITEMS OF INTEREST. ' ' (By Tolizraph -Special Curravpondaot ( ~ ' , Chrlstohurch, July 28. In the course of his evidence jostorday ar. Laurenson, MP, leplymg to Mr. aishop, who asked it members of Parliament voro not badgered with all manner of com)laints and requests,' said that last jear he orttarded over 3000 letteis, and he supposed that ho averaged fioir. eight to sixteen per day* . . "JJO you find tho_stamps?" asked Mr, Bishop i v "Except when Parliament is sitting," re-plied-Mr Laurenson. i "That's a prettj big tax," commented Mr. Bishop. ''Yes," remarked Mr Laurenson, "It's lot a paving game to bo a member of Par-'i lament."

"Boots are a big item with us," aaid a soustable. A smilo went round. It* has suggested that constables found it irksome aitei going off duty at 5.30 a.m. to attend Couit at 10.30 a m. to give evidence in regard to a case. Mr. Bishop asked the witness, a constable, if thero was a disposition among ofhccis faced mth this contingency to turn tho blind oyo to offenders in the, small hours of tho mprmng. Tho witness "hesitated to oxpiess an opinion, but Mr Dinnip candidly stated that the consideratloh Jiad some weight with constables. Ho quoted from his London experience, which went to show that London constables would even turn a drunken man on to another lnanVboafc in order to avoid tho necessity of appearing at tho Court in the morning