THE POLICE FORCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 595, 25 August 1909, Page 7

THE POLICE FORCE.

ALLEGED POLITICAL INFLUENCE.

PAY AND PROMOTIOM. INTERESTING EVIDENCE AT AUCK. LAND. (By Toloßrns>U.-Pfe«j Agntalfctlcral Auckland, August 24. Mr. H. W. Bishop, S.M., opened tho sitting of tho Police Commission at tho Supremo . Court this morning. ', €onstablo Tlwmpson, a delegate from tha foroo in Auckland, said tho unanimous rjpiw ion was that tho pay on joining tho foroo was too low. It should start at Bs. a day and advance by Od. a day every three years till it had reached 10s. a day. Married constables slibujd got Is. 6d. a day, instead of Is. They asked tor eighteen days' instead of tWclvd dajs annual leave, with tho privilege of lotting it accumulate for threo years, Then tlloy wanted ono day off per month and free uniforms, It wbb Iclt thcro was someth'ine wrong with tie system of promotions in recent years. Junior men had been promoted over senior men. Ho urged that, other things being equal, a senior man should receive preference. A case ju point was Constablo A uggndge, of Wellington. Tho men had no objection to tho promotion of detectives to niglier ranks, b0 long as they were appointed in proportion to their numbers and had tho necessary qualifications. In reply to Commissioner Dinnio, witness said merit did not always appear in tho male ihg bt promotions., Ho knew tho, inspector was asked to submit tho names ot men, and he was well qualified to db so. He tould not ' suggest a belter system, if it wore followed, witness said discipline Was well maintained in the force. Constable Carmody, of Whangaroa, said ho had bqotl in tho force 30 years, and had always been overlooked for promotion. Ho Wa* f years of ago. Fivo years ago ho had asked tho Commissioner of Polico tho reason of his non-promotion, and Mt. Dinmo replied that hjß ago was a bar, and that ho did ' not hko promoting anyono over 45. Constabjo Dunhfl, of Pottsonby station, Oouiplamcd that ho also had boon ovorlooked «i promoUpii. Ho had applied for turn, and had pointed out that a number, of younger men had boon, advanced over Win. In witness's opinion political influence was Witness wished te-im-press upon tho commissioners that clerks ana storekeepers should not bo promoted telle tank Of sergeant. Thcro was tho caso of I Unstable Muggndgo in Wellingtoh. Then, ag ?i m ' . Ulcrt) .* aß thß «aso of Constable O'Connol. As an instanco of political influence, Con-' stable Dunfto cited tho case of tho Bay of Islands district. Every constable living in] that elebtorhto had been promoted sergeant' except witness, and another mail who had refused tho office. ' Mr Bishop i What do you deduce from thisr i r j Witness: Tho only inferenci I can dratf is tnat the movo was mado by Mr. Houston, a good-hearted roan, in tho direction of, having theso men promoted. . Mr. Bishop: Why not you? . \ Witness: He spoke to mo many times, and j ■asked if ho could do anything for mo at Wellington, and I always said, "No thanks." Mr. BiBhop: You think that if you had\ said, "Yes, got mo promoted .sergeant," it 1 would havo followed P ' I ' Witness: 1 think I would haVo had & v«i* '' good chaiicfe. ' The sittings of tho commission will bo continued to-morrow, and will probably e*. tend into next week. 1 IBy Teltgrhph.-Sp«t»l borrwDon<J«o*.l F ta«- . Aupßland, August 24. } Kcfemng to tho question of political in. J nuence at tho Police Commission to-day Constable Dunne said: I would not suggest that any mllucnco is used on Inspector OuU let), not tho slightest,. Tho inlluonco is used, by members', of Parliament on tho Ministers and tho Commissioner of Police is under t/ho ordcrs of tho Ministers. i Mr.. Bishop: I understand that the com- ' inissioner suggests names tq the Minister for Justice for hjs approval? Witness;'l suggest thattiie Minister Bug. geste names to tho commissioner.