POLICE DISCIPLINE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 598, 28 August 1909, Page 6

POLICE DISCIPLINE.

■ A MAGISTRATE'S COMMENTS. "IT MADE MY HAIR STAND ON; END." • MR. MK3OWAN GONDEaiNS THE ' 1• ' " -ARBITRATION LAW. . , v . (By Telegraph—Press A6sc>olatiqn.) )' ! . '' Auckland, :August 27. > At tho'Police Commission, Mr. M'Gowan; ox-Minister for Justice, came, forward voluntarily to givo evidenoe. He said' ho was for nine years -.'Minister for Justice, ; and - poli-tical-head of tho Police department. He ■had no grounds for complaint' with regard to •Mr.. Dinnie's, administration. :of:the Department..'l .Tlioonly oomplaints ho had heard of wor.o t'lio . general desire for mpre pay and alao with: regard to. promotion. While in offioo ho: was quite satisfied -with the control; of the force. • He 1 had frequently been approached with regard to.'i the. promotion :of police..by .members of Parliament. If a man worthy' of promotion \vik rooommended by. a member ' of. Parliament there could be nonobjection .to the recommendation; being made, but if. a man was not worthy of promotion no Recommendation of any member of Parliament would avail.-■ Theeo applications unquestionably wore at times prompted by the police.themselves. • • ' .

. A BonjpcJy Suggested. Mr. M'Gowan said. he oould suggest a remedy, .but would not like .to apply it--' vizi, take away the- franchise from the police. Mr. Bishop: But tho question of democracy is at the root of it;. I. do riot think you can apply, that remedy -in New-Zealand. k Mr. M'Gowan/said.iebelieved the oom-'inissioner-sb'ouU^' have a free hand up to a oertain point;-. ho.| should have the power of suspending".a man. He would/not say tie cominissioner should have the. power of dismissing man. He' (Mr.. M'Gowan), had aj> pointed; police' oonstablM. ori 'the '.commis-SMner's-.'rooommendationV' Coirimissioned officers (were '■ appointed'; by . Cabinet ion the Minister's, recommendation'. ;One., had been promoted-, from chief clerk :to sub-inspector on':■ Mr. ' Diriniels: recommendation! -.-He • oould not, romomber-.' the;, special circumstances, •Only. pnoe' had application. for leavo for Mr. Dinnie's ! son como ; before -him;v It was' not ari ( iipplicatipn'vfor/ sue; months'' 1 eave,, whach would certainly have -been; refused. •/- v. \ed .. j»rsori. "° : hlf^be'says .only.. one." appUcataon came before ; him'! that' 'should; suffice.''

,:j\ :\Effcot•:«#:Arbitration* Awards. . . ; :;-Mr.:M,'Gptvan, gave ithe-.following i reason why, .UnMiis opinion, 7-there»is i difficulty; '• - in; ;M»viriiig ,m<ai in . f-o formation-' of so 'many. ■ uiuoh'sYanil,' -making' of 'so . : ma|i'y ; arbitra-. • tion' Kite ,of.- wages 'has "gone up muoh'-liigli'er-,tlian it!was.-, result. 1 is' that ■men ;prefer'^to-'.go in ;for. /manual : labour. .Tfcprlnciple.idf.- increasing ;wages by 'arbitratioii. awards is. in-: my ' opinion an unepundj oa-b.lf the price of labour isiput- above ;• its' ooono'mic ' value • something must liappen.- : •While : - the country is;(afl' : '-riSht,' but with a- time of. depif<ss§.ioii- .th^re. ; wifl\'be. a. ;• stnt6;/of '; wo.' must'. suffer. I :;beajihg : .oh; tbe prpMnt-.sMrcity,;bf cajididates for, tljo police' 'fordo;!-'; 5 ,/ i- • ?,■ ■'. ■ Mr;, H..W.-Northcroft,y S.M.j gavevevi•denoe,/' Questioned by ; ConstableDonovan, in'•'■regard",'to ;his. 'allegatiott''jtbat; : apolitical infliie'noo-liad' bMn-msed-.toi get -his- reaoval. from; said, that' ■ hie;! foiievfed ■.'that: |he!: hotellieeperß;',at;, Coromandel' thought'the '.constable. too strict,: iand, : petitiocwl •;for hisreniov.al.V< One-', of'-•the; jiotolkeepcrd '.did' come forward as a- Parliamentary candidate,--.and; then retired- before; tho election. ' - ' Vl 1 ' : ' Discipline of tho Force.

". Mt. Northcroft' went on ;to 'say that there was'ione: thingithb' fto, 1 and . that- was 'an'-incident in'i which?.a;-constable giving evidence, before the .oomintesioh had Hil wbickion -Ajickland magistrate-conducted-his Court., ilt reflected : seriously upon the;discipline;;in-,.the force. - '• Bishop: 1 :1 think-the -whole- thing-:-is-greatly to bo regrctt-od. - V Mr.;.Northcroft.::. It' made my, hair; stand on end wheri I read about it; ; { ,-v;

' Mri. Bishop: You- had an instanoe just as had when constables held a meeting, in Wellington. to criticise this commission They should -be treated with the contempt they deserve,.'-just as ,1: treated, . the - Wellington meeting with the contempt that it deserved. I'orty of them assembled there, and oriticised me.' . '. -Vw

Mr.: Northcroft- Yes; I suppose they will, be drawing up'the sentences next., , , Constable Leonard, eta tod that he -wm present at tho meeting-of police oonstablea. :The question' that came up was in regard to .oonstables.. being . kept at. \Court. No ■magistrate's Tiamo :was ■ mentioned, .and. it ;vras/decided that.no action should ,be talfen without referring the matter to the inspector and ascertaining his opinion in regard .- to what time should bo allowed, off t for- attendance at-the Court. ...... Mr. Bishop: Ob, that alters the position of affairs; and' takes > away the reflection- which • would otherwise fall on the. men of the force. Emoluments. T.' Wake, an ox-member of the police force, suggested that' tho system , of emoluments Bllould be . done away .... wiih..\ The pokoo did all i:theso things, in., police time. It often, happened that the pofioo, did not -have enough.'to keep, thoni; going.;:. It wastoo : monotonous. for hiin, and.so be, got out of the eeryioo.. The emoluments were altogether "too soft a thing." • v."-' 1.- .. Constable M'Kay, formerly of Wellington,, oomplainediof [having been- fined: at Welliug-, ton I !,(without,; being' heard,;in . his.,; defence) for.'.'an offcrioe;. which .he denied committing.: ; Mr.;Biflho"p 6aid he] would';wquiro.intofcho •.■ ■;:. : Sergeant' Ratosiy • denied, that • there• was' any ''complaint.' against;/him- in Cbristcliurch, or-:,thai'si'e '■ Christ--'church fdr'any iLS. had been asserted,'by!ilr:'fT.; E.; Taylor,/M.P..Mr. Taylor, had ;an old-, grievance 'against, him .be-; cause-.herefused-- to; give evidence against Inspector Emerson in IS!)?.. /■. " Mr Dtniuo: Mr. Taylor has not como for-, ward t to make m<* eat my words, as he iiid he would. • • • '• ■ The' oommiasion adjouried till; Monday. '