MINISTERIAL STATEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1596, 13 November 1912, Page 8

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT.

'■: I-'" '' ''''" -—':.* ■■■: ' POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT, ••' .''■"' '-■ '• i THE HON. A, L. HEEDMAN INTERVIEWED. '~ • Litefvi6Wed :; last'evening in regard to tho latest developmente at Waihi, the ,Hon. A; L.Hordinim (Miiiiater'for Justice), 'Said that more than he did -the-misfertiino' which, had: befallen• Constable Wade. • "The police at Waihi," th» Minister continued, "are,,a ; ll picked nwn; arid hay 6,despita insult ;ind eistreme' provocation, pen'ormed their, duties in'.a'.man.ner meji'.'ting thft.'.a'ppr.qval .of all ,tvho i respect law' and order. As the Minister in charge of, ;the force, I cannot speak too highly of the way in which, Mr.'. Commissioner Gulf ■len ana his meh.;'havo. discharged aii exceedingly difficult duty'. , .Great discretion has been used, yot great firmness has been shown; ' I ant glad 'to~.be able, to state that the.latest ißforniation which I have shows that".■' Constable Wade's in-. • jury is Hot likely to prove serious.' I have given ''instruction's' that if hecesJary '.the best medical assistance available is t;o bo obtained, and that everything is to ■■ be done to secure his comfort. "This morning's incident shpuid be- an-object-lesson to the pcoplo.of:Hew Zealand; It shows, to what extremes certain' ,uurcasoning arid misguided.men will go in. order to assart what they ertoneously .believe to be tb.cir rights.' Every man in ' New Zealand has a. right to follow a legi : , v tiniate calling, and it has b.een,ahd it certainly will he, the policy; of, tho Government to sep that in the exercise, of that right he is properly protected. We nre quite determined to preserve order, and to insist upon obedience of the law The hoodlum and the hooligan, will get no sympathy from us. . "Had there been two hundred policemen at- Waihi,?'- Mr. Herdman went on to remark, .''the'. shooting of the constable ■: could not have been averted. I have made .; ..'it ray business. to scb from the beginning; of the trouble that-a. sufficient iiumber of men were in Waihi, , and I am advised to-day that no moro are Every day. since the trouble arose I have been in, close communication, with Waihi, Nothing is done but I know-about it. immediately, thanks to the. zeal of. the polico officers. Very little'has been eaid by us about our plans or movements, be.cause'to'ensure success.it was necessary '.that everything should be done without .fuss.and'-without publicity. I am sorry I that this morning's proceedings should have again'- drawn public attention to a difficulty which I had hoped would have been settled without further troubl*, "I belieyft that to-day's incident will settU th* Waihi trouble. There Ar» men in this'community who seem to,b»:prepared to pb to iny length. The police are using, arid will use, every reasonable and legitimate'means to see that'the law is properly carried- -out,, and citizens and their property protected, and you may depend upon it that the Government will give the police the'best of assistance."