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SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS

AGAINST- THE POLICE FORCE

P.P.A. ASKS FOR INQUIRY,

A. deputation from the Protestant Political Association interviewed the. Min. ister of Justice (the Hon. T. M. Wilford) yesterday. Tim liev. Howard Elliott .said the depu. ration wished to draw attention to. matte.rs connected with the police force. They were matters of very serious itnporlnncp. He had copies of police reports filed in Wellington during the present year showing that at a public meeting held in the Town Hall on March 20 and addressed by Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward a certain constable had been prominent in acts of rowdyism. It was alleged in the reports that a second constable had also taken part in demonstrations against the Prime Minister. Tho first constable had "boohed," "quack-quacked," and generally assisted "Red Ted toughs" to interrupt. The Eev. JJr. Elliott rend copies of the polico report on the incident.

Mr. Wilford: Are you sure these ar'o copies of the original report? Mr. Elliott: "I am informed they are. I have no means of verifying them. You can do ?o." The police superintendent in charge of the Wellington district had the constable before him on this charge, and decided that there was no ground for action beyond a reprimand. Mr. Elliott contended that the constable ought, to have been punished mdro severely. He proceeded to refer to an Auckland affair, alleging that a police detectivo had taken information to the hsad of a certain , company instead of dealing with the case in the ordinary 'way. Very strong comment had been made' by an Auckland Magistrate, but the offending officer had been merely fined ,£2 and left in his present employment. Other constables had suffered womb penalties for much smaller offences. Mr. Elliott protested also agninst an instruction to the police that the religions of persons charged with offences were not to be entered on the charge-sheets. Mr. Wilford: There is a difference .between charge and conviction.

Mr, Elliott said the court records that were reaching the Government Statistician no longer showed the religions of the persons dealt with.

Mr. Wilford: The prison records show very, full particulars. The religion of convicted persons is made known. The man who is found not guilty is not in the same position. The charge-sheet is simply the information that is placed before the Magistrate.

Mr. Elliqtt contended 'that the returns from which the Government Statistician compiled his records did not show the religions of prisoners. The Catholic Federation had moved in Now South Wales to have particulars of the religions of arrested persons withheld. No other religion had asked for such a. concession, which prevented the supporters of the national system of education from quoting an important argument in suport of their case.

Mr. Wilford, in reply, said he was eorry the deputation had not informed him in advance of the subjects to be mentioned, in order that he might have been ready to give a clear-cut reply at once. With regard to the Wellington constable whose name had been mentioned, he would look up the official reports. Ho was not prepared in the meantime to accept as accurate the copies produced by Mr. Elliott. If the facte were as represented, ho would know what to do, and would have no hesitation in doing it. He thought that Mr. Elliott had confused charge-sheets with records of conviction. He would look into the waiter without delay. Eβ would examine also the records of the Auckland case mentioned. His reply on the points raised by the deputation would be sent to Mr. Dickson, M.P., within a week, and lie could say that it would be final, clear, and free from quibbling.

"I ain going to uphold law and order at' public meetings." added the Minister of Justice. "I am going, however, to make this perfectly clear, that while as Minister of Justice I maintain law and order, there are limits of the endurance of casual audiences. I guarantee that I could get you gentlemen 'ramping mad' in five minutes!"

Mr. Elliott: We would not attempt to sandbag you if you did get us mad.

Mr. Wilford: "If you get up in a public place and make statements that invite a row you .must not be 'surprised if the row comes. That 6hould be well understood." Mr. Wilford added that lie would deal with the matters brought before him fairly and promptly. If his replies did not satisfy tho deputation lie eared not. .As long as he satisfied himself he knew that lie was doing the fanthing. , Mr. Elliott: We don't want any 7concessions. • s Mr. Wilford: You won't get aLy. The deputation thanked the Minister and withdrew.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19180424.2.51

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 184, 24 April 1918, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
779

SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 184, 24 April 1918, Page 6

SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 184, 24 April 1918, Page 6

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