ACTION BY POLICE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 83, 5 October 1938, Page 23

ACTION BY POLICE

WARNING REPEATED

A further warning that the Police Department was determined to ensure a fair hearing for candidates at election meetings was given yesterday by the Commissioner of Police (Mr. D. G. Cummings).

Referring to the arrest of an interjector at a meeting addressed by Mr. D. Pool, National candidate for Eden, in Auckland on Monday night. Mr. Cummings said this man would appear in the Magistrate's Court to-mor-row. Three men whose names had been taken at Auckland meetings, and two from Otahuhu, would also be charged.

As previously intimated, offenders would have the opportunity of giving their names and addresses, and summonses would be issued as quickly as possible. He had been informed that a man '"had appeared before a Magistrate at New Plymouth yesterday following an election meeting and had been convicted and discharged.

1 "From the police reports that have reached me in connection with some of the recent disturbances, it appears that the degree of disturbance, has not been as great as would appear from some of the newspaper reports," said Mr. Cummings. "However, prosecutions are being instituted, and we are detei'mined to put down ay; attempt to prevent a speaker from receiving a fair hearing." He added that in Wellington the meetings seemed on the whole to be well conducted.

Mr. Cummings pointed out that police officers l-eceived special instruction as to the conduct of election meetings, and were therefore capable of judging the lengths to which interjectors should be allowed to go. The instruction took the form of lectures given on lines laid down by himself. Counting out, for instance, was a form of disturbance which should be stopped immediately.