LOCAL POLICE STATION.

Putaruru Press, Volume II, Issue 46, 4 September 1924, Page 2

LOCAL POLICE STATION.

ERECTION OF BUILDING. The Urgency Stressed. Second Constable Wanted. The matter of police staff an accommodation was prominent locally last week. On the Wednesday, Inspector Wohlmann, of Hamilton, paid a visit to Putaruru and Arapuni, when opportunity was taken by Mr. J. BariBrown, on behalf of the local justices of the peace, and Mr. F. C. Barnett, president of the Putaruru Chamber of Commerce, to stress to him the urgency of erecting a police station at Putaruru and appointing an assistant constable.

On Friday evening a special meeting of the executive of the Chamber of Commerce was held in Mr. G. P. Portas’ office to further the matter. The members present were:—Messrs. Barnett., in the chair, C. G. Alcorn, Portas, H. McDonald, J. H. Morris and A. H. Dukeson, jun., secretary. Mr. J. Barr Brown was also present by invitation, and, with the president, reported on their interview with the inspector. They considered application should be made to the Government at once for the reinstatement of the grant for the erection of a police station at Putaruru on the Estimates this session. It was unanimously agreed that with the big influx of population now taking place owing to the big works in the district the matter of adequate policing was very urgent, and it was resolved to write the Minister for Justice and Mr. F. F. Hockly, M.P. for the district, asking* that the grant be reinstated and the building erected without delay on the site reserved for it, as the present position was causing considerable concern among local residents. Mr. Barr Brown stated that in the present rented building the accommodation for Court sittings, etc., was altogether too cramped. The erection of a police station here should solve the difficulty of providing housing for a second constable. The local justices of .the peace would therefore doubtless be prepared to co-operate in the application to the Minister. The secretary was thereupon deputed to draft a suitable letter on the subject for signature by the justices also.

It was agreed that if the Estimates were submitted to Parliament before the vote could be inserted it be requested that the vote be put on the Supplementary Estimates. INFBUX OF POPULATION. QUESTION OF POLICING. Mr. F. F. Hockly, M.P. for Rotorua, gave notice in the House on Tuesday to ask the Minister for Justice if in view af the early influx of a large population to Arapuni, estimated on a conservative basis at 1400 people, he will take into his serious consideration the undoubted and urgent necessity of providing adequate police accommodation at Putaruru and providing a vote in this year’s estimates for a* new police station there, for which a site is already provided.