The Daily News SATURDAY, JANUARY 6. THE COMMON PEOPLE AND THE CONSTABLE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8021, 6 January 1906, Page 2

The Daily News SATURDAY, JANUARY 6. THE COMMON PEOPLE AND THE CONSTABLE.

The inimitable Gilbert remarks in one of his operas that " the policeman's life is not a hippy one," and although the New Zealand policeman h not as a rule distressed by overwork, sometimes ho gets what is known in the force as a " rough time." We try to think that the people of the colony are an orderly community, nearly as devoid of sins is a billiard ball of feathers, until we bump up against facts in connection with the people and police. A while ago the people of Christchurch, or, at least, two thousand of them, began to give ten or twelve constables a very bad time. Very strange thing for a law abiding community to do, •is the constables believed themselves to be doing their duty. The curious thing is that the rioters were not of the " hooligan " brand or the " larrikin" class. They were just plain citizens, angry at seeing some men , a res'el.

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As exactly similar thing took place in Wellington a while ago. Peaceful citizens became a howling mob, ready to rescue anybody or anything, and desirous chiefly of killing some constables, who were in u ridiculous minority. The latest place to supply one. of these People v. Police riots is Auckland, where, from 'he small bar ginning of an altercation between a defaulting diner and a waiter, ft crowd of 2003 collected to" rescue' in arrested person from a few police. It is easy to stir a crowd to anger, aid the crowd foo.i begins to throw' sto::es —es.eially when the police don't cany firearms and don't use batons, and it all sounds very cowardly and very unfair .Hid very tinB.itis'i for 2300 people to endeavour to fight a few constables. .** * *

Whilst we believe that as a protective body the police-force of New Zealand are fairly free from blame, there isn't any question that the whole force is still suffering in reputation for the sins of a few southern burglar-constables. The crowd doesn't discriminate. It practically says : " Moses was a policeman ; Moses was a robber; you're a policeiinn, therefore you're a robber. We'll settle you." A bad name sticks. Commissioner Dinnie has a reputation as a Scotland Yard detective, and it naturally follows, of course, that he is an organiser. He lias the rather difficult job of restoring the. confidence of the people in the police and removing the stigma laid on the force by the actions of a few of its members. The Commissioner has just been visiting Australia, He I has examined the systems prevailing [ there, and he is, like every other of- i ficial who has ever visited anywhere or seen anything, convinced that "we have nothing to learn from outside." The official who hasn't said this after a trip around isn't born yet. **• * #

Iv this occasional rioting of the people in New Zealand cities is not the result of a loss of confidence in the police, it is evident that the New Zealander is a person who is acquiring disreputable habits, and who should be suppressed. Wo are accustomed to associate rioting with people of Latin blood, who lack the self-control and coolness for which we are so justly celebrated—in nov els. Anyhow, if our few poor little policemen fight many more unequal combats with the people we may hecome as celebrate 1 as the South American republics, which le cognise no authority that isn't armed with Maxim guns.