SERIOUS CHARGES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 142, 13 July 1909, Page 2

SERIOUS CHARGES

IN CONNECTION WITH THE POLICE KffiCE. EVIDENCE BEFORE THE COMMISSION. By Telegraph.—Fresa Association. Dunedin, Last Night The Police Commission opened its' sittings here to-day. -Mi'. !*.».• 'I 1 askea ill ' - Arnold, -VU'., to give evidence on oath, in-elating it wuli any statement he desired to make. In tiie course of his remarks Aiv. Arnold man the following allegations regarding members of the lorce:— , No. 1 was a man who was concerned ra a street assault case in Wellington recently. ... No. i left England in company with liia' wile's sister, came to New Zealand and joined the force. His deserted witu made enquiries, aad it was discovered lie was living with her sister, and 'by him she liad two children. He was found at Lower Hutt. . No. 3 came from England, joined the force and went to Auckland, lie was transferred for lighting, and then cleared with a married woman. He baa been boarding with a certain person, and although the police did not know, others did know that things were not I as tiii'v should have been. No. -1 was a man who had been workinn in the tram service. lie was dis-lnH-ed 1 i o'm the tram service in one of the cities for making immoral suggesI tions to lady passengers, and lie joined I the force. ... No. 5 had ten in the Glasgow police force, and was dismissed for assault on a sergeant. He came to New Zealand and joined the force. No. 8 was represented to him as being r a most extraordinary case. He was ail \ Australian and a notorious thief. His ! photo and his finger-prints were in the . possession of the Police' Department in i New Zealand. Commissioner Dinnie: No. i Mr. Arnold: Well, so much the better. , In any case, he was a notorious thief, 3 and he joined the force, whether his I photo and his finger-prints were in the ] office when he joined, they were after--3 wards.

Commissioner Dinnie: His photo was. No. 7 came from Australia. Wihle a assault was 'herng committed on othur members of the force in Wellington this constable {in plain clothes) was amongst the crowd urging on civilians as' against the force. Mr. Arnold also referred to the case of a constaible stationed ap north. He was charged .by another constable with robbing a drunken man. An i enquiry was held, and whatever the I Commissioner constables I believed the case proved up to the hilt, but the person supposed to have committed the robbery was promoted, and transferred to a more important pos't

down South. He preferred not to come south, and he was sent further north, while the constable who hail made the charge was sent into the baekbloeks on the Main Trunk line, and, on protesting, was severely fined. The system of promotion caused as much feeling in the force as perhaps anything else. It was' that the clerks in the Police Department, having ten years' service, might be promoted to be sergeants. On application, Mr. Arnold handed to Mr. Bishop a list giving names and particulars of the cases in which men had been promoted over the heads of seniors. "A" was promoted to be sergeant on Ist March, .1005. when in a certain district up north. He had been transferred on account of being mixed up in a drunken row in which a young man named Draper lost his life. " He was trasferred to Auckland, and since then had been promoted to sergeant over 110 senior eonstables. "B" joined on Ist July, 1000, and was promoted on Ist October, 1900, when there were 273 men senior to him. "C" joined on Ist April, 11)03, and was' promoted on Ist April, 1909, to be sergeant. Another man, who joined a year .before "C," had been passed, although he hud done extraordinary good work. "D" joined in 1807 and was promoted on Ist April, 1900, over 182 seniors. "E" joined on 19th September, 1898, and was promoted in 1908 over 221 seniors. "F" joined on 10th January, 1800, and was promoted on Ist April, 1900, over 140 seniors. "G" joined on loth June, 1800, and was' promoted on 16th March, 1900, over 130 seniors. "H" joined on 13th September, 1890, and was promoted on loth February, 1800, over 100 seniors. "I" joined on the 14th November, 1805, and was promoted on !stb February, 10C8, over 130 seniors. "J" joined on 10th October, 1891, and was promoted on Ist July, 1008, over 108 seniors. "K" joined on 18th April, JBOO, and was promoted on 10th June, 1908, over lot seniors. "L" joined 'n December, 1890, and was promoted in December, 1007, over more than 200 seniors.

'Mr. Arnold suggested that the men were insufficiently paid and that the .-tnmliml of education was too high. He did not think there was any political influence licre, either hi regard to appointments or promotions. While this mutter was under discus?ion, ilr. Bishop said lie had found 0:1 the file three letters written by members of Parliament to the .Minister, forwarding complaints by constituent with regard 'to individual constables. Chief Detective Herbert said he considered lie had a grievance with regard fo pant promotions and the present "system as regards the claims of detectives, compared with those of the uniform police. The Commission adjourned till tomorrow.