THE POLICE COMMISSION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 157, 28 July 1909, Page 2

THE POLICE COMMISSION

CHARGES AGAINST MR, LAURENSON. AN EMPHATIC DENIAL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. The Police Commission opened this morning. Constable Connell, now of Invercargill, was cross-examined at length regarding the allegations made by him against Mr. Laurenson, member for Lyttelton. Witness 9aid he suggested that Mr. Laurenson had tried everyway lie knew to get him out of Lyttelton. lie had not been removed as the result of complaints made by Mr. Laurenson. Mr. Laurenson gave evidence on his own behalf. No conversation of the kind referred to by Connell had ever taken place between them. He had never suggested to Connell that he was too active in his duties or to get him a Letter position if lie left Lyttelton. The letters Jie wrote to the Minister were written in consequence of complaints made to him. He had refused to forward any complaints except written ones, and he had been very careful not to say a single word against Constable Connell. He had never in the slightest degree suggested that any injury should be done Connell. He was thunderstruck at the allegations made at Invercargill by Constable Connell. He had been on friendly terms with him, and would rather have done him a good turn than anyone else. Complaints had come in before the election of December 6, 1005. Witness had been in Wellington attending Parliament till Ave weeks before that election, so that he could not have Jul'! the alleged conversation with Connell. As to Council's statement that the men making complaints were of liad character, he only knew that one had been Unco convicted for drunkenness, and one for bad language. Mr. Dinnie (Commissioner of Police*, R. J. Gillies (Inspector of Police in the' Canterbury district), and Charles Rutedge (formerly Sergeant of Police at Mtteliton) gave evidence to the effect that, they knew of no instance of Mr. Laurenson having interfered with any member of the police force. Mr. liishop, referring to the statements made by Connell concerning wharf laborers, said that he did not think that Connell intended to say that they were a dishonest community. The way the evidence was circulated was liable to cast a stigma oil the general body of wharf laborers, but that was not the impression left on his mind. Council was dealing with individuals among the wharf laborers. There was no impression on his mind that the "eneral body of laborers were accused, "and It they had been it would taken more than the evidence of a disrated detective to convince him that thev were dishonest. The Commission will resume to-morrow.