THE POLICE COMMISSION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 173, 25 August 1909, Page 2

THE POLICE COMMISSION.

AUCKLAND SITTINGS.' ! By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Tuesday. The Police Commission, Mr. Bishop, ■S..U., presiding, opened its sitting at the Si! --.,110 Court this morning. Constable. - i.unpsoii, a delegate from the Ici'cc in Auckland, said there was a nnnuii.icii- opinion' lb n the pay to men on their joining ilie force was too low. It should start al Ss a dav and advance by sixpence a day every three years till H reached Ids a day. Married constables should get Is (id a day instead ol one .-iiiliiiig. 'lliey asked for lSdn,'n instead oi i-> .lavs' annual leave and iho privilege of letting i| accuniulilte for three years, t lien tliey wanted one day oIV per m-.iilli and free uniforms. 11 Wilis feif Jliii ,!mre was something wrong with the system of promotions, in recent yens pminr men bad been promoted ov. :■ senior men. |[„ urged that other things being eipial the senior man should iTii-ivi. preference, a case ill point was (, astuble Muggoi'idge, oi Weiiington. 'the men hud no objection to the promotion u f detectives to higher ranks , ;1 , long lls they were appointed m proport:on to tlieir numbers and had ■the necessary qualifications, in replv in Mf. Illume, witness said merit di'n

nit always appear in the making of pi\> milieu-. He knew the inspector ivai -*licd to Mibmit names, lie cmild no iitggesl ii better system if it were fo! owed. Witness said the discipline \va: .'.'ell maintained in tile ioree. _ On-table Hammond said the And; and force desired to protest agains ime lust in adjudicating upon trivm •uses m tlic Magistrate's Court. Air. Bishop: I cannot allow anv re lection on magistrates. Witness: I only liriiiL' tlie niattri: orward as the outcome of a resolutiol iy the .Auckland police. Air. Bishop: Thcr<J is only one \va' n which they can be dealt with, am t is not here. Witness also expressed dissatisfaction nth tile medical officers, and said tha i'as a cause for similar complaints al hi'ough the Dominion, cxeentm" i Vellinglon. Air. Bishop promised to have the pap r« of the recent enquiry regarding tin lodical officer in question produced" unci dded that it seemed extraordinary that medical officer sjiould be forced upon lie men against their unanimous pro.est.

Auckland, Last Night. Constable Carmody, of Wlian«afoa. said he had been i n 'the force 30 years, and had always been overlooked for promotion. He was 57 vcars of a"c. Kive years ago he had asked the Commissioner of Police the reason of V,--non-promotion, and Mr. Dinnie replied that Ins age was a bar, and that he did not like promoting anyone over 45. Constable Dunne, or Pcmsonby station, complained he also had been overlooked in promotion and had pointed out that a number of younger men hail been advanced over him. In witness' opinion, political influence was rampant. Witness wished to impress upon the Commissioner that clerks and storekeepers should not be promoted to the rank of sergeant. There was the case of -Muggndgc in Wellington, and then again there was the case of O'Conneil. As nil instance of political influence. Constable Dunne cited the case of the liny of Islands district. Every constable in that electorate had been promoted to sergeant except witness and another man, who had refused the office Mr. Bishop: What do you deduce, from tins'

Witness: The only inference T ran draw is that a move was made by Mr. Houston, a good-hearted man, in the direction of having these men promoted Mr. Bishop: AVI, V 110t -,.,,.,,' Witness: He spoke to me many limts and asked if he could do iinvthin.r 'or me, at Wellington, but I always "said. Xo thanks."

Mr. BHiop: Vnu think that if you liml sain -'V's, gci me promoted to icrgcunt," it wonhl have followed? Witness: I think I „-„ u | c l „,.,.-, j |l(( f., verv good chance.

Jhe sittings of the Commission wof be continued 10-morrow. andwill niobably extend into next week.