LIGHTLESS BICYCLES AND THE POLICE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9991, 11 March 1910, Page 5

LIGHTLESS BICYCLES AND THE POLICE.

To the Editor. Sir,—lf you will kinrily grant me space to reply to the letter signed "Veritas." in this morning's issue of the Age, in which he makes a mast unfair attack upon a body of men who are not allowed to reply even in self defence, I will esteem it a favour to myself, also to the public. I have in the ordinary course if my business calling been Jo travel to a yery great extent after dark, in many of our New Zealand towns. Masterton is no worse than any other town of its size, as regards its police protection against bicycle by-law offences by cyclists. As '"Veritas" can prove for himself if he will take the trouble to look up the number of summonses issued against cyclists duriig the past eighteen months. Query: If "Veritas" suffers from want of light, he has, I believe, the right as a citizen to lay an information aeainst an offender, which would oe more manly than attacking a hard and often overworked police staff, under a nom de plume. In Masterton we are not by any means over policed. We have a sergeant and tour constables While it is an easy matter for "Veritas" to pick holes in the working of the force, but methinks he has only cycle lamps and bells on the brain. It would take the whole time of the police force if they were told off specially to trap unwary cyclists, men, women and children, who ride without lights. "Veritas" seems to think that because he does not see a white helmet and blue uniform in the particular streets he mentions, even with the aid of. shall I say, his fpecs, that this fact proves they are not there. Funny, isn't it, that I have seen them more often in the3e same streets'after dark than in Queen Street. But then I judge by face and voice, not by helmet, and without the aid of specs. No, Ido not think it is merely a coincidence, probably ignorance of facts, as you apparently are of the municipal by-laws, as by your few hints you evidently wish the police not only to carry out the strict letter ot the law, but still further exceed their duty, at which I believe you would be the first to bring them to book. The number of sly grog cases recently tried in Masterton

should be proof positive, if that were necessary, that the police are fairly often to be seen in some of the streets mentioned by "Veritas." To my knowledge the local force are often weakened by the absence of one. sometimes two, constables in charge of prisoners, which would leave one constable for, say, Queen Street, although the latter, being well lighted, perhaps in the opinion of "Veritas" does not require the presence of a constable; and one other con> stable for, one of the streets dangerous to life and limb, while a third one is snatching* forty winks, for even a wide-awake constable must close his eyes occasionally. I hold no brief for the police. Neither have I much time to waste in answering

i writers who have not the moral courage to sign their name to a letter which amongst charges of negligence of duty, also, practically, accuses the police of cowardice. From what I have seen of the force in Masterton, not one of them has, during my sojourns here, given reason to believe they are afraid of being knocked down. In nu town that I have been in have I seen the police more zealous in carryirg out the law and doing their duty than in Masterton. I am confident that the sergeant in charge is a man who would stand no shirking on the nart of his men, neither rio they require any bounding on to

do their duty by an irresponsible citizen, or am I correct in writing, a non-resident of Masterton. —I am, etc., FAIR PLAY.