POLICE AND CRIME.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 223, 20 September 1929, Page 10

POLICE AND CRIME.

THIRTY MORE MEN.

APPOINTMENT INTENDED.

"SLY GROG." '•ROTTEN JOB," SAYS MINISTER. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The House of Representatives spent ;nost of the morning's sitting on the Police Department Estimates, the proposed vote being £401,G35. Mr. F. Waite (Clutha) referred to the provision of £100 for rewards and expenses for the suppression of slygrcg selling and the introduction of liquor into prohibited districts. He expressed the view that this task should be undertaken by the police in a sense of decency and justice, and not for reward, and ho also urged that more energy should be devoted to the suppression of illegal distilleries. Mr. Waite said that some of the larger distilleries had not so far been discovered, and illegal work was still going on in Southland. Sir Joseph Ward objected to the reference to Southland, which reference, he said, was unjustified. There had been a tremendous cleaning up there. He was satisfied the residents had no desire to resort to the purchase of illegal liquor at a high price, when they could get the genuine article under the law by importing it.

Mr. J. A. Nash (Palmerston North) emphasised the need for providing faster means of transport for the pursuit of criminals. Hore Police Needed. Mr. H. Holland (Christchureh North) said he hoped something would be done to strengthen the police force of the Dominion, which he considered was finite inadequate. It ha I not kept pace with the increase in population. Mr. Holland also stated that the publication of the plans of the police to cope with law breaking often defeated the object of those plans, in that it put criminals 011 their guard. The Hon. T. M. Wilford, Minister of Justice, said th«. task of suppressing sly grog selling was well tackled, and he was satisfied it had been practically stamped out in Southland. He pointed out the detection of slv grog stills was "n, rotten and extremely difficult job," and he did not think that it was out of place to grant rewards. The Minister said he realised the police force was not sufficiently strong numeiicallv. He had authority to state that it was intended to add thirty men to the force and the House would be asked to pass the vote in the Supplementary Estimates to meet this expense. "Master Men" the Problem. In regard to the suppression of crime, Mr. Wilford pointed out that one difficulty was the necessity to cope with. "master men." An international safeMower had been convicted recently. Prior to that there had been forty cases of safe-blowing. He did not claim that this man had been for them, but there had been no cases since. Mr. H. S. Kyle (Riccarton): What about the "fire bug"? Mr. Wilford: In my opinion there is no "fire bug" at all. It was simply invented by the newspaper Press. In his opinion the fires which had been attributed to incendiarism had really been accidental. Mr. Poison had complained of inability to cope with sheep stealing. He (Mr. Wilford) believed this would eventually be met in the same way as safe-blowing had been—by the detection of "master men." The need for faster transport for the police was realised, and the position would be met as far as possible.

Still Opposed to Women Police. Members suggested the appointment of women police, whereupon Mr. Wilfoid •stated that there was 110 power under the law for this. It could only be done by an amendment to the Act Mr! J. McCombs (Lyttelton): Will you introduce such legislation?. " M r . Wilford (emphatically): 1 will net! (Laughter.) Mr E. J. Howard (Cliristchurch South) said he could not agree with the Minister that the Cliristchurch fires were accidental. In his opinion they were the acts of a well-defined type of criminal lunatic. The theory of accidental origin was not borne out by the fact that furniture anil other articles had been stacked and apparently set on tire. He claimed that the police force should be trained in psychology. Had thev had such training they would have been able to put their fingers m a very few moments on where the trouble had originated.