NO POLICEMAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 33, 8 February 1930, Page 11

NO POLICEMAN.

I • - I MORRINSVILLE COMPLAINT, I ! ( i 1 CONSTABLE AWAY ON DUTY. j "J URGENT NEED OF ASSISTANCE, j ] (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) MGRRINSVILLE, this day. 3 There is only one constable stationed at Morrinsville, and tlie nearest place;? v where reinforcements can be obtained are Te Aroha and Hamilton. Consequently, when the constable is out of town on duty, there is no one at the station to answer urget calls tor police ! assistance. j This oversight on the part of the J I Justice Department has been a source of annoyance to Morrinsville business people for many years past. At last night's meeting of the Morrisville Chamber of Commerce two letters were received from country residents who had sought the constable, oil January 15, J only to be told that he had been summoned to Hamilton for the greater part of the day as a witness in a court case. In one case the applicant for assistance had been involved in a collision of two j vehicles, while in the other a farmer had i had some machinery removed and wished (to report the matter to the police. When | the constable returned he made all haste to attend to these matters. Members of the chamber remarked that the matter of a second constable for Morrinsville had been before them several times before, and though representations had been made to the authorities nothing had been done. Mr. F. Lye, M.P., said that be_ had urged the appointment of an additional constable when he had interviewed the Minister of Justice and the Com mis- |_ "sioner of Police during the last session. He recognised the need of another constable, as Morrinsville was an important railwav junction and the centre ot a thickly populated farming centre, and, what with compiling farming returns and ! all other duties thrust upon the police, a | the solitary constable had more than -1 Lp should be asked to do. There was a j' \ treni?udiips amount of work for c | policeman.. Little places like Kihilviht j i. 1 and Katikati had one policeman 3 an<i,

there was not as much work to be done at these places as at the Morriaviiie station. A vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Lye for his efforts, and it was decided to forward a letter containing the complaints to the authorities.