POLICE!

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 206, 1 September 1938, Page 9

POLICE !

CALL TO ACTION. WEARING THE STRIPES. DRAMA AT EDEN PARK. "Scratch a Russian and you'll find a Tartar!" i But why go all the way to the Soviet territory for an example of the average citizen of any race casting off the restraints of soefal refinement, and satisfying the primitive man's urge to throw his weight about, when one can see - the annual Auckland v. Wellington police Rugby football match at Eden I Park ? The experience of seeing thirty guardians of the peace, by mere exchange of uniform and baton lor jersey and football, transformed into enthusiastic exponents of personal violence was obviously enjoyed by approximately 2000 spectators yesterday afternoon. No doubt the enjoyment of the onlookers had various individual origins. Striped Like Convicts. The casual person was intrigued by jthe spectacle of the striped jerseys, so [strongly reminiscent of convict uniform, being sported by administrators of the law. and the passinsr Thought! that tbe stripes accorded well with their! present riotous behaviour. Another) ipassing smile, too, was evoked by the! fact that the only lightweight on the field was a little man in white with a whistle, and that the only sign of police! discipline in the riot was obedience to, jthe whittle. j Here and there could be observed! [groups of big men together on the ter-l jrace in animated discussion over individual performances when the fray was at its height. It was clear they had inside knowledge of the personalities. They cheered when a plain .loin laid a seniorsergeant low, groaned when an actingdetective sped from the clutches of a warder, and chuckled to *ee a desk sergeant brought down with a thud.

Bill Sykes, His Chance. A furtive individual further along the line, busy consulting programme and numbers, seemed to be deeply concerned about identification of the participants in the game who showed an extra turn of speed. He might have been a burglar. 1 Then, in the centre of the terrace j was a joyful party of bluejackets. A couple of bottles of refreshment and four glasses set out on the eteps beside them, they only knew there were more police in sight than ever they had seen in one flock—and all too busy to spoil a sailor-man's joy. They revelled in the rare chance. They were right, too. The police were much too busy to be concerned with the drink traffic. A wind blew, down the) field, but the Wellington cops didn't j care. "What's a bit of wind to us. , ' said they. 'Let Auckland have it. and we'll get it.later, and know what to do! with it," So Auckland and "the wind! finished up the fi\r*t spell leading by I 12 points to S. When the second spell started thel wind still biew downfield, and Welling-j ton's natural instinct to make use o'l the elements was soon exemplified \\li"iij from a penalty goal-kick tbe ball wp.- ! I lifted into the strathospbere. u. 1«-| blown hetvvr-c-n the post«i. .Still .'• ii'-'r land were a point, ahead. Pickpocket Tactics. A sudden spasm of pi<-kj>oik<-; luetic by Wellington then struck di~ii : :i\ inf. the A nek la n<l ranks. '"Smash, grab and run" vra=. Wellington** n(*\v slogan, and away w'.tli ' ).<■ loot flashed a speedy thief known to liiftriped comrades as Xo. 0. "Arn-t lita;' man:" went up the cry. But the Auckland guardians didn't seem to know the ! exact procedure to fit the case. One 1 warder wanted to get a warrant of arrest, and another called out threei times. '"Stop, in the King's name;" Siil] the scamp scampered on unheeding. Then a ready-witted patrol man |>ut a baud tin his shoulder, liiu just in time to miss seeing No. li the loot toj \o. 4. who dodged over the interiiatioiuilj line with it. So there Auckland were, two points down, with m<»>t of the spell to play, and Wellington bad the wind with them! But were they downhearted? No. They j

consulted their more waiting &• calls; a smart « watch our No. 4. Wellington tried and-run and their $0: . No. 4 and his own WaU s. J Wellington's Lost W. The wind still blew down with Wellington, but they cor their wind. It had somehow in them a» Auckland's super -Y drove into » series of hit-a rages. Somehow WelHngto line was seized with a cran lion, and most of them I promoted superintendents I workers. X«>\v and again t I surprise visit, and were bi by extradition warrant ismie. Fugitive Offenders Act by t weight with the whistle'. * Tb hit-and-run episode. Auvklai tlie patr.,l officer and immediately ut.ei- that jrot a. verdict <m sonic exfir evkU-nce wlii<-]i proved tiia .jaiiKwnt of boot em-r-ry wb ..-■i-ii.-e of diret-tidn and t'ni ;,■>• ,|to a pottej p );1 :. . The wind -til] ],],> w ,],, u ' « itli Wo'Jhifttiiii. but Uieiv i :i-fi in Wellington, and Aw,-!!'-M majority \o:-,]i t -t. ( rt ''' v '' "•■'' J-' r eater r;iffians.