THE POLICE VERSION.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13009, 10 January 1908, Page 5

THE POLICE VERSION.

A DENIAL.

The disclosures made in the I •Herald" regarding the condu-ct of larrikins in tho city on New Year's Evo wore laid before the Tn:-:pe?tor-Oenerol ol Police by the Minister for Justice, who asked for an uffici.il report on tbt* matter. Tn consequence of this request. Mr Garvin calloci upon his subordinate officers tor their version cf the be."raviour of tho pecTlc- c:\ New Years Eve. Speaking on the matter, the luspectorGeneral said that the reports submitted In- tSiiperictomlent* Sherwood and j -Mitchell. Inspectors Boohc ami Mo- | Vane, and iiiib-Inspcctors Speivco an-.l Mathews show that there was little foundation for the seusational reports published. AH tin officers contend that although tho crowd was. lar«o and noisy, vory little was done that could Ik taken exception to by the police considering the occasiou. "Oi course. , ' said Mr Garrin, " the young tV-IIiWR and £ivk wer<* not exactly behaving thfuiaelvf* as wo would expiK't them on, an ordinary night, but (•h X«"v Year's Kre we must allow a little latitude Tt woo Id bo ini].>ciuibio to ptriitly enforce the law with regard to riotous behaviour. In tact, 1 don't think the people wculd tolerate us pievf nt ing them singing and blowing trumpets and whistles. Even if we did want to stop them, we could not with the force at our dispo&al. I have, a tlioiisand m<>n in the city and suburlie. and these have to do the best they can to prevent any prions disturbances. This Now Year's Eve hac! my personal attention for weeks past, and I had several conferences with my officers on the matter. Everything was disci]?.-od at length, and finally we decided on a scheme which worked highly satisfactorily. In past years there have been many complaints with regard t-o wilful damage of property, but this year nothing of that nature has been reported. "I have had report* from all my officers, and many of tho non-oommis-;%ion«d officers, and men. and all of tl-em state that considering the occasion the crowd was one of the most i'-rdrrly that have grt-hered in- the city. There were but few arnwts. and in no ca«e was a prisoner r<-scued from the j ■'■r.'.'.cc. *»*> roporwd. Tt> chow what Superintendent Mitchell, who is in charge of tho main portion of the city, thought of tho behaviour of the revellers. 1 might mention that he had a '

1 n serve oi 20 constables at the Central J I'olice Station ready for emergency, j and throughout the whole night he only j dtc«- on four men. These he took to j ■strengthen his force near the Post ; Office. i "With regard to the indecent as- j sauhs, none have been reported to the • police. The constables ou Uuty at the ; Post Office say that uone Mere brought : under their notice. One officer reporte j that he saw a large number of girls kissed by young fellotve. who were cvi- . cently strangers to them, but in each I case the girls brought the display oi i [ .•iffeetion on themselves by tickling the j ; men on the tace and neck -with little . ■ bunches of feathers on the end of J j sticks. Several of the girls were or- ! I derod out cf the Post Office colonnade ■ Iby the police for jostling men and ' ; otherwise behaving in a free manner. '• j "There's one thing, however,' con- , tinned Mr Garvin, "that will have to I be put a stop to. and that is those : explosive stick*:. They are dangerous j toys, and in the hands of an unruly ' j man would be a very effective weapon. I j Thi> year I ahall try to get legislation i iU. prevent their v.«.<-. The police took a , j number of them away from their own- ! eis. wjio wil! fco prosecuted in due • course." :