POLICE FORCE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19986, 22 July 1930, Page 10

POLICE FORCE.

A NEW COMMISSIONER. MR W. G. WOHLMANN APPOINTED. f THE PEESB Special Service.] AUCKLAND, July 21. Official advice has been received by Mr W. G. Wohlmann, Superintendent of Police at Auckland, that he has been appointed to the position of Commissioner of Police for New Zealand, in succession to Mr W. B. Mcllveney, whose resignation was recently received by tho Minister for Justice. With the retirement of the late Commissioner, Mr Wohlmann is the senior officer in the Police Force at the present time. His connexion with the police could hafe commenced no earlier, as he was born in 1872, in the police station at-Invercargill, where his fatner held the post of District Clerk under Inspector Fox, a position which the new commissioner held himseif from 1903 to 1907, under Inspector Mitchell. Mr Wohlmann joined the Police Forco at Duucdin in 1695 and after being in the district office there, was transmrreu to invercargill as District clerk in October, 190b, lie remained thcie until February, 1907, when he was moved to Auckland in the same cupaoiiy, serving under inspector Cullen, wno was iatei Commissioner. Two years later Mr Wohimann was given charge of the Waihi Sab-District where he remained until 1917, after passing through the difficult period of the miners' strike. In 1917 Mr Wohlmann was promoted Senior-Sergeant and was stationed for eleven months at Christchureh. Becoming Sub-Inspector he was transferred to Auckland, where he served only a short period. On November Ist, 1920, he was appointed Commissioner of Police in Samoa, where In was sent to organise tho civil police at the end of the military regime. In a little more than a year be did valuable work reorganising the old Native police, who were reinforced with a small staff of European police. At that time the duties of the police at Samoa were extremely varied, and a number of difficult problems concerning the Native population and Chinese indentured labour had to be dealt with. At Apia the police had charge of the Fire Brigade, and were entrusted with numerous other tasks, usually carried out by the controlling local body." Perhaps the most remarkable incident during Mr Wohlmann's administration waß an attempt by members of a Chinese secret society to murder a Chinese police interpreter, Wong Suikan, in 1921. A number of the principal members of the Bocicty were sentenced to imprisonment for life. Mr Wohlmann returned to New Zealand in 1922, and was given charge of the Waikato district with headquarters at Hamilton. There he remained for five years, coming to Auckland in February, 192G, when ho was appointed superintendent. In uddition to his untiring activities us a police officer, Mr Wohlmann has been interested in a number of sports. In his early days in Dunedin he was an active member of the Dunedin Amateur Rowing Club, while when he was stationed In Invercargill he was a member of tho Southland Football Club. He later became interested in acclimatisation worl; and the preservation of game. He was a member of the Hamilton Acclimatisation Society, and is at present a member of the Auckland organisation. He was also a member of the Hamilton Kennel Club. Mr Wohlmann continues to take part in social and sporting activities, and ho is n prominent m-'mber of the Auckland Bowling Club. He has been associated with many societies and clubs, the chief of these being the Rotary Club. The appointment of Mr Wohlmann has been received with the greatest approval by police officers, who have served under him in Auckland, who'e admiration and respect he has gained, while he has also the confidence of the outside public. Mr Wohlmann is a quiet and unassuming gentleman and his fairness and justice eminently fit him for the position ho is about to occupy.