STRIKES AND THE POLICE.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20594, 9 July 1932, Page 5

STRIKES AND THE POLICE.

THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY. Stating that it is not the policy of the Government to use the Police Force for breaking up strikes, the Minister for Justice (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe) has replied to questions recently submitted to him by the Canterbury Labour Representation Committee. . The Minister adds that the duty of tho police is to maintain law and order and to protect life and property impartially. The Minister wrote as follows:—"I am in receipt of your letter of June 10th drawing attention to romarlts re: garding the recent tram strike in Christchurch roportod in tho Press to have been used by Superintendent CummingS at a luncheon of the Napier Rotary Club, and your enquiry whether it is the policy of the Government to uso the Police Force and enrol special police for the purpose of strike breaking. My reply to your question is: 'No.' It is not tho policy and never has been the policy of tho Government to use the police for strike breaking and, as-I think you are aware, no departure from this rule was made during the recent tramway strike in Christchurch. "The duty of the police is to maintain law and order, to protect the life and property of all citizens impartially, and to the beßt of their power preserve the peace. I may add t-liat Superintendent Cummings states that tho Press report does not correctly represent what he said."

The Minister's reply, which was received at a meeting of the Labour Representation Committee on Thursday night, was regarded rather sceptically, according to a statement made yesterday by Mr R. Macfarlane, secretary of the committee, but no resolution was passed concerning it. The opinion of the meeting was that the tcmpoiary constables particularly had played an important part in strike breaking during the recent industrial trouble in 4 the Dominion.