A MINISTER WITH THE GLOVES OFF

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 25, 29 July 1922, Page 8

A MINISTER WITH THE GLOVES OFF

AUCKLAND MENTAL HOSPITAL CASE \■.. ," ACCUSATIONS AGAINST THE POLICE. (•r-mia/txPH.— iticiai to tbi posr.) V. .■.■•■■- AUCKLAND, This Day. . "TKe remarks made in the Houso of Ite'presentativea concerning- the , case of the -woman who was wrongfully committed to the Auckland Mental Hospital has drawn a strong reply from the. Rev. H, Mason, vicar of Otahuhu. • Beferring to statements made by Ministers, he says in a letter to the Herald: —"I have regretfully to state, well knowing the seriousness of my assertionV that ike statement made through ', Mr." Tarr "regarding the police action in this" matter is a deliberate and .wilful falsehood, stupidly conceived and intended to cloak the culpable negligence o£ the. Auckland police. In my previous cony •munications regarding this matter, I have been studiously moderate, my sole wish being to bring about greater care and better inquiry before any person's liberty js attacked or the slur of lunacy placed upon anyone. The latest development compels me now to enter into detail as to my experience with the police in this matter. I had wished, from my respect for; the police and* the unwisdom of'shaking the confidence of the public in that force, not to publish through the 'press "the actual facts. Now I take off the,; glp.ves, 'for, generally speaking, stupidity is only impressed by bare ■knuckles. On the afternoon of the day when, the woman was committed, as soon as I learned the fact I waited Jipon the local-police sergeant and asked him whether he knew anything of the matter, ii'nd' also whether he had been rung up by the authorities in Auckland, and any inquiry made. He repjied in the negative. I then saw the constable who knew most about the woman, and he expressed hisl profound astonishment at the committal, and he also had not received any"inquiry. The following day I inter-yiewed^the-inspector of police, narrated the' circumstances, and emphasised the fact, .not .questioned or denied by him, thclttittT inquiry: had been made by the in Auckland' of what the police; nt Otahuhu knew of/the woman, when' by ringing up they could have made inquiry in a few minutes. I may add that I was very unfavourably impressed by "the offhand and callous attitude of the inspector in the, to me, most important matter of a woman's liberty being at stake.";

Mr. \ Mason says he visited the hospital, obtaining the release of tho woman. He proceeds: . , "On returning, I again interviewed the police inspector. In the interim^.subsequent to my first visit, he had made some inquiry about the woman. I then endeavoured to extract from him a promise that-in: any future case he. would give instructions that' before bringing any supposed lunatic before the Magistrate, inquiry should be made when possible of the.-local police in the place whence the person came. This was a modest re-quest,-but the inspector, to. my astonish-ment,-would'.give no such'undertaking, and..would, not acknowledge any resppn.sibility; 1 threatened to report his' negligent attitude to; the Commissioner 01-Police, whereupon he accompanied mie to the room of the- Superin--teiident of" Police ./(now Commissioner). The. inspector ".introduced me to the superintendent with the derisive remark that I seenied to think the Police Department possessed legislative functions. The superintendent treated me with great courtesy—such a contrast —and I stated my complaint that the police' at Otahuhu had not been consulted, and I emphasised the necessity of such inquiry being made in future cases."

• •-Mr. MasoD remarks that no blame is attached'to the Magistrate, who naturally concludes that when a person is brought before him for committal to a mental hospital that reasonable inquiries have been.made:

Mr. Mason, concludes':; "I will now leave your readers to judge of the seriousness of the position, when such gross intervention as above is made by responsible police officials and Parliament insnlted by such fabrication being deliberately given as an explanation. Seriously speaking, I can'only he thankful that'l left the Auckland Police Station with my own liberty unimpaired. I shall have much more to say upon this matter when proper inquiry is made. I trust it will not be simply a departmental inquiry, biit a public one."