POLICE RESERVE

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 54, 1 September 1934, Page 10

POLICE RESERVE

EMERGENCY FORCE

ATTACK BY MR. PARRY

The contention that the Commissioner of Polico had been actuated by fear in persuading the Minister of Justice to establish an auxiliary police force, was made in the Houso of Representatives yesterday afternoon by Mr. W. J3. Parry (Labour, Auckland Central), who, in vigorous terms denounced the establishment of the auxiliaries. Mr. Parry submitted that the Minister was boing strongly influenced by the Commissioner and he suggested that the best courso would be to retire tho Commissioner. The recent theft of a ma-chine-gun was also referred to by Mr. Parry, who said it had boon represented to him that the theft had been committed for the purpose of justifying the Government's action.

Mr. Parry said that during tho debates in tho. House ho had always opposed legislation restricting the liberties of the people very strongly, and he had expressed the belief that legislation was being passed for ono definite reason. He was now satisfied that what he had said had been correct.

■ Tho Minister of Finance (the Rt. Hon. J. Gr. Coates): Aro you frightened? ■ ~. Mr. Parry: No, and I don't think the right gentleman is frightened, either. Mr. Parry said he was satisfied that that there was a move in the country, and he believed that it was largely duo to the fear and tho incapability shown by the Commissioner- of Police and the Minister of Justice. The best thing that could happen would be to retire the Commissioner of Police, and send him away to a little island with a revolver in one hand and a club in tho other and let him make imitations of men in tho mud. Mr. Parry said that he believed he knew the position among the people, and there was no need to recruit the auxiliary police force. (Labour members: Hear, hear.) "FOMENTING DISTRUST." "I want to say to the Minister," continued Mr. Parry, "that we are just as anxious for straightforward dealing in this country as they are, but what we are opposed to, and what we will fight to the bitter ,end, is to turn this country into a military camp: to have our working people marched to work with bayonets and rifles. That kind of thing is not going to prevail as far as tho Labour movement is concerned. Wo love New Zealand, and we are against all kinds of organisations that foment this-Mud of distrust." Mr. Parry characterised the report of the Commissioner of Police as most inconsistent and unstable. It . was stated that crime was diminishing, and as far as Australian conditions were concerned, there was no comparison; yet there was no auxiliary force an Australia. "I want to protest in tho strongest measure possible against this outrageous action on the part of tho Commissioner of Police and the Minister of Justice—pushed by the Commissioner," he said. "Surely the time has arrived when we should have somebody, m a Ministerial position who should he strong enough to stand on his own feet. He was prepared to do as much as any man for the country and tho people who were in it, ai""> ho would take any position for the purpose of doing it, but he was not going to back anyone who was going to turn tho country into a military ,camp to carry on tho productivity and civil life of tho nation. ~■'»,, "Today we have been treated to tne spectacle of a machine-gun being stolen in New Lynn, and a notice being left behind," continued Mr. Parry. "I have received a letter from a very important person who suggests strongly that it was only a move by a person paid to do the job and to prove justification of this action." Mr. F. W. Schramm (Labour, Auckland East): A frame-up. ~, Mr. Parry said that the country did not want such gangster methods, which were foreign to the Dominion. If the Government could do no better, then tho sooner tho people spoke tho better it would be. ■