POLICE METHODS

Evening Post, Issue 60, 11 March 1936, Page 11

POLICE METHODS

ALLEGATIONS IN N.S.W.

COMMISSIONER TO INQUIRE

ATTACK BY MR. LANG

Dnlted Press Association— By Electric Tele-

graph-Copyright.

SYDNEY, March 10.

The New South Wales Government has. appointed Judge Markeil a'Royal Commissioner to inquire into charges made in the Parliament against members of the Police Force whose duty jt has been to carry out raids on illegal betting shops and procure convictions for starting-price betting offences.

Substantially Judge Markeil will inquire whether the police have deliberately "framed" men for these offences, whether false evidence and intimidation have been employed, whether innocent persons have been arrested and charged, and whether police, without just cause, have entered and raided homes ; of private citizens.

Judge Markeil will also inquire whether police deliberately refrained from arresting the principals of betting shops, while arresting and charging minor persons. During an angry scene in the Legislative Assembly today, Mr. J. T. Lang, Leader of the Opposition, in attacking the Government for not allowing the charges to be investigated by a Parliamentary Select Committee instead of by a Eoyal Commission, declared that no member of the Opposition would give evidence or make any statement before the Royal Commission, which was nothing more or less than a "whitewashing institution." He added/that one of the very Judges who had dealt with betting appeals had been appointed Commissioner.

The Minister of Justice, Mr. L. O. Martin, replied that the Government would not be content with anything but the most thorough and searching investigation of allegations involving the honour and reputation of the Police Force.