INSPECTOR BLACK’S RETIREMENT.

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 December 1911, Page 6

INSPECTOR BLACK’S RETIREMENT.

PRESENTATION BY THE CITIZENS.

Last night a very shpresentativ gathering of the citizens of Greymout’ met In the Borough Council Chamber to do honor to Mr. Patrick Black, who has held the position of Inspector of Police for nearly five years with decided success. Seeing that, though he has had officially to come in conflict with a number of the lending men of the town, he had administered tire duties of his responsible office with impartiality and now is rearing from the Police Force with credit, the gathering was a unique one and representative of all classes of the community.

The Mayor (Mr. A. CV Russell) occupied the Mayoral chair and was supported on Ms right by the retiring Inspector, while among the large audience were a number of the leading citizens and a number of the principal hotelkeepers. % j THE MAYOR’S SPEECH. The Mayor read apologies from Mi I B. Harper (Clerk of the Magistrate’s Court) who was otherwise engaged and from Sir A. R. Guinness who Was electioneering elsewhere. On rising to make a presentation to Mr. Black, he said he did so with a great deal of pleasure as well as regret, as he had the privilege of knowing his value as an Inspector. He had proved himself to be one of the most efficient Inspectors of Police they had known and it had come as a great surprise to him and to all of them when they learned that he was resigning from the force. Thomas Bracken, in writing the celebrated poem “Not Understood,” had fittingly described Mr. Black’s position when he came to Greymouth in charge of the Police as j they had all thought harshly of him. | But after seeing and knowing Mr. : Black, as he had the pleasure of i knowing him, they had all realised j that Mr. Black was a man who had commanded their respect and esteem. His manner of doing his duty might have at first caused a certain amount j of resentment of feeling, but he (Mr. ■ Russell) could honestly say, after bej tng in touch .with Mr, Black, officially and otherwise, that no man could have shown a more kindly disposition or i tender feeling in the discharge of his | responsible duties. (Cheers). He I referred to the condition of the licen j sing trade in the town before Mr. Black took charge as neither creditj able or satisfactory. The Inspector I had carried out his duties in the most j impartial manner in the determination Ihave1 have the provisions of the Act abided by. The result to-day was that Greymouth was as .well conducted, and j possibly better in that respect, than ! any other centre in the dominion. Even in the \ Massey banquet Mr. | Black not only did his duty, but provt ed his thorough impartiality. He | claimed that the New Zealand Police | Force posessed no more efficient an I officer and probably the world did not 1 own one such as Mr. Black had proved I himself during his stay on the West , Coast. The retiring Inspector would . bear him out in saying that there was 1 very little crime in Greymouth and the efforts of the police were in the direction of preventing it. A number of | citizens had expressed their regret to him at Mr. Black being about to rei tire because they one and all felt that while he was in the position of Inspector their homes and property were well i protected. Some very high compliments had been paid to Mr. Black since the present function was initiated and he was glad to be able to ■ tell Mr. Black that the citizens of 'Greymouth heartily regretted his havI ing resigned. The best thing he could I say of him was that he had done his I (The Inspector’s) duty without fear or favor and had lived down the feeling that had at first been raised against I him, and they had found that in him i they had a true friend and one who, ■ knowing his duly, had done it fear--1 lessly. (Cheers). They therefore | asked hiin to accept a souvenir of their i appreciation of his services to the ; town and community in the shape of I an 18 carat gold Rotherham chronometer, which they hoped, when he : looked upon it, would serve to remind 1 him of Greymouth and the many | friends he had left there. The Mayor concluded by reading a letter from Mr Felix Campbell, expressing his regret at not being able to be present to con- ! vey his best wishes to Mr. Black on his retirement from office.

OTHER SPEECHES. Mr. J. Jackson, J.P., said he was pleased to pay his tribute of respect to the force of character which Mr. Black had displayed in the discharge of his duties as Inspector of Police. The way in which he had carried out those duties had proved his sincere desire to carry them out with impartiality and fairness to one and all. The workers all looked upon him as a fair man and the same feeling permeated the whole of the labor unions on the West Coast. Mr. R. Russell, President of the Licensed Victuallers Association, paid a high compliment to Mr. Black for his determination to clean the trade and hoped that his successor, whoever he might be, would follow in his footsteps. He paid a high compliment to the Inspector for treating every man alike and showing no favor. He hoped that Mr. and Mrs. Black would enjoy the well earned rest they had merited and he wished them health wherewith to enjoy it. Mr. W. E. Thomas also spoke in congratulatory terms. Mr. James Kerr also bore testimony to the unflinching manner in which the Inspector had discharged his numerous duties. Mr. T. V. Byrne also paid a very high enennium on Mr. Black for his impartial conduct. Mr. J. Tennent endorsed all that had been said. In connection with the robbery at his establishment the work Mr. Black had done had proved what an able administrator he was. Mr. J. P. Beirne considered that Mr. Black had proved himself a gentleman who had put them on the night track arid now the law was being properly carried out. Mr. M. Fitzgerald spoke in a similar strain. Mr. H. F. Doogan expressed his good wishes for Mr. and Sirs. Black’s future good health and prosperity. Mr Black had proved himself a most honorable and just official who did his duty fearlessly and it was a severe loss to Greymonth that ho was leaving, as a really good Inspector was a strong factor in the community. IE such men as Inspector Black were in office prohibition would not be deemed necessary as the trade would be well and properly regulated and temperance would prevail. Mr. Dillon spoke on behalf of those in the trade outside the town, saying how they all felt that Mr. Black had put them on their level and were grateful to him for what he had done. MR. BLACK’S REPLY. Mr. Black, who on rising to reply; met with a most cordial reception, said that he had to express his best thanks for the kind remarks and valuable present which had taken him quite by surprise when he was asked by Mr. Russell to attend that evening. They had spoken in most flattering terms of the way he had done his duty as if they had been speaking of someone else.' (Not No!) But as he was himself he was afraid they had drawn

it a little too strong. He had been in Greymouth close on five years and had endeavoured to do his duty to the best of hia ability which after all had not been of such great difficulty as, he had the good fortune to have very able assistants. He had six sergeants all experienced find reliable men who d.id their duty faithfully and were Steady, sober’men. The constables were without exception a very fine body of men who, if they were not actually prohibitionist*?) had shown themselves ablft to resist the many temptations that lay in their way, even Oh cold stormy nights when on duty as only two had been guilty of intemperance since he came to the CoftsL In Detective Sergeant Campbell he had a most capable aSsisiarif lift'd hll £xperie need bffi'oel' Wiio had been in ckai'gb ol other and larger towns. Sergeant Egan was one of the most steady, conscientious officers in thG police force to-day. Theft if he desired legal advice he had the privilege of behig able to consult Mr. Hannan who they all knew to be at the very top of his profession and who, even those who were envious of him, had to admit was a most brilliant legal practitioner. Mb was, therefore, fortunate not only in having the benefit | of his wisdom but of the assistance of a reliable staff of officers a lid constables and the man who could not discharge his duties faithfully and well under such circumstances must be incapable. Anyhow he had not found it very difficult though he had to follow a man who had made himself exceedingly popular with ail classes. But he saw when he came hei'6 that reforms were needed and after walking round for a time he had set about to effect some improvements and reform. One of these was to divide the town into beats so that a constable could be relied on to be in certain portions at stated times. Then he noticed that there was a laxity in the carrying out of the licensing laws as crowds of men were regularly seen coming out of hotels after closing time and he and Sergeant Egan had gone round and remonstrated. He bad been told that it was beneath the dignity of an Inspector but all the same he had continued to do it and, judging by the remarks passed that evening, it had proved beneficial to the town as well as to the well-being of the trade. He had frequently been stopped on the street by parents who had thanked him for this action as it had caused their sons to return home in decent hours and gradually any feeling of resentment had worn off. During his 33g years service in the police force he could say that he had never put himself in the way of being snubbed but had always waited to hear what anyone had to say before he spoke and lie had always been courteous to all with whom he had to d. al. Speaking of his resignation, he said he would be 62 ne'xt June and was, he believed, as well and fit for duty as he had been ten years ago. But there was an uncertainty of the tenure of office as the feeling was that no Inspector should remain on duty after sixty. Hence he had thrown up his position as, with the exception of the North of Ireland and New Zealand, he had not seen the other parts of the world and he desired to do so. He instanced Inspector O’Brien’s case as one in which a careful, conscientious police officer had been called on to retire. Having scratched a few pounds together he meant to have some fun before passing away, and therefore he had resigned before being called u'p or downstairs;

Mr. Black then gave a very interesting resume of his police experiences and concluded by paying a high compliment to the Greymouth press for their fairness and impartial reports they had always given of the business of the Court and on sitting down he was warmly cheered with musical honors, a similar compliment being paid to Mrs. Black. Auld Lang Syne was then sung and the proceedings, which had been most hearty throughout, concluded. The watch was procured from Mr. H. W. Lloyd’s establishment.