NEW POLICE STATION

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 September 1946, Page 4

NEW POLICE STATION

COMMENT ON MR. O’BRIEN’S STATEMENT “INEXPLICABLE DELAY” “I assume that Mr. O'Brien’s’ statement relating to the new police station, as reported in Saturday’s Evening Star, ‘lt is up to the people here to settle on the site,’ is intended to refer to the local police officials and not to the residents of Greymouth,” said Mr. W. D. Taylor, president of the Westland Progress League, in a statement to-day. “The league has been active in the matter of'the police station since its inception in June, 1944, and was advised some months ago that authority had been given for the erection of a modern building to cost in the vicinity of £35,000. Protracted Efforts. “On March 20 last I telegraphed Mr. O’Brien that the .league would be pleased to assist in any way possible in the selection of a site. This offer was repeated to the Minister in charge of Police (Mr. Fraser) by letter on May 10 last. In June the Commissioner of Police was in Greymouth, but did not approach the league on the matter of a site. On July 3 Mr. Fraser was notified of this fact and on the same date Mr. J. O’Brien was written to, inquiring whether he could do anything to expedite the final selection of a site. On August 5 the Prime Minister advised that negotiations for a site ‘are now being carried on and it is anticipated that they will be concluded at an early date.’ “On August 7 the league again wrote to Mr. Fraser, protesting against the continued delay, but the league’s letter has not received a reply. On September 19 the league telegraphed to the Prime Minister, inquiring whether a decision as to a site had yet been made, and was advised that ‘negotiations for acquisition of a site are about to be finalised and that he was endeavouring to expedite the matter.’ “Pigeon-holed in Wellington.” “The league has from time to time been in touch with the officer in charge of the local police station and has been informed by him that all information asked for by the Commissioner had been supplied some considerable time . ago. It would seem, therefore, from Mr. O’Brien’s statement, that despite the continued representations of the league, this matter has been pigeon-holed in some office in Wellington. The league concedes that the question of a site is primarily one for the department concerned, but the abnormal delay in the acquisition of a site appears to be inexplicable and it is hoped that Mr. O’Brien will take the matter up. immediately on his return to Wellington and will impress upon the Prime Minister the necessity for an immediate decision. “It seems that if Mr. O’Brien was advised that it was ‘up to the people here to settle on a site,’ he has been misinformed in Wellington,” Mr. Taylor concluded. “It is clear that everything has been done here both by the local police and by the league to have the building commenced at the earliest possible date.”