CORRESPONDENCE

Grey River Argus, 16 June 1933, Page 8

CORRESPONDENCE

POLICE AND LABOUR DEPARTAIENT METHODS. (To the Editor). Sir.—Allow' me to ask the heads of the Greymouth. Police Force or the Minis!er for Justice, also the Labour Department; or Alinister for Labour, if they will explain their methods in connection with the following facts: — Some time ago a resident of Kotuku gave a statement to the Detective Branch of the Police Department. After giving the statement, he journeyed from Kotuku to a.sk the Police Department for a copy of same, and the writer accompanied him to the Police Station at Greymouth, where a request was made to the Detectives concerned for a copy of the statement made only .forty-eight hours before. 'l’his request was refused. After a lot of discussion he was allowed to see this statement, but not in the presence of the writer, but on no consideration would the detectives give him a. copy of his statement, or allow him io take a copy. Sometime later this statement was handed io the Racing Conference heads in AVcllington, and still a little later the Original Statement signed , was found in the possession of Racecourse Inspector AVard and actually produced by him at a meeting of the Greymouth District Committee of the. Racing Clubs. Surely there is something seriously wrong when the Racing Conference has access to statements made by an individual to a Detective, ami the individual himself is not allowed a copy of this statement. , It would be interesting to know if the officials of the New Zealand Racing Conference have a right of access at all times to Police records. The file of the Unemployed Board is also placed at the disposal of the Racing Conference, ami has been read by the writer and two witnesses in the Canterbury Jockey Club Rooms at Christchurch. There is surely something wrong when their files are placed at the disposal of an outside body. Being one of the persons vitally affected T would like the above Departments to ma-ke a public statement, as no doubt they can clear these inconsistencies up in their usual able manner.—T am etc., F. TURLEY, Greymouth. 12/6/33.