Police Commission Report.

Hastings Standard, Volume XIII, Issue 4303, 4 November 1909, Page 5

Police Commission Report.

CONCERNING MR DINNIE. Wellington, November 3. Dealing at length with the Commissioner of Polio*, in the report of the Royal Commission on the Police Force laid on the table of the House of Representatives yesterday, Mr Bishop says:—"As he evidently -wished it to be implied that he was responsible for the setting up of this commission, it is perhaps a little inconsistent that he should on certain occasions have shown a disposition to impede rather than assist the work of inquiry." Mr Bishop adds : *That he has had a long and honourable police record no one can possibly doubt. Whether long actual police experience necessarily qualifies a man for the successful administration of a force such as ours is a matter of opinion. A man must be judged by the result of his work. Where I have found it necessary to differ considerably from the Commissioner's'views on certain matters, and criticise adversely certain phases of his administration, I have done so with regret, for I fully recognise that la everything he has done he has acted honestly, with the best intention, and with a due regard to what he believed, hewever mistakenly, to be the best interests of the force." ** The Commissioner," he says in another place, " makes the astounding statement that there is no genera! dissatisfaction in the force. Why, the evidence is full of instances in which men have come forward and expressed the gravest dissatisfaction* and it would certainly be unfair to term these men what the Commissioner thinks proper to call agitators." Again he says : " The Commissioner takes credit to himself for considerably improving the efficiency of the force after he took over charge from ex-Commissioner Tunbridge. Whether the credit can be justly claimed must by judged by the evidence. There is no doubt, I take it, that the force was highly efficient when Mr Tumbridge left it. It is unfortunate that a commission of inquiry shou'd have to sit upon it to-day." CONCLUDING REMARKS. In the course of his concluding remarks, Mr Bishop says that the position of several officers, if left as they are, will be perfectly impos-l sible, and grave trouble may arise. What, he asks, is going to be the position of certain men who have given evidence adverse to their s»i periors? "I can do no more," he) says, " than leave the position hare in the hands of those in authority, -with an earnest injunction to grapple honestly and sincerely with any difficulties that have arisen, so that no feeling of soreness may continue or risk of doing injustice may arise, but that all may work together for the benefit of a force that, taken as a whole, is a credit to the Dominion, and that, properly handled, will still further enhance its reputation. THE COMMISSIONER WILL REPLY. Wellington, November 3. Mr W. Dinnie, Commissioner of Police, intends to prepare a statement covering the allegations contained in Mr H. W. Bishop's report to Parliament concerning the police force- Mr Dinnie will ask the Minister of Justice to Jay his statement 00 the table of the House of Representatives.