A POLICE SCANDAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 25 August 1925, Page 10

A POLICE SCANDAL.

e POLITICIAN'S CHARGE. AGAINST SC PEI U NTEN DENT. SYDNEY, Aug. I I. Another sensiaitiou emanating f-tom police circles was caused in Melbourne this week, when Mr. H. H. Smith, in the Legislative Council, chaigecl Superintendent L. F. Potter, whose resignation as Chief of the 0.1.1). was accepted last week, with having figured iji a drunken scene at the Melbourne Hospital (says the Auckland Star s (•orrcspo ude.n fc). , As a result of that episode, Mr. Smith claimed, Superintendent Potter’s resignation had been demanded. “We have been fold by announcements in the newspapers,” he said, “that Superintendent Potter resigned oil the ground of tiill-health, land that a number of doctors cent i fie d to his condition But it was a deliberate ‘get up’ to deceive the public. “The true facts are that Superintendent Plotter went into a. leading hospital one night and made such an outrageoius noise that he had to be aiskecl to leave. But he persisted in staying.” Air. Smith .said that it was the Melbourne Hospital, and that Superintendent Potter was drunk. Gonstalb les A;fraid. Gout inning bis story, Air. Smith claimed that mat tens became so bad that the authorities sent for two ciomsaibles to . remove Superintendent Fatter, but when they saw who (it was they were expected to shift, they demurred on the ground that they could not arrest the in* chief. Later, a complaint was made officially to the Alini.siter, and as a. result Potter was advised not to force the expense of a public inquiry, but to resign gracefully and save his pension rights. Corrupt ion Claimed. In the course of an impassioned attack on the Yieitoria.n police system generally. Air. Smith made other enlightening remarks. “I el aim,” he slid, “that wholesale corruption going on in the licensing police courts. Hotelkeepers have been able to carry on as long a>s they could afford to pay bribes. And. ever .since Sir. John Gellibnand was Chief Commit® doner, policemen have been committing robberies,” was bis accusation. He concluded an amusing speech with the statement that his investigations showed that the people of Victoria have reason to be .seriously alarmed with the police force.