VICTORIAN POLICE FORCE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 1 September 1925, Page 5

VICTORIAN POLICE FORCE.

ALLEGE!! COItIUPIION. lii Hie Yicibo.ria.ni Legislative Council, Air. Smith, .moved the adjournment ol the Council to discuss the question ol the mali'adiminist.iation of the Upline Department, and lie made a eve re allegations of graft against the force 1 . ° He declared that the people of the State Iliad every reason to be alarmed. By permitting members of the force to commit serious crimes the Government had aggravated Hie trouble and made Hue force more corrupt than ever. Corruption was rile, particularly in the licensing branen, and hotelkeepers could break. Hie trading laws as long as they were wilting to bribe the police. . . M:r.' Smith 'supported his charges by quoting alleged instances. .He attacked the Goevrnmenb for allowing the superintendent, -Mr. Rotter, t-o retire instead of making him .submit to an inquiry concerning his conduct while (,he alleged) under the influence of \lir. Smith’s motion was defeated, and he gave notice of a, motion for a select committee to inquire into the cases of Superintendent Rotter and detectives recently convicted ;of conspiracy and other specified cases. When seen to-day, Mr.. Nicholson, who has just retired from the position of Police Commissioner, gave an emphtatiic denial to the allegations. He categorically dealt with the charges made, iaucli in the cases of the four defectives charged with conspiracy and other known cases of graft he pointed out that constitutional and effective action Avals taken Iby the department to deail Aviith them. Street betting houses and “two-mp” schools, the prevalence of which had teen emphasised by Mr. Smith, he stated, received particular attention. The allegations against the licensing branch Avere unfounded. There had. been irregularities at times,_ but nothing more. Air, Nicholson said in coufl’usiiom that be defied Air. Smith to prove one instance of corruption.