POLICE COMMISSIONER

Northern Advocate, 5 July 1928, Page 5

POLICE COMMISSIONER

| THE BYNG APPOINTMENT 5 PUBLIC HOSTILITY. WITHDRAWAL URGED. (Australian Press Association.) (Received 9 a.m.) LONDON, July .0. It is suggested in several quarters, ' in view of the hostile reception of : the appointment, that Viscount Byng ■ should withdraw his acceptance of the Conimissionorship of Metropolitan police. Sir W. Joynson-Hicks, further quesj tinned in the House of Commons regarding Viscount Byng’s appointment at £BOOO per annum, said that ho had not fixed the period of fill.* appointment. The regulations provided that lie must retire at the age of 70 years. Viscount Byng was not entitled to a pension unless specially sanctioned. He felt that none of the high officers among the police would be the right man to control a force of 20,000 men, involving the safety and happiness of 8,000,000 people. He believed that Viscount Byng's special qualifications, ability and character outweighed the disadvantages of ago. Viscount Byng of Vi my, avlio has boon appointed successor to BrigadierGeneral Hir William T, F, Honvood as Commissioner of Metropolitan Police, Avas from 1921 to 1920 Gov-ernor-General of Canada, and a former commander of tho Canadian Corps. Ho is 64 years of age, and is the son of tho Earl of Stafford. He served in tho Sudan and the South African War, and commanded the forces in Egypt until the war gave him tho new post of Commander of the Canadian Corps, after commanding the Cavalry Corps. He was knighted in 1915. After a brilliant advance toAvards Cambrai in November, 1917, he was promoted to general. He gained another success in August, 1918, and Avas awarded the G.C.B, the following year. In August, 1919, he was elevated to the peerage, receiving a grant of £BO,OOO, and the same year retired from the Army. He was ap- 1 pointed to succeed the Duke of Devon- ] shire in 1921 as GoA’ernor-General of . Canada, and avos created a viscount ( in 1926.