POLICE FORCE MATTERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13296, 1 October 1906, Page 6

POLICE FORCE MATTERS.

, 'THE DUNEDIN SCANDALS. GRIEVANCES OF EX-CONSTABLES. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Saturday. f " The case of ex-Constable Walker, who retired from the police; force in connection with the Dunedin police scandal last year, was brought up in the House on Friday by Mr. Massey. Mr. Walker, he said, was not adjudged guilty of any offence, but he was asked to send in his resignation. He complied with this request, and subsequently he obtained employment at the Avondale Mental Hospital. However, on the circumstances under which he left the police force being brought under the notice of the authorities, he was asked to also resign this situation. The position now was that Mr. Walker would probably have to leave the colony in order to obtain a livelihood. What he had asked for was that he should be placed upon his trial. If he was convicted of any wrongdoing he was quite prepared to be punished.. . He (Mr. Massey) said that if the Government could not see its way to reinstate the man in the police force it should at least see that nothing was done to prevent him obtaining employment in any other capacity. Mr. Herries said that the way in which Mr. Walker - and • others had been treated savoured more of Russia than New Zealand. Mr. McGowan, in reply, said that it was very necessary that the police force should be kept above suspicion. There were cases in which, whilst there was nothing that could be proved against a man, there might be circumstances that justified a suspicion of guilty knowledge. He did not think that the men referred to had suffered any injury, but if they had, he would be ouly too ready to rectify it. _ Mr. Masjjey said he admitted the necessity of members of the force being above suspicion, and the right of the Minister to dismiss a man if he was unfit to be in the force, but a man (he urged) should have a right to have a fair trial, or else be told , the reason for his dismissal. His remarks (he said) also applied to the case of ex-Con- • stable Juriss. Mr. McGowan said that Walker must , have had a knowledge of the doings of the ' other constables. He was in their company on the morning upon which they were | arrested. Mr. Massey: Did they not live together at the barracks? | Mr. McGowan: I don't know where I they lived. • Mr. Fisher: They could not help being together under the circumstances. Mr. Massey said lie was quite satisfied that Walker knew nothing of what was being done by the other constables. * He read a letter from Walker, in which the latter referred to his efforts to obtain satisfaction from the Justice Department, and stated, "I am prepared to stand my trial, and I a§k for justice." " Apparently, however," said Mr. Massey, " justice is a commodity not yet stocked by the Minister for Justice." : it; Mr. McGowan read a report on the case from Commissioner Dinnie, who stated that Walker had made contradictory statements to, him (the Commissioner) when questioned. Mr. Massey asked that Walker be placed on his trial, and-be given an opportunity of proving his innocence. ~