POLICE COMMISSIONER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20622, 22 July 1930, Page 10

POLICE COMMISSIONER.

MR. WOHLMANN APPOINTED.

SENIOR OFFICER OF FORCE.

A POPULAR SELECTION.

< NOTABLE SERVICE IN SAMOA.

Tho appointment of Mr. W. G. Wohlmann, superintendent of polico at Auckland, to bo Commissioner of Police, was announced by the Minister of Justice, tho lion. J. G. Cobbe, yesterday. Mr. \V. B. Mcllveney resigned tho commissionership on Juno 30, and tho Under-Secretary of the Justico Department, Mr. R. P. Ward, was appointed on July ,3 to tako temporary control of tho Polico Department, pending the selection of a permanent commissioner. Mr. Ward will continue in charge until such time as Mr. Wohhnann takes over his new duties. It is probable that will be on August 1.

Mr. Wohhnann will leave for Wellington this evening to consult with the Min. ister. Finality will no doubt then be reached on tho dato when tho new commissioner wilT"commence his work. With tho retirement of tho late commissioner, Mr. Wohlmann is tho senior officer in the polico force. Ho was born in 1872 in tho polico station at Invercargill, where his father held tho post of district clerk under Inspector Fox, a position which tho new commissioner held himself from 1903 to 1907 under Inspector Mitchell. Mr. Wohlmann joined tho police force at Dunedin in 1895, and after being in tho district office there was transferred to Invercargill as district clerk in October, 1903. Work at Waihl. In February, 1907, he was moved to Auckland in tho same capacity, serving under Inspector Cullen, who was later commissioner. Two years later Mr. Wohlmann was given charge of tho Waihi subdistrict, where he remained until 1917, after passing through tho difficult period of tho miners' strike. In 1917 Mr. Wohlmann was promoted senior-sergeant and was stationed for 11 months at Christchurch. Becoming sub-inspector he was transferred to Auckland, where ho served only a short period. On November 1, 1920, lie was appointed Commissioner of Polico in Samoa, where ho was sent to organise the civil police at the end of the military regime. In a little more than a year he did valuable work, reorganising the old native police, who wero reinforced with a small staff of European polico. At that time tho duties of the police at Samoa wero extremely varied, and a number of difficult problems concerning the native population and Chinese indentured labour had to bo dealt with. At Apia the police had charge of tho firo brigado and were entrusted with numerous other tasks usually carried out by tho controlling local bodv.

Perhaps the most remarkable incident during Mr. Wohlmann's administration was the attempt by members of a Chinese secret society to murder the Chinese police interpreter, Wong Suiknn, in 1921. A number of tho principal members of the society wcro sentenced to imprisonment for life. Appointment as Superintendent. Mr. Wohlmann returned to New Zealand in 1922 and was given charge of the Waikato district, with headquarters at Hamilton, 'lTirro he remained for five years, coming to Auckland in February, 1926, when ho was appointed superintendent.

In addition to his untiring activities as .1 police officer, Mr. Wolilniann Las been interested in a number of sports. In his early days in Dunedin ho was an active member of the Dunedin Amateur Rowing Club, while when be was stationed in Invercargill bo was a member of the Southland Football Club. 110 later became interested in acclimatisation work, and the preservation of game in Now Zealand. He was a member of tho Hamilton Acclimatisation Society, and is at present a member of tho Auckland organisation. He was also a member of tho Hamilton Kennel Club, being interested in the breeding of sporting dogs. Mr. Wohlmann still continues to fake part in social and sporting activities, and he is a prominent member of the Auckland Bowling Club. Ho has been associated with many societies and clubs, the chief of these being the Rotary Club. The appointment of Mr. Wohlmann ha 3 been received with the greatest approval by the police officers who have served under him in Auckland, whoso admiration and respect, he has gamed, while ho has also tho confidence of tho outside public.