A FOWL AFFAIR!

NZ Truth, Issue 817, 9 July 1921, Page 6

A FOWL AFFAIR!

Police Sergeant's Siccesa. Commissioner Cuts Cackle and Coin. (From " Truth's " Dunedin Rep.) Even if a bobble could lay eggs himself it is plain that he would not be permitted to trade m them. That much is very obvious as the restatt of charges levelled recently at Sergeant John Neill Thomson, who, for a year or so, I has been charge hand of the important South Dunedin district. The sergeant had fowls, many many fowls and roosters and chleka and eggs, and it came to the 'knowledge of his superiors that he was doing a roaring trade. He was not reported by his officers or comrades, but rather by some green-eyed ' egg-folk and poultry-farmers m the district, who claimed TO BE LOSING TRADE by the energetic sergeant's operations, and who queried the necessity of a person of such rank and pay cutting m on them. Married policemen m charge of stations or districts are allowed to keep fowls for their own use, provided they get permission; but they can get no permission whatever to trade. In Sergeant Thomson's case permission had. not been applied for or given to keep fowls, arid he kept several hundred, arid had them housed m by sheds, and ' runs constructed on Government property by his men. From this it can be seen that the incautious police officer was a fair target for the jealous-minded .among 1 the egg- and poultry traders m the district. He was reported, and, on official investigation, was charged with keeping fowls without having obtained permission, with trading m hen fruit and with constructing, houses and runs on •Government property., without having obtained permission. 'A plea of guilty was his reply. The matter then resolved itself into a question for the Commissioner and Minister, and both .agreed to the reduction of the sergeant to the rank of constable, and his transfer to Ophir, where he is' now — as Constable Thomson. Pleading guilty precludes tMe right of appeal, as every one knows, but Thomson appealed, and after some consideration, the Minister, thought it as well to appoint, a tribunal of inquiry Thiii wria my «ctuare dealing

certainly. The tribunal consisted of Superintendents Wright, Norwood and Dwyer. and they unanimously decided against the sergeant. So— Thomson's cock will crow no more m South Dunedin t nor his.hen 9 cackle, and his. fine fat eggs are things o'" yesterday: many people, sad to say, are glad of this even though' '* sends up the price of hen fruit and chickens "on the. fiats." Such envious-minded and short-sighted people will always be found to begrudere ,an industrious official his little "pin -money," though it was egg-monov m this case, and pretty iroort at that.