THE RED FLAG

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 427, 15 July 1913, Page 2

THE RED FLAG

AND THE MEN IN BLUE. POLICEMEN ~MUST NOT BE UNIONISTS. HON. MR HERDMAN'S STATEMENT. 1 WELLINGTON, July 8. ; The movement towards the formation of a Police Association was referred to m the ' House of Representatives this afternoon : by the Hon. Mr Herdman, Minister of : Justice, who made a definite statement to ' the effect that the Government were firmly determined not\ to tolerate the establish- : ment of an association controlled by rep_esentatives_of federated Labor. 'The matter was introduced by Mi* Lee, who requested leave to ask the Minister without notice on what grounds Constable Smyth, of Greymouth, had been dismissed from the Police Force ; if he (Smyth) attended the meeting at Auckland before the Minister ; and, jf so, did his conduct at that meeting have anything to do with his dismissal? The Hon. Air Herdman expressed his pleasure at having been given an opportunity to refer to the subject contained m Mr Lee's question. He disposed of the first part of it with an emphatic "No," and explained that while he was at Auckland Smyth was at Greymouth. It was also incorrect to say that Smyth's offence was trivial, and that no officer had been dismissed for similar breaches. Smyth, continued the Minister, joined the Force on July 11, 1912 ; was transferred to Dunedin m January, 1913 ; and at his own request was subsequently transferred to Auckland. The reason for Smyth's transfer to Greymouth was that he persisted m taking an active part m the formation of the Police Association. The Commissioner of Police and the speaker had agreed that such an association would subvert the discipline of the Force. Smyth had admitted to Sergeant Fraser that he had asked for his transfer from Dunedin to Auckland m order to promote the movement towards forming an association. He had become secretary of ! the association. The hon. gentleman quoted from Sergeant Fraser's report, and I went on to explain why Smyth had been • dismissed from the service. At Greymouth Smyth had been specially instructed to watch timber on the Greymouth wharf, and to report to the watchhou_e at 5 a.m. The senior sergeant had his doubts as to how the duties were being carried out, and got out of bed one morning and found : Smyth m front of the fire m the watch- ! house at 3.50 a.m-. He had signed the | book that- he had left duty at 5 a.m. There had been ample grounds for Smyth's dismissal, and the Force were better Avithout such a man. (Hear, hear.) "If," said Mr Herdman, "you work on the principle j that dishonest men must be kept to watch j dishonest men he should remain, but not I if it is desired to maintain the high standard of the Force." The Minister also re- . ferred to statements made m connection with the transfer of Constable Baker from Auckland to Gisborne. Baker was transferred because he had taken an active part m connection with the formation of the association. The Minister went on to say : "It had been stated m Auckland j i newspapers that I stated to Baker that , upon my honor he would not be victimised. ■ I made no such statement at all. I have not used the expression. I told the men ( - distinctly that any man who had a grievance could speak without fear. I also told theni that no Police Association must be formed with any union guided by prominent men connected with the Labor movement, and that no such association would be tolerated. Baker and one or two other men persisted m taking active parts m the formation of a union. I say they were guilty of insubordination. It was a gross act of disobedience for which Baker was transferred to 'Gisborne. He was not victimised. Baker's suggestion that I gave him my word of honor that he would be indemnified is an impertinent misstate- . ment." (Hear, hear.) 'JTie Minister pointed out that Baker had handed to the Press the copy of a letter that Baker sent to him. Could this be tclerated? The Government were determined not to allow a Police Association to be formed. It was not m the interests of the community that it shonld be allowed. An Hon. Member; Why not? The Hon. Mr Herdman; Because it is subversive of discipline, and against all i the rules and regulations that exist m all police forces throughout the British dominions. Oppositionists : No. The Minister : It is true. Just imagino the condition of affairs if there should be another big strike .ike that at Waihi, and the police were under the leadership of a man like Mr Arthur Rosser, who waved a red flag at the time of the Auckland tramway strike. The regulation of 1893 allowed the police to join the Public Service, which was controlled, and managed by responsible public servants, and not by a" Labor leader outside the Government. In tho interests of the country Govern- 1 , ment. dare not permit of th© formation of S a Police- Association on union lines. ! The Minister, m reply to Mr Young, said that later orf a Bill would be intro-

duced to improve the conditions of the Police Force.