TRIBUTE TO THE POLICE

Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1931, Page 4

TRIBUTE TO THE POLICE

MINISTER’S APPRECIATION ■ » ■ EFFICIENCY -IN DIFFICULT YEAR. BRAVERY AFTER EARTHQUAKE. fIMALL COST OF THE SERVICE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Government’s appreciation of tho services of the New Zealand Police Force during the present year was expressed by t'he Minister of Justice, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, in an address to officers and men of the force at the Wellington Central station this afternoon. He spoke to a large gathering in the station yard, and he paid a high tribute to the work of both the uniform and plain-clothes branches. •The Minister said he had sought an opportunity of addressing the force entirely on his own initiative, having been invited by no-one, for he was anxious that he should express his appreciation of the loyalty and efficiency that had been shown by the Police Department throughout the year. He. fully realised the year had been a difficult one, for crime was apt to flourish during times of depression. As a member of the Government he considered it his duty to state officially that the force had given the utmost satisfaction. It could not be overlooked that the force had not endeavoured to be aggreesive, but that it had gone about its work with the idea of giving the least possible amount of trouble to the public generally. It was gratifying to know that there was a spirit of loyalty and satisfaction throughout the force, which in common with other branches of the . Public Service had been subjected to a salary and wage cut. No finer police forces * than those throughout the Empire were to be found in the world, and they were known for their honesty and efficiency. A London policeman was a byword among travellers, and it was gratifying to know that the people could turn to the police of the Dominion for assistance when it was needed. The Navy was often referred to as the silent service, but the term eould be well applied to the police force, for it did its work and said nothing. Another important consideration was that the force did its work cheaply, a fact that appealed to a- Minister at a time like the present. The upkeep of the force cost the Dominion 6s. OJd. per head of the population each year, whereas the cost in Australia was 10s. 4d., or about 71 per cent. more. Mr. Cobbe paid a tribute to the work of the police in Napier and Hastings after the great earthquake of last February, when Inspector J. Cummings and his staff were responsible for carrying out their duty in the face of fearful odds in a manner that should be an inspiration to every man in the force in New Zealand. The force was well aware of the action of the constable who carried on in spite of the fact that his wife and child had both been killed, and his loyalty to his duty was worthy of the highest praise. The work of the detective force was worthy of mention, and it had been .responsible for the carrying of many difficult cases to a successful conclusion during the year.