THE POLICE AND THE WAR.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144715, 25 June 1915, Page 5

THE POLICE AND THE WAR.

MEN NOT ALLOWED TO ENLIST. TER PRESS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, Juno 23. Complaint was made to a New Zealand Tunes reporter recently by one. of those interested that uncalled-for aspersions had been oast upon tho police, ail able-bodied trained men, owing to their supposed failure to enlist. Tho person in question assured the pressman that ho had a just grievance. , Many people had practically accused him of cowardice in not volunteering for the front, and ho felt it keenly, especially as he had every desire to he away “doing his bit.” The trouble was that although he had this desire it could uot ba gratified, as tho Justice Department would not accept resignations when it was known ihat it was for tho purpose of enlisting. Further, tho Defence Department would not accept the enlistment of constables. This, tho pressman was assured, was a fact. The complainant’s ease was not a solitary instance; it was only one of j many, and ho considered that in jus- , -ice to " the. police force generally the public should ho enlightened upon tho I point. The matter was referred to Commissioner Cullen, who pointed out that, like tho permanent artillery men. the police in their present capacity wore serving their country to much more advantage than if they were at the front. Ho recognised that, being able-bodied men, they would make invaluable fighters, but it was also for this very reason that they were wanted most at home. It was n grave injustice to tho men to say that they did not want to go. Everywhere he had been throughout tho Dominion he had had requests which ho had had to refuse from men to bo allowed to oulist. Hundreds desired to get away, hut the department had to refuse them permission. There wore considerably less than a thousand I policemen in Now Zealand, and if Slit) , of these enlisted tho ranks would be ■ sadly depleted, and if they did go tho 1 public would bo the first to suffer. The | police wore always at war. They were waging a relentless warfare against crime, and for this purpose it was necessary for the force to be kept at its most efficient strength. The great cry throughout New Zealand to-day was “more police.” Good policemen j could not he picked up off the street, j Other departments had contributed ' their quota to the filing jine, aud the j vacancies could bo filled by youths and j young women who did not'apply to the j police force. Those departments did ; not have a standard to keep up; tho, police force .had. Men for the position of constables had to he very carefully chosen and had to conform to certain | physical qualifications demanded by I them in the matter of height and ebest j measurement, etc. Again, if the police j were permitted to go, tho department j would he forced to close large numbers I of country stations. Crime would soon j bo rampant. The countryside and the towns would suffer, and in the cities, he would even go so far ns to say that I the public would not bo safe musing j tho streets. A grave situation might | thus be caused by unthinking people ( who complained about able-bodied policemen not being at the front. The . department eould not keep gaco with i tha applications for more police, and for this reason and others mentioned it was deemed highly inexpedient to permit constables to enlist.