POLICE COMMISSION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14005, 14 September 1909, Page 5

POLICE COMMISSION.

SITTING AT WELLINGTON. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Sept. 13. The Police, Cbminission oi>eued its Wellington sittings to-day. Mr Alex. Gray, solicitor, applied forleave to represent the Lambton Quay: police' He said that while the • ■'•>•«-•' .mission was,, sitting; iu. .punedhi.the Lambton Quay police held a r.ieetihg. They were not actuated by any au'.*'*;onism to the withdrawthe-suggestion'thatthere was any want of connfidenco in -;be d. m- - mission. The /men, npoh ;; ieH-;Ciiii:ii, considered that their/ action/'vas /uii-: wise,' arid .if any excuse could, w, offered, the; it, was/the :i:orv» , iOr.less short reports telegraphed > i"i ■:n Dunedin." .; They were, under :hc .-•.).istakeri-; impression/ that.gpme: r.'udi.yidu'.ils /in. Dun%fttt; uportunity Tor Veiitirating-i / "personal .grievances/-/-^': ! '■ ; ;-;/> f! - 7 /?.// //,. "/'•',

JVIr Bishop- That, js tlio o ( >iumr of the Wellington police? Mr Gray. They entirely withdraw any suggestion of dislojalty ;v -cant ot confidence in the Commission. Mr Bishop expressed plcastiiu at finding that the poTice here had .itknow leaped thf error of tlmr iw.jr On leading the resolution they had passed there was. no„doubt,as to what actuated the people who were r. sponsible foi rt. The Conimission n characterised the resolution as iiely improper. He should be S'iny 1o think that a body of 40, men 'oeU>i»_; vg to the Police Force should meet together and speak about matteis which they knew nothing, about. As the icsult of a haphazard meeting the mm had earned a resolution tantamount to a vote of confidence in the person appointed to hold the Commission, and an expression ot confidence in their own head. Personally he nad treated the matter with absolute contempt, He had hoped' that the t me»>ti»i'i v. as not the outcome of the yiewp of the Wellington police as a body. 'I •> lim it appeared to have been d by one or two individuals. Mr Tii'hop said i*» certainly lo<,k r\ception to being ] ersonally held le—ponsibie for a great, deal ot wh it 1 ad been described as t'l.'eiit been described as irrelevant evidence, which would place the police force ou the soundest possible footing; and enable it to bo spoken of with credit everywhere. .T. J Meiklc came forward and asked leave to give evuleiicp r concerning a constable who, he alleged, had committed oerjvrv at bis (Mqikle's) trial. The Commiss'<mer ruled s that he could not hear Meiklc's- evidence. Constable J R. Thompson v attended as a delegate from the Lambton Quay police, and asked for a' day, rising by 6d every three ycais to "the maximum for constables: that eighteen days' leave bo wanted {,n " nuallv: that the house ."How-nee W married men bo increased; that tlio accommodation at the Lambton Quav station be. improved. Witness said the conduct of the Wellington, police was excellent. Liquor was uot tiken into the ban neks. Fe knew nothing about two sergeants having to go to the barracks to make peace, nor did he know a larrikin element m the force. 11" bad beard nothing about a "hand\ " or a * Special V man and did not believe person existed. Referring to the crowded state of the bedrooms in Lambton ,Quav Mr Bishop s ncl he thought the state of affairs absolntelv indecent. Cons+nble .T. ,T. GillngliT endorsed Constable Thompson's evidence. Constable Dovlc. rei>resenting Mount 1 Cook, argued th-t *hc pav should be Bs. a day for constables and *» fiee pnss on the railways when on holidays. He also \entilated giievauccs regarding emoluments. Mieli"«»l Green coiiplrr'nod t'nt the Pol'"o Coivmissioner's chief ' i"rl- -frenuentlv J"ted as commissioner. Mr Dinnie vn« the '•nnnr'sp'oner only "i - >m<\ :<-<' l h'd at'"wed Irs now ens to l<e w r"** -0 '! fro**' 'ii r >i bv his chief cloik had known i«nn to come to Wellington to <=ee Mr Wrifhfc •lhont promotion instead of poeiw +he commissioner. Hor«c n l '"* ha<T t-'keu "lane -it the Police <3t»»+i"M, but the statement of M- Arnold M.P., lboufo the conduct of the station wis i'icon"'t. Ar - Arnold li-d hen mis-'n-fomicd Wit«c»s denied haiMie anvtbinn- to do v«Hi letters to the newsoap"is about Mr Diiuuc.