AN ELECTION INCIDENT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19642, 9 November 1933, Page 6

AN ELECTION INCIDENT

MENTION IN THE HOUSE ALLEGATION AGAINST POLICE (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, November 8. A complaint that party politics was creeping in among the heads of the police force in Christchurch, was made in the House this afternoon by Mr E. J. Howard (Lab. Christchurch South), when the reply by the Minister of Justice, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe to a question raised by the Rev. Clyde Carr (Lab. Timaru) regarding the conduct of the police on polling day in the Lyttelton by-election was under discussion. Mr Carr asked for an inquiry into the methods and forms of address alleged to have been used by the police towards officials of unemployed workers’ organisations who were wearing badges reproducing a photograph of one of the candidates. Mrs McCombs. The Minister, in his reply, said that since the matter was likely to be taken to Court, any of those charged would have an opportunity of ventilating their complaints there. When the subject came up for discussion in the House to-day, Mr Howard said that although Christchurch members during the last five years had been unanimous in paying tribute to the efficiency and fairmindedness of the police force, a spirit of party politics was now creeping in among the heads of the force in Christchurch, and that spirit w r as displayed very noticeably in the Lyttelton by-election. "Particularly Offensive.” "It is not the job of the police to say whether or not the matter was a breach of the Electoral Act until the returning officer recommended them to have the badges removed,” said Mr Howard. “In this case the police acted on their own initiative, and in doing so were particularly offensive. The gentleman referred to who was a citizen of Timaru, has a record as clean as that of any police officer however high in the service, but because he happened to be unemployed, and secretary of the Unemployed Association, the police seemed to be trying to treat his unemployment as an offence. The police should certainly not take sides in party politics. Those in Christchurch have in the past always conducted their duties irreproachably, but there are one or two new officers of whom the same cannot be said.” Mr Howard suggested to the Minister that the police of Christchurch were not 100 per cent, above reproach, and that it would pay the Government to look into the matter. Mr Carr said he w r as confident that the Minister had had nothing to do with the reply to his question, and he had very distinct suspicions whence it emanated. The answer made it appear that he was casting aspersions on the whole of the police force, and from his point of view it was an extremely objectionable answer. There were black sheep in every flock and there were black sheep in the police force, but to say that was not to condemn the force, as a whole. Basis of the Complaint. Mr Carr read an account of the incident written by Mr George Koller, 45 Harper Street, Timaru, which was addressed to Superintendent D. J. Cummings, at Christchurch. According to Mr Koller the officer whom he was told was Inspector Cameron, removed the badge he was wearing, took his name and address, and after a few brief questions, said: “you will soon be where you can cool your heels.” To this Mr Koller said he replied: “Thanks for the threat.” Mr Carr said that an adequate reply to his question should not be put off on the pretence that the matter was to be dealt with in Court. The same plea had been made by the superintendent of police when refusing to comment on the conduct of the police officer referred to.