SOME INTERESTING EVIDENCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12550, 13 July 1905, Page 5

SOME INTERESTING EVIDENCE

DUNEDIN, July 12. After lunch the Police Commission heard the evidence of Sub-inspector Green, who detailed his duties, and stated that he knew nothing .about the charges against Moses and 'McDonald till after they were arrested. He was never called on to see that the sergeants did their duty properly but he had known them to he, admonished by tho inspector, and instructed,to double hack on the constables on the beat. Witness thought the station should be in charge of a sergeant at night, who would be senior to those on duty and responsible for them. Asked by Inspector Dinnie if a little more supervision would have prevented the robberies, witness said ho could not say, but volunteered the opinion that if men were dishonest they could not be made honest. . ■ •■"-.• Sergeant W. H. Higgins said he never had any suspicion that the robberies weri going on. As to supervision, it was his duty to visit the men on their beats, and he started on his rounds shortly after 10 at night. There were eight beats, and it was impossible to find a constable unless he (the sergeant) could pick him up at the starting point. In six hours ho had to visit 10 to 12 men three times. The beats here wero too large, henco tho difficulty in finding the men. He had done nothing to try to remedy this. Some of the beats were over six miles in extent, and others over four. Ho had repeatedly doubled back on the men. They had had a very indifferent lot cf men hero for the past five yeaiv. For one j good man, sent here there were five bad ! ones. If the men made "bloomers" elsewhere they were dumped down here. It w>a»*"a regular' Siberia," and was known as such. As for being censured for not visiting properly, he utterly denied that it had ever happened .to him. '.-.''■',..'. The Commission adjourned till ] 0.80 to-morrow.