REVELATION OF THE POLICE COMMISSION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 8208, 2 August 1905, Page 5

REVELATION OF THE POLICE COMMISSION.

Peculiar State of Things in

Auckland

Friction Between Inspector and Sub-Inspector.

Charges of Favouritism and

Espionage

Allegations of Drinking in the

Police Barracks.

(By Telegraph — Press Association.) Auckland, Last Night,

At the Police Commission, to-day, the relations bct'.vojn Inspector Cullen and SubInspector Black were gone into, Inspector Cross examining the sub-inspector at considerable length.

Mr Cullen: Did I not have occasion to complain to you about taking a document away from my office without my knowledge, making an alteration in it, and returning the document ?- -The only alteration I made was simply altering the date.

You erased it, insteading of making the correction with pen and ink ?—lf I had committed a forgery you could not have written in stronger terms. I altered the date, and the additional words were not injurious. If there had not been friction between us you would not have found fault.

Was it not shown when you brought two constables before me for neglect of duty that they had done a good day's work on the day they were charged with neglecting to be on the night reserve ?—One man said that he had ; I don't think he was on duty all clay. The inspector let the man oil' because ho was a favourite.

Those are the only reasons you can suggest for favouritism ?—There was not much supposition about the matter. It was common talk in the barracks.

The Inspector cross-examined the witness, to show thai, the man concerned was smart, and anxious to do more work than he was bound to do.

Mr Cii Hen : You accuse me of having a system of espionage in the force, but will you give their Worships one solitary fact to show this ?—That is an impossible question, because if men give information to their inspector they would not tell anyone else.

If I suspect things are, going wrong am I not to enquire ?— No man in authority ought to encourage, these things.

Mr Poynton : Supposing drinking, thieving, or gambling was going on, would it not be proper for him to employ means to discover it?- If he thought a man was doing wrong he would be justified in finding out; but it is wrong for him to encourage men to be a continual source of information concerning their comrades. If you have eyes you must have seen empty liquor bottles about the barracks, and these must have been brought in by the men. Was I not justified in finding out and preventing it ? —I do not know that you have tried. You have not discouraged drinking in the barracks. To a question by Mr Poynton, the SubInspector said he had not desire to leave Auckland, apart from his inability to work under Inspector Cullen, but if he were told by some persons in authority that so long as remained in the service he would have to be under Inspector Cullen, he would simply have to say-—' I will leave.' To do this, however, would be greatly against his in-

clination.

Mr W. Dinnie, Commissioner of Police, then questioned the Sub-Inspector. His first query was : Do you think the disagreement between Inspector Cullen and yourself has in any way affected the supervision of the force in the Auckland district?—l don't think it has.

Do you think your grievance could have been settled satisfactorily by the Department ? —I had no desire for it to come before the public. I would have been satisfied to have left the matter in your hands if I had been left alone.

Mr Kettle, S.M., gave evidence. He described Sub-Inspector Black as a capable, trustworthy officer.