THE POLICE COMMISSION

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2554, 15 July 1909, Page 4

THE POLICE COMMISSION

SITTING AT DUNEDIN. [Pku Prtr.ss Association.] DUNEDIN, July H. The Police Commission resumed today. . . The first -witness, .James Neil, chemist, ventilated his grievances in regard to street preaching. He stated that the police were not .sufficiently zealous in protecting the liberty of people in and out of doors regarding pubic speaking. He had been glad to get out of political meetings with his life. Ho thought the police, .should give more protection to ipeopici in halls, and to himself in the streets, where he had been interfered with by “roughs, who neither feared God uor man, hut feared the policeman. Mr. Bishop said half the force -would he required to watch street preaching in Christchurch. He would ask the Commissioner to instruct policemen to watch such meetings. . William Ludv, bookmaker, complained that a constable, whose name he montiom-d, used mean. tlcsipicablo means to obtain convictions against him. and committed perjury. Mr. Bishop replied that it was-not in his -province to review decisions of the Court. If the policeman had committed perjury, Ludy ought to liavo laid an information for that oftence. Frederick Matthews, complained that ho had been refused a. license for a billiard room owing to a report of the police; vet ho was unable to discover what was alleged against him.. Chief Detective Herbert said the police report to the City Council was on the file. Mr. Bishop said 1m would have the file produced. • , Constable Mason submitted several questions agreed upon at a meeting or police recently. They proposed that the rate of pay should be increased by (}d per day: the house allowance, which •S £lB 5s annually, compared with £3O in the Prisons Department, shoud be increased 6d per day, also house rent, which cost about 1 Is fid for married men in Dunedin, and an allowance ot onlv 7s weekly was made. They suggested that a free uniform and about two pairs of hoots In; .given every year. Sucli wore free in the Prisons Department. As regards Inn Mays, the Prisons Department employees got.many days vearlv. against a policeman's 12 days annual leave. Three or four days inoie each vear woud give great satisfaction. Free’passes on the railways were also desired. Dissatisfaction existed among the junior member* of the force regarding promotion. Witness had no grievance. At the. Police Com mis.-ion tins aiternoon several members oi the force gave evidence, nearly all of them expressing the opinion that the pay was too low. Complaints were also made about the -natter of promotions, and the opinion was expressed that holiday leave should be extended, and that free railway passes should he granted. One constable complained that when a detective and a constable travelled by train together the former went first class and the latter second.