THE POLICE COMMISSION

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2562, 24 July 1909, Page 3

THE POLICE COMMISSION

ADDRESS BY MR.' BISHOP TO CHRISTCHURCH POLICE.

iJTut I'hkss Association.]

'CHRISTCHURCH, July 23. A parade of the city and suburban police was held at the police station this afternoon for inspection by Mr. H. W. Bishop, who is conducting the Commission of Inquiry. Inspector Gillies, officer in charge of the district, and Chief Detective Bishop •were also present. Air. Dinnie, Commissioner of Police, was in attendance.. The men were paraded in the station yard and were addressed by Mr. Bishop. Mr. Bishop said that what he had to say would annly to all ranks, from inspector downwards, but more particularly to constables. The Government, for "reasons which appeared sufficient to them, had decided to appoint a Commission, and had honored him by asking him to conduct the inquiry. The reasons which actuated the Government were not altogether what had- been said in Parliament, but it had oome to their knowledge, from various sources, that/there was dissatisfaction in certain parts of New Zealand in respect to promotion and other matters cognate to promotion. lie read the coinmission iwhich had been handed to him, and directed special attention to the fact that lie was to inquire into allegations and statements made lately in regard to the administration, efficiency, and control of the force. The police would recognise that, where there was dissatisfaction or unrest, no force in the world could possibly'be thoroughly efficient. It was on account of that feeling that the Government had set up the Commission. It was not entirely for the' purpose of airing grievances. That he did not encourage unions it was a grievance thoroughly cognate to the inquirv. The Minister had informed him that it was the earnest desire of the Government to remedy any dissatisfaction or anomalies that existed, and, w.ith the view of ensuring that all those members of the force who could give information that would assist him would come forward, the Minister had, on his suggestion, given an undertaking that the giving of evidence, would not be allowed to .prejudice, in any way, the career in the police force of any officer giving evidence, provided ■that in the judgment of the speaker such evidence was not given falsely or in bad faith. He invited every man, who could honestly and bona fide give evidence wliicb would assist bini. to come forward freely and without reserve, and give that evidence on oath. As to the procedure he would adopt, - he intended to call every inspector, evqrv sub-inspector, every station-ser-geant, 1 and. as far as possible, every sergeant in the force, and compel them to give evidence. He would not compel any constable to come forward, but would "leave them perfectly free agents, unless' he bad a reason to believe that they could say something which should be said before the Commission. Ti a constable had grievances, merely little things which would not affect the efficiency of the force, ho did not want Ids evidence, but he did invite any man who thought he was suffering from any sense of injustice in the matter of promotion to come'forward and give some particulars of his case. The. earnest desire of the Government was to p ace the force in a state of the highest ]>ossible efficiency, to see that anomalies and grievances were remedied as far .as possible, and make the force what it should be, .and had been, according to his experience in the past, a credit to New Zealand. Every man who came forward he would regard as a sort of sub-commissioner, who would help him to frame a report that would bo of value to the men throughout the Dominion. He regarded this as an ideal and exceptional opportunity to frame a report which would benefit the force, if he had the material on which to work.

THE WELLINGTON MEETINGCOMMENTS BY MR. BISHOP.

Mr. Bishop then went on to refer to the meeting of police which was held recently in Wellington, at which the Police Commissioner was discussed, and certain resolutions passed. He said it seemed there were 10 members of the force present. He thought it probable that the resolutions passed were based on misapprehension, or a misconception of what had taken placer There was nothing whatever, which had taken place, which offered any justification or excuse for what was contained in the resolutions. He was not going to say that every man who went to the meeting was responsible for what lie regarded' a>? the most serious breach of discipline which had ever taken place in New Zealand. They would probably find, if they got to bedrock, that one or two men had manoeuvred the whole thing and dragged others in. One or twO' men led strongly., a rid others were apt to follow without giving full consideration to the matter. In the eyes of the Government, public, and himself, this act of the do lice showed that if there was a single act on the part of any member of the police which pointed more than any other to the fact that the police failed to realise their duty (at least in ’Wellington), it was the calling of that meeting and the framing of those resolutions. He was not going to apologise for anything lie had done in connection with the Commission. With regard to the reference to a former Confmission, of which he was a member, it had been stated that the report of that Commission had unfortunately to be framed to a great extent on a newspaper report which contained very full statements. The reason lor that was that the reporter who was engaged by the Commission to assist the Commission was not quite up to the mark of the modern Hansard reporter, and the work got ahead of him. It was absurd to say that two men like Mr. Poynton and .himself should have lost count of anything in connection with the evidence that in any way would prejudice the value of the report. Ho had no hesitation in saying that the action of the Commission at that time resulted in very materially improving the position, of affairs in the force. Not only that, but it had strengthened the hands, of the Commissioner of Police in getting authority to increase the number, of officers and to secure the cfficieAcy of the force. The.positions of different grades had improved to-day compared with what it was prior to that Commission. He regarded the reference . by the members of the force in Wellington as simply an act of impertinence, and one made without any regard to the true facts of the case. Probably not more than one or two of those present at the meeting had read the report of ' the Commission, but they were there apparently to seize upon anything which might appear to give sufficient reason to criticise this Commission. He did not believe that the members of. the police force in Christchurch would lend themselves to anything that would cast such a serious reflection on the whole of the force of the Dominion. The action of the Wellington men had boon

accepted as proof' that there was .something wrong in.,the forco, and : in his opinion they had shown tlieir ignorance and displayed absolute disloyalty to other members of the force.