ROYAL COMMISSIONS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 541, 23 June 1909, Page 6

ROYAL COMMISSIONS.

, The decision of tho Government to appoint a Royal Commission to investigate the police administration will meet with general - commendation. ': Recent : disclos-\ urea, have shown : that there is/gdod reason for- a searching inquiry, and ■.the sooner: it is put -in..-.'hand the better pleased the public'will be. "Wβ are not at-.all.in sympathy with the costly: and. ■unsatisfactory, practice, that; has , grown up in; New Zealand of : r6ferrihg, : on tbi ;pretext,; any troublesome'question to.a Royal Commission for investigation. .. But'there arc' times ; when it'becomosvdeßirahlo to adopt this courso of proccduTC. 'On,.a pVeyiousi"occaision;-;.tb.O'. police'force '.'■■■£ rqiri ari'iriquiry of.this nature, and the country. waß' better'served.'in consequence, for ' some' years afterwards. Tho student , of public affairs) howevor, will\have;,'realisedlong ere this that ; Royal: Commissions' '■ are. appointed . as' often'i as ■ no|. to rid the Government of the day of an embarrassing responsibility; and on pecasions even, to obscure an issue which it should be the duty of the .Ministry; to inake plain to Parliament and the country. Indeed, taking the large'number of Royal Commissions set up r in recent years, it might reasonably be argued that their, appointment involves a heavy reflection upon those who have:held office during that period, for, in a large proportion of cases,; such Commissions"have been, by the.'condition-'into: which tho administration of tho country has drifted. Ministers it difficult to answer this contention, satisfactorily. ■, Tho Aldington Workshops Commission,- with its striking disclosures, was a : Tecerit illustration of this.. But ; it is hot only, in connection with Royal Commissions that' if does appoint that the Government can be charged with shirking its 'rosponsibilitics, .but:in ■''regard :Ho those which should be set up and..■'requests for which the Government refuses to entertainV ..If. ever ithorp, was a.stato,.of things that called for the appointment of. a Royal Cominissioni it was the Depart-: mental extravagance that; even. Sir Joseph Ward, thinks'-it necessary,, in 'his Governmeht's interests, to reduce by a 'considerable amount. 'When the Govern : mcrit-wliich of ..course ndmits only: tho "minimum—confesses that the state of the Civil '"Service calls for a retrenchment ■policy that; will save £250,000,. it is clear that a Royal Commission which wilV recommend, such a change as, will, in the long! run, save.■',millions,-.; is : urgently necessary.. But:the Government will, resist to the utmost the suggestion that a Royal Commission,-with a \yide .order o( reference, should bo set up to inquire into the Civil Service. Wliiri; would bo said pf ,a ih'an % :->'ho insisted, on taking a deal of to improve his front door»tcp, and yet declined to attend to his festering drains?. ThaJ man's.case., is exA«Uy paxaUtdcd by, Uio we o£ thuUoyv

ornmcnt which' appoints a Timber Commission and refuses To order a thorough independent investigation of the Civil Service,. And what lias.been said of the 'Cjvi'l Service administration applies orjiially to the general administration of the railways. Whore the- need for thorough investigation is of national importance and transcending-urgency) the Govornmont has refused to allow anybody to move oxcepting its'own Ministers, It reserves the machinery of a Hoyal, Com: mission largely for trivial purposes, or to suit its own party needs. When circumstances clamour for sunlight and disinfectants, it refuses to movo, ...•'.