ESPIONAGE

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 565, 21 July 1909, Page 8

ESPIONAGE

WHAT THE POLICE HAVE TO DO. AN OBJECTIONABLE PRACTICE. In his evidence before the Police Commission at Dunedin, Phair. stated that in his opinion the police should be relieved of education inquiries. No light was thrown by the telegram on whattheso education. inquiries mndo by the police wore, but as the result of inquiries wo have lit upon a remarkablo system of espionage by the police on behalf of the Education Department. The inquirios which Sub-Inspector Phair - thinks, the police should bo relieved of are m regard to youths or men who n,t one timo have been inmates of tho Government Industrial Schools. Tho Education Department (it is hoped with the best of motives) bolievcs it its duty to. ascertain how its one-time, pupils aro doing in the world. • It may bo five, ten —it may bo twenty years after a boy has left the- school, that back records aro dug into, the offence - for which brought about, tho boys' committal is noted, and a memorandum is sent along to the polico asking thom to ascertain where - Vm! Smith or 'John Jones, who left the Blank Industrial School: in 1899, are j what is ho doing, und what is, his condition in life. -.. It is perhaps stated that on .being "liberated"-- from school, Wm. Smith (or John Jones) went to -Masterton, so- the, polico offioer in chargo there is communicated with, and his men, ascertain, after much diligent inquiry, that TVm .(or John.) left the town six years before to go bush-whacking ,at Taihape. On goes- tho inquiry to- Taihape. -More inquiry. Yes, he had lived thero for three- years, when he got married and shifiied to Hamilton (in tho Waikato). There ■Wm, - Smith- (or / John- Jones); is found - to' have dope well, and is known and respectcd 'as a .peaceful, prosporous settler. ■ Still the constablo must do his duty—he must know preciselythe posfaion of Wm. Smith, (or John Jones). If he be a person of 'sonto refinement, educa-tion,-and 'discretion, that constablo'will probably -ascertain all the necessary (or unnecessary) information about his man. If not, tho, chances (about 6 to l) aro-that he-will blunder in- on Wm. Smith (or John Jones), and ask him bluntly about his private affairs, ex-ercising'-the., authority of his'uniform:' and, blue paper'to lot Smith's; (or Jones's) wifo, children, and-perhaps neighbours, know that 'there :w:w' something ."fisny",-.about'him: in the':past,, and 'possibly.,conveying 'at tho same timo that "the polico have their eyes on 'him?'.'.;--.;/::-:'-.::. '

i ■ What could bo: more distressing to a man who; has! .fought down tho past, has probably risen.in.theworld ( >arid:forgotten .the thoughtless misdemeanours of, .his youth;" /to ; be. grossly 'reminded -tha-t,.-though"he -may have outgrown 'his-'past, : the'-; authorities still .have him under surveillanco? : It would not be-dif-ficulti to' imagme that to do.so in 'soms coses might easily cause a serious backsliding, as there can be few moral terrors greater than the knowledge that one is always being watched. ■ • - -

To do tho force ju-stioe, it'has always seen objections, to this class or;.work, and it is to be hoped> that } the commission will take due notice of Sub-Inspector. Phair's-timely outspokenness. : ' THE INDRAVELLI INCIDENT. ; ANOTHER LETTER. In connection .with the-.difficulty-: recentlyexperienced',, by - tho ■ mastorr of. -tho "steamer Indravelli in getting a -crew .herb,: and correspondence connected therewith, the following additional: letter: speaks for itself- - (To tot Editos.) - :- Sir,—As you-have published the, latest letter from the Marino. Department m reference to tho steamship lidravolli, will i you also kindly give publicity to-tho latest reply from.the Seamen b Union, which is:—

j. Australasian Federated Seamen's Union, :» Street, Wellington, • |S July 19, 1909. The Honourable Jlr. J. A. Millar, M.P., Minister'for Marine. '

; Sir, —By your direction we aro in receipt ,of a farther communication from the Secretary for Marine in reference to. the matter pertaining to the steamship Indravelli, and note that your assertions are now,, narrowed; down to two things. : ...v., :: Respecting the first, • permit me to respectfully 'tell you ,that ! tho' secretary of this. union; did not order tho men to file out of tho shipping office on :the'l7th ultimo, as asserted by you.- What was this : THe master, of the ship intimated-'to about sixty men in' the shipping office the.terms he,offered, which! they: unanimously -refused to accept,' and, through myself, conveyed to him', the' terms they, would sign-articles for, which he declined to aocede to.' It was then :that one of the men called upon crowd to leave the office. That order was repeated by two. others, and, -I am' ! pleased .to say, the, men marched/ out to a man. If. you think it worth while, tho .union' will bring witness after witness to .prove that'to be true. ' On the second count I may tell you that I was in the shipping office on the morning of the 18th ultimo: but did not speak to the; master, until , he nad :three times asserted that I was intimidating; the men. When he ■repeated ithat assertion the third time I took the opportunity to warn him to he careful of the class/of statement he made; otherwise steps would be taken ;to . make him prove, his, remarks./' That, I Jtbink, you .will , admit, does riot amount to a disturbance. ' . - .;

. On the general' question of , the; right off secretaries »of r seamen's- unions. to: be present at the shipping bffice, I, am directed to point out - that i.the authority was conceded by the Hon. Mr., on January -18;' 1906, and the only , condition-'laid down, was that they. were not to take part in the: settlement of ' matters - between the superintendent: arid men.- ; .

As one with a . practical, knowledge of sea-* faring Matters, you.- will ■ thoroughly under-: stand that tho superintendent of marine has .no: power or -authority ;to settle';a question between the; master.-of a ship and a man, unloss- the,' signature of "the latter appears on .the article of .agreement , and he , is, thereby,'legally a member ofi'the crew. As none: of tho surty men;, previously mentioned,- that aooompaniea me in; the shipping. office on the afternoon of tho 17th ultimo, ivere members of -tho orew of the -Indravelli; mil you please, inform' this union iwhat authority -the superintendent,had to come between' them'and the ipaster in the arrangement of. termsjaiidin view of that, will you also; kindly t'ell us how the union secretary infringed the condition previously quoted, laid down by Mr. HallJones at the,.time of kindly granting the'permission for ,me to bo present at the shipping! office? •

' From the foregoing it will be noted that the assertions are without substantial foundation, and can be refuted at any time. The only disturbance that took place in the shipping office occurred when I was outside standing on' the footpath. Had I been inside, the chances are that would not have happened.-— I am. etc., W. T. YOUNG, Secretary, Seamen's Union. Jnry 20, 1909.