THE POKAIKAI COMMISSION.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 85, 17 August 1868, Page 197

THE POKAIKAI COMMISSION.

• ;; - (From tho ladependexit, August 4.) The peculiar functions which Commissioners discharge must be exceedingly valuable, to -judge by their very peculiar qualifications upon the respective subjects ofiriquiry which fiuds them j The Colony has no doubt, obtained the value of; the very costly;? inquiries that have been recently made. What amount of good

the Pokaikai Commission has done we do not yet know, for the Commissioners have not been pleased to inform us. But we have seen a list of the expenses, which we should have, thought was exceedingly incorrect, but for the fact that it is backed by a very authoritative signature. The cost to the country of the Pokaikai Com mission was <£l64 15s, which was distributed as follows—Mr Cargill, S Mr G. Graham, £52 £ ■ -passages|p| Coinmissioriers, £36 10 Jj; total,riTlf|4! 15s. But this is a smaa item of pri|| lie expenditure as most useful inquiry which at the extraordinary discretion of leaving the' whole subject of penal establishments where it was, with the ex ceplion of recounting one or two start-

ling anecdotes-: —we- mean the Gaol Commission. The cost of that inquiry was .£855 ss, but this sum does riot appear to include the expenditure of the whole of. the Commissioners., The expenditure is thus distributed- —Mr James O’Neill, £275 2s; Mr C. Haughton, £3ll Bs.; 'Mr F. Wakefield, secretary, £(56 10s; passages and tra veiling expenses, £166 15s; contingencies, £26 10s. Surely it is the height of good fortune to be appointed a commissioner. It is very possible .fhe-TGovernment may/know. if the Country: ddT iibt;" the “value 7 of the emi nent services of the Commissioners. Quis custodiet custodes —who will inquire of the inquirers ?