The Daily News MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1909. THE POLICE COMMISSION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 234, 8 November 1909, Page 2

The Daily News MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1909. THE POLICE COMMISSION.

The exhaustive carefully-compiled report and recommendations of Mr. Bishop, thy Royal Commissioner who conducted the enquiry into the state of the Police Force, well repays careful perusal. A! legations of maladministration, of resultant discontent in the rank and lile, and of the admission of undesirable individuals to the force, were the basis of the charges made by Mr. Arnold, M.P., which resulted in the setting up of the Royal Commission. Although Mr. Bishop was able to find that thy Force, uiken as a whole, ig a credit to the Dominion, comparing favorably with any similar foice in the world, and capable, with propel handling, of still further cuhundug its reputation, one cannot shut one's eyes to the fact that Mr. Arnold's allegations have, in the main, been fully proved. While it is indeed satisfactory to be assured that the class of men generally constituting the police are capable and conscientious, the evidence conclusively proves that through a lax administration there existed a condition o» aliairs thai, were it continued, coulJ uj;l y result in a lowering of the morale of the Force. The loss of complete pub- 1 | li'; confidence in the police would be a '.-a'amity the disastrous eJl'ect of which fi\v can estimate, and the Commission's incisive report on the weak spots in the system is one for which the public have ruisun to be deeply satisfied. Most people win share with Mr. .Bishop his recognition of Mr. Dinnie's honesty of purpose and conscientious attention to the affairs of His responsible office, howe:c r much they may believe his adininfc. tratiun has been a failure. What slauds out dearly is that the present state of things cannot be allowed to continue a

day longer Hum is necessary to make th«. changes required. Clearly something more than Mr. Dinnie's undoubtedly high qualifications as a police officer are n quired for the proper administrate of the oflice of Commissioner of Police.

Under the management the people of tli" Dominion demand it could never be possible for unmitigated scoundrels to be enrolled for the protection of the public, and property. No more damning pt'r.of of administrative ineptitude and '.trelessncss could be found than thai nun of criminal taint and record have been able to secure admission to ih<j.olice. hi it to be wondered at that the bettor class of constables and police officers despaired of receiving fair trca:n»< nt when promotions were made agaiiint the advice of sergeants and inspectors, ami when certain offender

against regulations which provide drastic penaltins were let oil' with a caution? It will lie conceded that in so large a body of men it would be unusual to find nunc whose characters were unblemished, bill. Air. Iti-lioji's report leaves no doubt in the mind that the system of selection as carried out under Mr. Dinnie has been woefully lax, enabling men of low moral tone, wife-deserters, and convicted criminals to don the respected uniform of the police. A reassuring feature of the report is that on the question as to win. tlier any political or other improper interference exists in connection with ll'e Force, ami if so, whether sucli interference has any inllnence in the adminis. (ration. On this matter Mr. Bishop says: "I have found a great nun/oor of 'etters from members of Parliament to Ministers, written on behalf of certain members of tile l''orce, cither to secure promotion or other advantage; I have found letters from members covering complaints from constituents and aslcing for enquiry, and expressing opinions adverse to certain members of the Force; I'have found letters and petitions of all sorts and varieties; but no single case have I found ill wliicli there was positive proof of political influence having been the determining factor in any acf done as regards an individual or locality. On l lie contrary. I have seen a iar"e number of letters written by Ministers to members in response to a variety of solicitations, in which there is a most distinct independence of tone adopted in refusing to accede to requests—refusals, too, which were sub. sequently adhered to. . . . Jj u t j think that the most mischievous direc ' lO,l which political influence has opci-nlcl lies been in inducing Ihe cn- - 1" |"'ut "I into (he Force without -■Ulhcienl ''iMjiiirv, | have uol the *hghlc<t doubt thai Hie word of the ipi'inbor line <»oik< i-ftvi- r-i.. : . i " w n ,<} i "i many v < I «hh equally miiv i ban in vi'i" instance, has the iiiember li;n| _ M f. ,'."'ul personal knowledge 0 f 11,,. I'l'cant (o justify his action." I

Members of Parliament are senrc.dy I" bt blamed in assisting applicants for positions; the fault seems to have b:vn that some members have been too in''"ffM'iit: in advancing llie claims of „u----"..'lable individuals. Members of Purlin "•''ill: have our sympathy in the mailer of tlie continual to which they arc subjected by constituents in the interests of "billet-seekers," and it a pity some system was not devised "hereby Ministers and the heads of ])■>- |f.'tments might make "touting'' a disqualification for any olliee in the Civil Service and allied Departments. Sumi'iing up, however, it has been proved

that the Force, which U on the whofo '-ijjhly efficient, has been drifting from ' high plane upon which ifc <waa set; by 'he lite Commissioner, Mr. Tunbn'dge 3 inn the drift may easily be arretted by the appointment of a Commissioner of ■lrinijf administrative ability. It is at flu fountain head where the weakiU" = and however much it i* to be icgi'Hlcd that an otherwise capable officer and estimable gentleman must be rel;ivd, no other course is open to the i Cou'rnment.