THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, JULY 9, 1910. POLITICIANS AND POLICEMEN.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10036, 9 July 1910, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, JULY 9, 1910. POLITICIANS AND POLICEMEN.

The confession made by the member for Obristchurch East, Mr T. H. Davey, in the House un Tuesday last is ceitainly a matter calling for comment. Our readers will probably have noted the facts o£ the case, which were briefly, as fellows—A respectable citizen ■ of the City cf the Plains succeeded in becoming inebriated in a public place, and was "run in' 1 by a police officer.

He felt exceedingly ashamed of his position, - and in his trouble he appealed to Mr Davey to help him. The member for Christchurch East then saw a police inspector, who forgot what was his duty to the extent of promising Mr Davey that he (thti inspector) would see what he could do. The arresting constable was subsequently instruced to charge the accused under a false name, but he —and his conduct is commendable in the extreme —declined to do any, thing of the kind. Another constable, however, was found to do the job, and thus was Justice trifled withowing to a member of Parliament wciking upon the feelings of an inspector of police. There are several remarkable features about the case. The courage of the constable, who refused a false entry in the charge sheet, is the one bright spot in a wretched piece of business. The other features, however, which compare so unfavourably with the constable's conduct, are that Mr Davey should ever have dreamed of making the request he made to the inspector, and that the latter, who has a long and honourable career to his credit, should for a single moment have determined upon falsifying the charge sheet. * * * * *

It is, indeed, satisfactory that the truth of the affair should have leaked out, but the facta are calculated, in our opinion, to create a feeling of uneasiness as to whether it is not possible fur similar occurrences to take place between other politicians and other policemen. It requires no great stretch nf imagination to realise that a fearful state of corruption would exist were such relationship to become common. One car not refer to such a case, as that with which we are dealing, without asking the. question "why should a policeman be specially influenced by a member, of Parliament?" and the answer, of course, is "because the Government of the day directly control the civil servant** of the Dominion." "Every soldier," said Napoleon, "carries a Marbhal'3 baton in his knapsack," and every member of Parliame.it may become a Cabinet Minister, and a Cabinet Minister could do a good deal for, were he inclined to assist, any particular civil servant. In short, the incident, which has induced the foregoing remarks, is a strong argument in favour of abolishing all direct political control over the public services of the Dominion. Under J;be present system the power in the hands of Ministers is simply enormous, and it is altogether improper that such a state of affairs should be tolerated any longer. Furthermore, it is obvious that under the existing system even the ordinary member of Parliament must have a good l deal of influence too in connection with the public services, for it must be remembered that members create ministers! The day, however, will come, at least so it seems to us, when a Public Service Board will be established, and may that day come soon must be the fervent wish of every one who believes in, justice and the protecting ofthel country from the possiblity of corruption of the worst kind arising within it.