27

H.—l6b.

W. WALKER.j

18. Yet you do not know one who has tried or succeeded? —No. 19. You have no evidence whatever to show that this influence has taken effect? —I know of no actual evidence. 20. Do you know what inquiries are made at present when candidates are selected? —No. 21. Do you know what the present travelling-allowance is?— No. 22. Do you know that members of the Force are allowed what expenses they incur?—l expect they are. 23. That is what you suggest?— Yes. What 1 wanted to show was that some Inspectors go on tours of inspection to make work for themselves; and where an Inspector or Sub-Inspector was allowed 12s. I was allowed 6s. 24. Have you any suggestion as to how political influence could be stopped?—l have made it as clear as I could : by taking your office—no matter who is in it—from under the control of the Minister. 25. But we have a Minister now who is not in the lower House? —But lie is there for members to get at, and gel what they want, and he controls you. 26. But members could go to the Commissioner of Police? —I expect they could. 27. I want some proof that influence has been exercised? —I have no proof, but such is the impression amongst the public and the police —that unless a man has friends in office he will not get on - -28. The Commissioner.] That is generally held throughout the Force?— Yes, and it you could <'et the men to come before you they would tell you so. 1 am afraid, however, you will not get them to do so. 29. Do you believe a man would be punished for giving evidence? —I do. 30. What would happen to a constable who came forward and gave evidence?—He would remain as he is all his life, and he would be shifted from here to the back-blocks. 31. Who would instigate that treatment? —It would be thought it would be as well to get rid of him. If I were a constable in uniform, and made the statement I have made, passing over Inspector O'Brien for an Inspector of inferior rank, it would be natural to think that Mr. O'Brien would shift me out of Dunedin, or pass me over for promotion. I think it would occur. 32. But he has no direct control over promotion?— But he would never recommend me. If a constable made himself obnoxious in any way to his superior officer he would pay the penalty. 33. According to your idea, it will be hopeless to try and get evidence from the constables?— Yes; you are hardly likely to got the information necessary to make a report, which will be of any use. . . . _. . . ' 34. What do you imagine to be the object of the Government in setting up this Commission I Well, I do not know ; probably to gloss over their own doings in some way. 35. This is a whitewashing Commission ?—I am satisfied you will not use the brush, and so is every member of the Force. _ . , 36 Probably the fact that the Government did me the honour to appoint me Commissioner was due to the fact that the men are more likely to trust me than perhaps they would another?— Yes; 1 know they are thoroughly satisfied your report will be as much m their favour as you car gather from the evidence. But the difficulty will be to get men to come forward. Thomas Ryan Sonntag, Nurseryman. (No. 12.) This witness was sworn, and entered into a long rambling statement. As he refused to put his statement into concrete form, the Commissioner suggested he should put it in writing. This he refused to do, and the Commissioner ordered him to stand down. Frederick Mallard, ex-Inspector of Police, examined on oath. (No. 13.) Witness- 1 am an ex-Inspector of Police, and also ex-Inspector of the provincial police. Iv 1872 I assisted the late Inspector Weldon to reorganize the Force. I come forward on this occasion to speak impersonally. 1 know none of the Force here with the except .on of ex-Sergeant O'Neill My sympathies are entirely with the Force. I know the difficulties a police officer has to contend with, from the highest to the lowest grade. I look upon the police as a social sewer— not using the word in an offensive sense—through which we have to carefully sift all kinds of complaints, and we should try to keep the sewer as clean as possible. I can only say to Mr. Dinnie, ■is I did to Mr Tunbridge : it is our duty to help you as much as we can, consistently with discipline I take a great interest in police matters in all branches, and I interest myself in criminoloßV ' I hold very strongly on the subject of the Westport murder case, and I believe in that case there has been a very palpable blunder. I hope the Commission will read all the departmental reports in connection with that case, from its inception to the finding of the jury Who is responsible for the blunder it is impossible to say. I have read the evidence at the trial, ami I am afraid there was no loyalty : there was evidently some cross-purpose m working up the case, ■aid the only way to gel at'that is to read the departmental reports. Touching another phase ot the organization of the Police Force, I am much surprised that the present Minister of Justice (who by the way, should have a seat in the lower House; I have looked up all the papers I could, ■md never found a Minister of Justice anywhere else in an upper House)— I was surprised that the present Minister of Justice altered the decision of his predecessor m regard to the promotion of men from plain clothes to the uniform branch of the service. Mr. McGowan<eaid that promotions were to be kept in the uniform branch, but when Dr. Findlay became Minister this w*« altered, and plain-clothes men were promoted to the rank of Inspector.