THE POLICE SCANDAL.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 17, 20 July 1905, Page 5

THE POLICE SCANDAL.

The attention of the Minister fosJustice -was recently drawn by Mr. Fisher to the fact that Inspector O'Brien, of Dunedin, was the officer who arrested Thomas Moses for shopbreaking at Oamaru in 1895, and that Moses afterwards served under him at a police constable until the date of hi» arrest for theft. Further, he pointed out that Detective Livingstone, late 01 Dunedin, was the officer who arrested Moses for theft at Timaru on 20th Ue- w cember, 1890, and he wanted to know whether either of those officers had ever reported the facts to headquarters. The Minister admits that both ho and the Commission Me aware of the above-men-tioned circumstances, but states that owing to the lapse of time neither of the officers recognised their former prisoner. Both Inspector O'Brien and .Detective Livingstone are to be examined by the Police Commission. Commenting on this reply, Mr. Herdman remarked that ono was forced to the conclusion that the Government in appointing persons to the police force acted on the principle that before a man could make an efficient policeman he must have had some previous practical experience of crime. The Premier : The old saying , is, "Set a thief to catch a thief." Mr. Herdman: A very happy remark. The Premier: Generally applied to lawyers. Mr. Herdman : The Premier can spealb feelingly. He practised as an amateur barrister on the West Coast in the early da^s. LOVE AND THE SEXES. Occasionally there wanders into the discussions of our Legislature a littla psychological question as far removed from the prosaic practicality of politics as can, be imagined. One of these appeared for a moment yesterday in the debate by the Legislative Council on the Divorce Act Amendment Bill, introduced in the House by Mr. Lanrenson. Qualifying certain "advanced" views 1 on marriage and its ethics and significance, the Hon. J. Bigg •said that of course there was a love, affection, and respect that went far towards the assurance of happiness in married life. This feeling, he digressed, was not essentially between of the opposite sexes. It could exist between two persons „ of the same sex. A note of dissent was interjected by the Hon. J. Jenkinson. Mr. , Rigg said he could support his contention by reference to. his own personal knowledge^ and he knew of cases of love and affection between two members of the same sex finer and more lasting than the lovo of man and woman. MISDIRECTED ENERGY. As a striking instance of misdirected! energy iur. Millar yesterday commented on the clerical agitation for the introduction of the 'Bible into schools by saykv that if the clergy supporting t&6 meSsure had expended on the religious inßtruc. , of the children one-tenth of the energy they had expended on an endeavour to make the schoolteachers impart religious instruction, thousands of those whom they now designated as "godless" would be beyond the reach of that reproach. INFORMATION REFUSED. The refusal of the Government to supply certain returns which he had asked for led Mr. Duthie to strong criticism of some of the methods of the Government yesterday. Speaking generally he complained of the arbitrary way in which the Government refused the House information which it .had a perfect right to be in possession of, and then went on to- charge the Government with using the telegraph, service of the colony for electioneering purposes. Then again the House ought to be placed in possession of the despatches which had led to the alteration of the order of precedence, by -which the Chief Justice came after the Premier. The colony, too, ought fo be given details of the Premier's recent electioneering tour in the South Island, when he travelled with, three secretaries and an attendant, at a cost to the colony, probably, of from £200 to £250. The House 'also had a. right to be told what promises of public works had been made by Ministers within the last three months. All those particulars had been refused, and Mr. Duthie urged that they were necessary for the good government of the country, and the attitude assumed by the Government was unwarranted and unconstitutional The Premier replied at some length. The request for a return of Iris travelling expenses for_a limited period he characterised as "bordering on the impertinent," adding that such, a request was ■unprecedented. During the time Ministers were travelling or were away from Wellington they had a fixed allowance of 30s a day, and the Legislature had made a limit for the wholo Ministry at £1500 a year. As to the promises made by Ministers it was impossible to give them. The Government never made promises. STATE COAL. The Minister for Mines yesterdayanswered a number of questions that had been addressed to him on tire subject of tne State coalmines, in regard to dissatisfaction among the miners owing to tho shoit hours that are being worked. As better coal is opened up .at the Seddonville mine, eaid the Minister, it is expected that there will be more constant work for the miners in the future, move ' particularly as the Railway Department has undertaken to obtain half its supplies of coal from that mine. In order to obtain information as to why the better class of coal now being mined is not in greater demand, steps are being taken to appoint a Board to enquire into the whole question of the sale and disposal of coal from this property, Meanwkib any school or other, State Department can obtain a truck of coal ex ship at aiiy port of delivery in any part of tho colony. In answer to another question the Minister said the prejudice against the. coal had not yet been overcome, notwithstanding that better coal is now being obtained. Instructions have been given for a shipment of coal to Yn. obtained and advertised in the local newspapers for sale from shin's side in Wellington. It would, he added m answer to Mr. Barber, be undesirable to open depots until there is a greater demand for the coal. • SHOPS AND OFFICES. The Labour Bills Committee concluded the taking of evidence on tho Shops and Offices Bill this morning. As showiiu' the interest taken in this question i( i? interesting to note thnt lie •Conunii v* has held f out teen meetings during iw-elve sittings of Parliament, and received 57 deputations comprising 208 persons. 3'iia Committee examined 114 witnesses, am! m .addition the Chairman (Mr. AraoM) received over 300 telegrams and oUiec communications. I(. is expected that tha evidence will be printed in time for the Committee to meet next Wednesday rad draw up its report for presentation op the following Friday.

I — = I Several members of (ho Hoiv*> oi Representatives fell iuto a tiap at m\ early hour this morning. On leaving the Houso some time after 1 o'clock they were hurrying homeward, when, to their delight, they saw a lighted tramcar near Government Buildings. A short run, and they boarded, the car and started off with something like glee. Then the conductor came along, demanded a shilling a- head as tho fare, on tho ground that the car was n. "special," and the joy was changed to an entirely different feeling. Henceforth certain members of Parliament will eyo a one-o'clock-in-the-niorn- <" ing tram with suspicion^ f