THE POLICE COMMISSION REPORT.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10150, 24 September 1898, Page 7

THE POLICE COMMISSION REPORT.

'lhe bluebook containing the report and evidence of the Royal Commission on the Police Force is, we should imagine, the bulkiest document ever issued from the Government Printing Office. It contains no fewer than 1192 pages, foolscap size, closely printed. It will be interesting to know how much it Ims cost. The actual printing, apart from the preparation, is set down at £814. Altogether the Police Commission will involve the country in an expenditure, we should say, of at least £5000. As to the ponderous report which is the result of the Commission's labours it is doubtful if anybody will have the hardihood and the endurance to read it through. For this reason Mr. T. E. Taylor's "Shadow of Tammany" will serve a useful purpose. It is not at all judicial in its tone, but Mr. Taylor's quotations are taken correctly from tbe report, and he makes readily accessible many facts which the public certainly ought to know. We have already referred to some of the disclosures of the Commission. There are, however, other points which Mr. Taylor brings out with graphic force.

The list of "illegal appointments" is a proof of how little regard has been paid to the law. The list contains 68 names, all appointed since 23rd May, 1888. Four persons were appointed in the Atkinson regime without having had any previous experience in any police force or in the Prisons Department, and one down to May, 1894, from 1891. Since April, 1896, no less than 43 have been so appointed 1 , How Tammanyism has developed! And these law breakers are Ministers of the Crown!

Chapter xxii. of Mr. Taylor's book must be read to be appreciated. The short facts are that a first-class constable was drunk on a racecourse near Christchurch, and was allowed to resign in consideration of his long service in the force. He asked to be taken back, and m the Mayor and certain citizens of Christchurch petitioned Captain Russell, then Minister of Defence, to reinstate him. Captain Russell refused. The matter came also before Sir Harry Atkinson, and he also declined to readmit the man. Colonel Hume minuted that his "reinstatement would be disastrous to the discipline of tho force," but Mr. Seddon had not been a month in office when the first-class constable wa3 reinstated with his back good conduct pay!

Chapters xxiii. and xxvi. are equally interesting. A Sergeant Harman was removed by the Atkinson Ministry to Otaki from Slaffordtown. Mr. Seddon restored him to his former position in May, 1891, at a cost to the colony of £192. There are other chapters of deep interest. How to get a blnck mark removed is told in Chapter xxv., and we do not think that even under Richard Croker political influence could be more powerful. No doubt Mr. Taylor has his bias, and that is to be seen in hisibook, but making every just allowance for this fact he has collected ample proof that the police force has been dominated by Tammanyism, and that there is urgent need of an immediate change in the administration if justice is to be done in the colony. Tho Government have openly burked the discussion on the report which was commenced in the House, and the Premier has made no secret of the fact that' ho does not intend to allow it to be resumed if he can help it. That shows how damaging tho Government foel the disclosures to be. If they are wise they will never attempt to interfere with the force again. So far as can be seen Commissioner Tunbridge is prepared to do his work efficiently, and if political influence ceases the Commission will not have been in vain. It has been abundantly shown, however, that the Government are unfit to be entrusted with the control of the police, and by their actions they have at last admitted the fact. Some day we shall have a Commission enquiring "ito tho Railway Department, and then shall be forced to the same conclusion in regard to Ministerial control of *liat part of the public service.