UNWELCOME QUERIES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 613, 16 September 1909, Page 8

UNWELCOME QUERIES.

. AT POLICE COMMISSION. INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL. EX-INMATES. Public objection was taien'soma' little time ago to. the inquiries mifda by the police at the instance of the Education Department, regard-' ire the conduct and .welfare-of ex-inmates of industrial schools.; It was .stated that the fact of such - inquiries being made was often prejudicial to the persons; concerned,through neighbours and rothors'' becoming < aware, that the police were. asking questions 'about them. The matter. came -up before the Police Commission yesterday, -when* Mr. G. "Hogben, In-spector-General- of Schools, was evidence. •••.. : : '. _'• .. • ; - Mr. • Bishop, said his .'attention> had been, drawn to the enormous amount of. work.thrown upon tho police/to assist', the Education Depai'tnient.-- • :• ; Witness; said tho work 'was well.done by;the' pcjK-.3, and willingly, and- he' did not thinb the Department could , have it done' better. ;The".inqmries--as topast inmates', of. industrial schools l had . been • rather unusually ue3Vy,the last vear or .two, because the re'dord caids of the-Department had. fallen- behind. Thr>t_would not *be so . again.-• The,.inquiries should'' be reliable, , but 'searching inquiries were not needed,: and; it was not desired that any inconvenience should "be, caused, to; the exinmates.- Sometimes .>a. constable. was /indiscreet, bat the regulations did not justify: anything: of the sort. It was important to have information as to• thewelfare 0f,., the ' exinmates of' the schools, so-that .it could.be whether the work of the' schools was effective, and the information-was also necessary before paying over the earnings of. the exinmates. If the police did not'make, the inquiries, the Education' Department would have to keep a!staff on'purpose, Such men would have : to make, special" inquiries, 'whereas fa pclicaraan could often answer ' the. questions without going 'outside house. Inspector Ellison referred, to" other ; work-done by the police for the", Education Department, including tie collection of • maintenance • fees for boarded-out children. ' Did the witness know that : inspectors V.of police had: to- spend two hours- daily doing; clerical work connected with . the ..Education, Department when they should be otherwise, engaged?'' Witness*. It ought, not, to take; so long, . Inspector EUison :*-Do. you know that: it oftens costs the police more to collect, a' debt for . the. Education Department than the money when collected amounts :to?—That imay . be 60 in some, instances. It'is often the case with debts due to publio.Departments,,but even €0 it would not be right to let people get into the, way of: thinking that they would, not: be required to pay up. " ' - -• - ' : It was stated by the, inspector that .the. police sometimes had. to go to the expense of horse hire for such purposes, and a constable might havo to wako a. two days' 7 journey into the country.: His. wages should £hen/ be, 'considered* . ' . . • ' . « llr - B!s hop ■ suggested that the" Education Department,should pay- the Police Department for. its services. He other Departments as a pre cedent. The point was discussed'it some length between his Worship and the witness.- v •• •< ■■ Inspector Mlisoh'then reverted • to the 1 inquire about ex-inmates of industrial schools, and asked how it could'be avoided that neighbours and '. others ' should know .that the police *2 r ®- Wi uu JM' a^ 0, i t •> Person,. : when It , was often difficult to find them. Very, few were in thejame;-place ..now '.as', they 'were 'when- last H?f ~,i? i™ or t l fi yealrs and although ;' ® ?!" ce knew, of; those \i;ho were misconductotLrs - k n(w . nothing: of it: should be enough: to.' report that nothing was Jcnown • against ;thein. v ' '■ • ■> Inspector Mlison.said that', in Jnie and Jul? last as many (as <100 or 120 of : theso inqt.br forms passed through his hands,', and Ti n L l s3? lr V CS i, en to-the Education d ' a ?. : w as 20:£orms-attached, showing how inquiries had'been • pursued from gM, Pl aco ,- :• 1 ! 1 , e ,y .found' about a'third, of place " ; W going from placo'tc w^'. he l j 10n S h ' thoVamount'oi doing a great deal; of. work, '.. ' u! tP'- think the matter is one that M, H \ ' Mr. Hogben. said his Department tried to'Vr* sta,: I should' tiling &uW h te 'JjjL ■ w J? cn , 'i® Police are out of' pocket in j an processes, they should allotted to charge expenses.. . J ula : be