EveninG Post. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20,1902. THE TRANSPORT COMMISSION.

Evening Post, Volume LXIV, Issue 44, 20 August 1902, Page 4

EveninG Post. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1902. THE TRANSPORT COMMISSION.

A somewhat hysterical outcry h«s been raised against the Transport Commission's decision not to allow the daily publication of its proceedings. The enquiry ha* in couwiquence been called "iiecret." This is hardly a fair use of the epithet. A full shorthand report of the evidence is to be' taken, and this is subsequently to be published in a complete form. The secrecy consists ouly in the non-publication from day to day of the necessarily condensed reports that would otherwise appeaAn the newspapers. If the newspapers could give verbatim reports of the proceedings there would be less justification for the course adopted by tlio Commissioners. This, however, ii impossible, and the public would therefore be dependent upon this judgment and discretion of the reporters for tiie selection of the poitions ot evidence to be published. Such, we arc auuio, is tho position in respect of cases before Courts of Law, although it i 9 well to remember that tho privileges the press enjoy in reporting- lugul proceedings arc- due to the fact that tho Court muy in its discretion direct it to refrain irom publishing anything, Tho piytt'iit (Jomuutuion is not quite on tlio Btuue fouling as a Court of Law, and provided that a full record of its prociHjdiugs is published as coon as pos.ible alter the conoiiuion of the investigation, wo cannot see that tho publio have- any Nerious ground of complaint. If tho lives or liberty of accused persons •were- at stake cs they are in criminal prosecutions, or if the legal rights of citizens wero at icsuo as they are in civil cues, we should view with alarm any attempt on the part of the tribunal to eit with closed ooovs. This is a Bomcwhat complicated enquiry into certain administrative matters involving the professional reputation of officers, the discipline- of troopers, tho management of a ship, and tho responsibility of the Imperial and colonial au- , thorities. There iB no question of criminal offences or of civil liability. It is particularly necessary on grounds of publio policy that the Commissioners themselves anu the general publio as well should treat the subject matter of of the enquiry as a whoio and in a calm and dispassionate manner. The tit-bits of "copy" we have been receiving from Australia are not calculated to fostor a judicious caution in arriving at conclusions, and instead of telling in favour of tlio duily publication of tho proceediugs they seem to us to point tho other way. We do not regard, tho action of our own commission as any reflection upon tjhe press of the colony, nor do wo bohevo it was iuteuded as such. The Commissioners probably feel that condensation must necessarily mar reports of proceedings which aro general and not confined like those of Law Courts to clearly defined issues. They probably think also that it would bo as well for witnesses to tell their stories quite independently of one another, and without the help to imagination that might bo supplied by * porusul of evidence previously given. We can quite understand therefore the dcoision to which the Commissioners have come and if they think it will aid them in discovering! tho truth, we nvo not prepared to offer any protest. Wo will admit, however, that we should for some reasons havo been glnd if their decision had gone tho other way. "Demos" is a rather impatient nnd a rather suspicions monarch. His curiosity and his feelings have been excited by tho troopers' complaints. He is anxious to know at once how far they or© founded on fact, and what is to bo said in reply to them. Ho i 9 also inclined to doubt the sincerity of those who hide things from him even if tho sujipreßsion bo only temporary. No doubt Sir William Russoll, Mr. M'Nab, and Mr. Millar weighed tlum considerations well before they took action, and for the presont at least we are willing to abide by their judgment.