REPORTS OF ROYAL COMMISSIONS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume C, Issue 11657, 13 August 1898, Page 4

REPORTS OF ROYAL COMMISSIONS.

It is unfortunate^that the time of the House of Representatives should be occupied by discussions such as that which arose yesterday afternoon on the recommendation of the Petitions Committee with reference to the petition of Mrs M’Namara, the widow of a former employee in the Government Printing Office. It will be remembered that a Commission was appointed some four years ago to investigate certain charges which had been made by employees as to the management of the Government Printing Office. The inquiry was duly conducted, and the report of the Commissioners presented; but it was deemed unadvisable by the Government to lay that report before the House. It was inevitable and desirable that information with respect to the circumstances should be asked for and supplied, hut it is) to be regretted that the information should have been given by the Minister of Public Works in a way which involved a discussion on the character of the Chairman of the Commission. On the merits of Dr Giles as a commissioner we have nothing now to say; but we consider that the circumstances in no way justified the attack made upon him yesterday by more than one member of the House. It appears that Dr Giles, as chairman of the Commission, differed considerably from the two other Commissioners with reference to the action of the three employees who preferred the charges against the Government printer, and that he supplemented the report of the Commission by a statement of his personal opinion on the matter. A further addition, was, therefore, made by the other Commissioners stating their opinion on the points referred to by Dr Giles. Had Mr Hall-Jpnes, in speaking ou the petition, quoted the conclusions arrived at by the Commission as a whole instead of submitting to the House those of Dr Giles alone the unpleasant reflections on the Commissioner would never have been made. It was, perhaps, excusable for the member for Masterton, as one of the Commissioners, to explain to the House the reason for the additions made to the report, but his personal opinion of Dr Giles, arrived at during the inquiry, might well have been spared the House and the country, as also might the criticisms of the junior member for Christchurch on the conduct of the hospital inquiry held here some time ago. We do not propose to defend Dr Giles, but we are satisfied that neither the time nor the place nor the manner for the charges was well chosen. The occurrence, however, emphasises the necessity for a prompt presentation of the reports of commissions appointed to conduct inquiries into the management of public institutions and affairs. We are satisfied that the Government, as the Premier stated, acted in all fairness and justice, was guided by the joint report of the Commissioners, and was in no way influenced by the opinions of individual members ; but the House has a right to know at the earliest possible opportunity whether or not the evidence and the report justify the action of the persons moving for the inquiry. Ministers were no doubt of opinion that they were acting in the best interests, of the colony in -withholding tho report imqueßtiou^

but in. this instance the purpose they ' intended to serve has not been served,' inasmuch as the report in now to be laid on the table in accordance with a motion of the House, -and;, it appears to ns that it would have been belter to have settled' the matter once for all on the term!* nation of the inquiry, by presenting, the report and stating tins action, pro- ; posed to be. taken. W« hope chat, this will be done in the case s€ all future commissions, if far no other.' reason than to allay the suspicion that commissioners ftro liable to “ manipulation.” i ,