THE POLICE COMMISSION. Wellington, March 8.

Otago Witness, Issue 2298, 17 March 1898, Page 15

THE POLICE COMMISSION. Wellington, March 8.

The Police Commission took the evidence of two witnesses this afternoon who deposed to seeing two parsons going into local hotels oa Sundays. They gave the names, and one said he had counted 210 people entering an hotel on one Sunday. March 9. The Police Commission was engaged to-day in taking further evidence of persons who watchtd hotels in 1893 and detailed the number of people they saw going into various houses on Sundays. March 11. At the Police Commission to-day the Rev. J. Crewss said he bad watched the police in order to see bow far the charges against them were justified, and had visited the gaol in Lytteltoa in connection with rescue work. The police compared very favourably with other classes o£ the community. The allegation tha{; the supervision of licensed houses was more lax now than before was altogether opposed to what had come under his observation. The law required amending, as in the present state it penalised the bests claas of publicans. D ateefcive Campbell was questioned at length on the subject of betting. He was of opinion that there bad been no increase of late years. The detectives new had orders to report; breaches of the licensing law, which were formerly regarded as outside their work. Colon?! Hume declined to let anyone but the commissioners see the departmental papers, sayjeg he was so instructed. There might be confidential documents among them. Sir Taylor alluded to the way men go behind their medical certificates. Commissioner Tunbridge said he already recognised that, and would guard against it by the appointment of police surgeons. The return showed 33 arrests on Sundays for drunkenness in Wellington duriDg the last sue months. The commission is now inquiring into furthec cases of individual constables. It was stated that a constable who bad beea reprimanded for bad behaviour persisted and was finally dismissed, but he and his friends sa importuned the Government that the man, despite his had conduct", eventually got £60 compensation. Between 80 and 90 constables are employed in small country districts aa clerks of court. March 12. At the Police Commission Colonel Hams produced papers relating to the appointment of 68 men taken into the police force betweea October 18, 1887, and March 18, 1897, and having previously served in the Permanent Artillery. He gave the names of those persons who recommended these men. This concluded the business in Wellington, and the commission will go to Dunedin on Tuesday. To avoid tha Jubilee they will begin taking evidence there on Thursday, and go on to lUYcvc&rgttl aftec* wards.