“STRATFORD EVENING POST" THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1928. THE LIBERTY OF THE SUBJECT.

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 64, 25 October 1928, Page 4

“STRATFORD EVENING POST" THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1928. THE LIBERTY OF THE SUBJECT.

BRITISHERS are very jealous of their individual liberty, and anything likely to encroach upon it, is always received with alarm—sometimes needless alalrm. Because or this concern, the sittings of the Police Commission in Londan are causing very widespread interest, not only in the Old Country but in the Dominions also. In a nutshell, the position is: How far should the liberty of individual members of society be encroached upon, in order that Society as a whole may be protected from the results of the efforts of‘its more evil units. Sir Archibald Bodkin. Director of Public Prosecutions, when giving evidence before, the Commission, justified the practice, 'sometimes indulged in by the Police, of arresting a person on a lesser charge while inquiries are made in connection with 1 a graver one ot which he ip suspected. To question a man when under lock and key is, in Sir Archibald’s opinion, an excellent system from the public viewpoint. Sir Wyndham jChildtv who alsoi gave evidence, was more or less in agreement with) his chief and thought the duty of police officers dealing with a hostile witness was to use every possible artifice to secure the proofs sought. The problem is a most difficult one, and the position of the police is far from enviable. Undoubtedly it is their duty to sheet home crime, but care must be taken to ensure that anything in tl\e nature of the notorious American third degree is not used, because, apart from any other consideration, bullying tactics can easily have the effect of causing certain people to make untrue statements, even implicating themselves, through fear. It was pointed out by Sir Archibald Bodkin that judges had never once sustained the third degree plea, hut that is no proof at all of itg non-existence. It is always, or nearly always, a case of one person’s word against another’s, and when the consequences of such tactics are considered, it is extremely that the 5 , official concerned £ would/ admit them. There have been! cases‘even in New Zealand where the third degree has -/been suspected, f and a 15 0«... cases Where the Bench ihavei not‘ruled the plea out. Such instances, of course, are rare, and it is to' he remain so. The police undoubtedly have a right to question any suspected person, hut he need not answer, unless #ho chocjses, [• wherein lies a. safeguard. No one need> go 1 to ? a police t,station unless arrested/ v> and though 4t may be said/manyrof £ the public do not know these things,! that js their own fault thatfof the authorities. It would be an excellent fifing if it were possible to adopt kid glove methods in all eases, but if that were done comparatively few crimes would he sheeted home. People of criminal tendencies are every hit as shrewd as the polled officers, and a. certain amount of subterfuge is necessary at times in order to get proof against them. It is safe to say that iho mi rubier of “respectable” people who swffer indignities at the bands of

the police, j,g small indeed, and after all do the scaUyways matter very much: 1 Society must bo protected against the criminal element, and if it has to suffer an occasional hurt to its pride in the process, the result seemg to be worth it.