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Timaru Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 1769, 1 June 1895, Page 2

About a week ago there appearec m the Wellington Evening Post ai article which ought to attract th< attention of the Government an< lead to enquiry. The article wai headed " A Matter of Moment," an< the subject dealt with was the pre sent condition of the Police Fora of the colony. If, however, wha the writer said was true, it may bi that no enquiry can be expecte< from the Government, m whicl case a strenuous effort shoul< be made to obtain a Parliamen tary Committee. In the presen state of parties m the House tha might be difficult of attainment but m the course of the discussioi the alleged facts conld be brough out m such fashion that the Gov ernment would be compelled to ac . or to rest under a very ugly stigma We shall make no lengthy quota tiqns from the article, and a yen \ brief and general reference wil serve our purpose. It is alleged then, that m practice, under thi present methods of administration the system of admission to thi Police Force is rotten to the core that the regulations are disregarded and that the good character, educa^ 1 tion, and suitable physique of can didates are considerations of n< weight unless the men are of the righ colour or have the right sort of m fluence. Then there are specifii allusions to cases m point, and ii , short the whole article is one of th< most " sultry " that has come unde our notice for many a day. W< need scarcely say that we have n< sympathy with that kind of writini when it is resorted to without re gard to truth but merely for tin i purpose of attacking an opponent Supposing, however, that the write m the Evening Post had substantia ground for his statements, he wa not only justified m making then but performed a Useful public ser vice m doing so. The Defence Mm ister is responsible for police ap ! pointments. and if m making then ! he is guided by political considera , tions instead of by the fitness o | the applicants a great deal of mis \ chief will inevitably result.