THE POLICE COMMISSION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6131, 18 March 1898, Page 1

THE POLICE COMMISSION.

SITTINGS AT DUNEDIX. [Per Press Association.] DUNEDItf, March 17. Replying to Mr T. K Taylor, Inspector Pardy admitted that during Captain Russell's administration there was but littiesign of political influence. There was no q uestion it had got worse since Captain Russell's retirement ; but during the last six months there had not been so many signs of it, and now, when an order was given, it was obeyed. Regarding the suppression of sly grog-selling in the Clutha,the witness said that in the present state of the law the total suppression of the traffic was impossible. When he first arranged to take action against the sly grog-sellers, his plans were made known to the delinquents before his men arrived on the ground ; and, as none but the members of the force knew his plans, the information, must have been divulged . by them. The . men . employed in the Railway Department were not to be trusted. He had heard of a guard boasting of having given the police away. In Clutha the fact that action was to be taken at a given time was public property before the arrival of the men. The witness being asked as to Mr Hawkins, S.M., said he had nothing to complain of, except that on one occasion Mr Hawkins imputed perjury to a constable who had told the truth. Mr Tunbridge interposed to object to any police officer being asked to sit in judgment on the conduct of a magistrate, and repeated the protest at the close of the day, and intimated that he should get counsel to represent the Department, if needful, to prevent anything of the sort being done, as he himself was stopped from making the protest. The Chairman explained that it was a case of mishearing, because he had stopped Mr Tunbridge simply as he had ruled at once to disallow that line of examination. Mr Poynton and the Chairman said they recognised Mr Tunbridge as counsel, and that he had all the privileges of counsel. # . ' Inspector Pardy, in further evidence, said that Detective Henderson and another man, since dismissed, had defied him, stating that they had more power than he, and only political power could be meant.