How the Police Were Appointed.

Under the Police Act of 1886 all appointments to the police force had to be made "exclusively" from men recruited from the ranks of the Permanent Artillery. This regulation was not repealed until March 18, 1897, but the Government defied the law right along, and made over sixty appointments from outside the Artillery. I propose to take the method of recruiting as the starting point for examining the official evidence. Through the refusal of the Government to pay for the services of counsel, I was compelled to attend the Commission in its travels in support of my charges against the Department. I proved conclusively that no test of fitness was applied to recruits before their enrolment in the police. Captain Coleman, who is in charge of the Permanent Artillery, gave evidence to that effect so far as men recruited from that service is concerned. Replying to questions this witness said: "The present method of admission into the Artillery is as follows:—A man presents himself at the depot, and hands in a letter, 'Please enrol So-and-So in the Permanent Artillery.' We have no know- page 324 ledge whatever of his character." What the effect of enrolling men without investigating their character has been upon the police force may be judged by the evidence of some of the most experienced Inspectors. Inspector Pender says: "I consider recruiting from the Permanent Artillery not satisfactory." Inspector Broham, Christchurch, says: "I think the most woeful mistake was made in recruiting from the Artillery." Inspector Pardy, of Dunedin, said: 'The great drawback was recruiting the men solely from the Permanent Artillery. We got a very inferior class of men from the Artillery. An odd man now and again was very fair; but, as a rule, they were very inferior men, and very unsteady men and, I am sorry to say, many of them were very urtruthful."

During the term of office of the present Ministry, every shred of administrative power has been taken from the head of the Department, Colonel Hume. It examining his chief clerk, Mr. Evans, I asked him whether the lists of recommended transfers, promotions, &c., as prepared by the Commissioner, and submitted for the Minister's signature, were altered between the time they were submitted to the Minister and being returned to the Commissioner to which he answered "Yes." This witness also said that generally appointments, transfers, and promotions were made by the Minister during Colond Hume's time. Colonel Hume himself, the ex-Commissioner, measured his subjection to Ministeria interference when he said, in reply to a question I put to him as to what effect he thought the reinstatement of a drunken constable would have on the force:—"It was not for me to think at 11; I did as I was told." Captain Russell was Defene Minister in the administration which preceded the present, and Inspector Pardy frankly admitted that: "Certainly, under Captain Russell there was very little of it. It has been worse since he retred; there is no question about that. I have not felt so much of it the last six months. Since the attack on the Department, an order has been give and it has to be obeyed." Inspector Pardy's statement was in reply to a question about the demoralising effects of political interference with the force. The New Commissioner has just presented his first report to Parliament. He has attended the sittings of the Royal Commission, and is report states in that portion referring to recruis:—"No enquiry is made, and without being seen by any police officer or by the Minister he is appointed a constable."