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Q.-Are you of opinion that the existence of the Pó Léung Kuk and its detectives tends to make the Police more careless in looking after crime of the nature of kidnapping and so forth?
A.-I should say, certainly.
The CHAIRMAN.-Why?
A.--Because they do not consider it their business.
Q.-The Police do not consider it their business?
A. They consider that the Pó Léung Kuk and Registrar General are specially appointed to deal with that branch of crime and therefore they do not think it is their business.
Q.-Do the Police themselves ever have kidnapping cases?
A. Very seldom indeed.
Q.-You say the Police regard it as no part of their duties to look after kidnapping? A. That I imagine to be the tendency. Of course I am not aware of what the Police think in the matter.
Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.—Are you aware that hitherto the meetings of the Pó Léung Kuk Society have been held in a private manner?
A.--I have no knowledge of their meetings at all.
Q. Do you think that if the meetings of the Pó Léung Kuk were held openly, with the representatives of the Press present, that they would carry on their work as effectively as they do now?
A.-I think it would be impossible.
Q.-It would be impossible to carry on the work ?
A.-I think that the kind of work they are engaged in is not for the public to know of, in the interests of justice.
Q-Do they exercise in any way extra-judicial powers ?
A.—I call it exercising extra-judicial powers when they investigate cases before they come before the Magistrate.
Q.-You are aware that girls are detained in the Home of the Pó Léung Kuk without having any public trial before a Magistrate ?
A.-As prisoners?
Q.-Not as prisoners; but women are detained in the Home of the Pó Léung Kuk without any trial having been held before a Magistrate?
A.-I am not able to say that.
Q.-You do not know?
A.-I am aware that girls are housed there, but I imagine they have been sent there by the Registrar General in most instances.
Q.--If detectives were lent to the Society, as is proposed in the concluding section of the proposed Ordinance,* what effect would it have on the Police? (Section 19 read.)
A.--I should say a prejudicial effect.
Q.-More or less demoralising?
A.-I consider that it is inexpedient to have two bodies dealing with crime like that, and that the danger is that many criminals will escape in consequence of there not being a proper understanding between the two bodies.
* See Appendix 28.
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