Sessional_Paper_1893 — Page 703

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Q.-I suppose the Police do know that the Pó Léung Kuk have no power to give orders to the Police ?

A.-Certainly.

Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.-In the proposed Ordinance in connection with the Pó Léung Kuk, section 19, you will see.........

A-I know it.

Q.--It says that "It shall be lawful for the Governor in his discretion to direct a certain number of detectives and constables to be placed at the service of the Society on such terms and under such conditions as His Excellency may sanction." Do you think it would be desirable that the Governor should do this?

A. No, I think not. I think it is contrary to the principles of Police administra- tion and injurious to discipline.

Q.--Have the detectives of the Pó Léung Kuk up to the present interfered in any way with the execution of the duty of the Police ?

A. Such has never come to my knowledge.

The CHAIRMAN.-Perhaps you may have read the rules sanctioned by the Secretary of State with regard to the Pó Léung Kuk ?

A.-Some time since I did.

Q.-They say that detectives may be placed at the disposal of the Society by permission of the Governor. As a matter of fact have detectives ever been placed at the disposal of the Society?

A. Never in my time.

Q. Do you consider that the detectives of the Pó Léung Kuk are an assistance in this Colony in suppressing the crime of kidnapping?

A. I could not positively answer that. I think they ought to be.

Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.--Are the Police incompetent to detect kid- napping?

A.--I think not. I do not think the Police are incompetent to deal with it, but of course this is only a small thing among their multifarious duties, and when they get -help such as the Society at home for the protection of women and children it is a great assistance to the Police. In the same way here. There is so much of this kind of crime that a Society which devotes itself to the detection of it specially must be an assistance if the two work harmoniously.

Q.--Do you think they do work harmoniously?

A.--I think they work independently. I think that the Pó Léung Kuk should consult the Police in these matters. If the Pó Léung Kuk reported the cases direct to the Police it would be better. What I understand is that the Pó Léung Kuk arrest and keep people locked up without the knowledge of the Police. The Police dare not keep a man locked-up more than 24 hours unless a Sunday happens to intervene, with- out bringing him before a Magistrate. If the Pó Léung Kuk find out any thing wrong let them bring the man to the Police, who will charge him before a Magistrate at once.

Q-What makes you think that the Pó Léung Kuk lock people up for a long. time ?

A.----I have heard it. I have heard that they arrest people and afterwards release them which is not in my opinion at all regular. If we arrest a man we must bring him before a Magistrate, we cannot release him. I have heard these things in conver- sation. I do not know it personally. I have heard it said that men are arrested by the detectives of the Pó Léung Kuk and sometines released again, and nobody knows of it.