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Q.-Should anything affecting the public be conducted in secret assisted by specially told off constables ?
A.-No.
Q.-Are you aware that the Secretary of State did not consider legislation necessary when the subject came before him on a previous occasion ?
A--I saw that in the report.
The CHAIRMAN.-It is a matter of fact.
Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.You are not opposed to the Pó Léung Kuk carrying out its benevolent work?
A.--Certainly not; I should encourage them with much pleasure.
Q. Are you opposed to secrecy in matters which affect the public welfare? A. Certainly-absolutely.
Q.--Could the work of the Pó Léung Kuk be conducted otherwise than in secret î A.--I do not know enough of the Pó Leung Kuk's working-but I certainly was told on one occasion that it would be difficult to conduct it otherwise.
Q. It would be difficult to conduct the methods of the Pó Léung Kuk otherwise than by secrecy?
A.--That was what I understood from conversation with a gentleman here present before this Ordinance ever came up, and that was one of my reasons for writing this letter, particularly because I thought that, if these things could not be carried on openly, it was time to try and get them done openly. I do not know enough of the working of the Pó Leung Kuk to say whether they can or not, but I should say that they ought
to be able to.
Q. Do you think that the Society should have police functions and duties entrusted to it?
A.-I think that as soon as the detective has discovered something wrong he should hand the person over to the Police, and leave the rest to the regular Magistrates.
Q.And that the proposed enactment should contain a clause to that effect and render illegal the Society carrying on investigations into a case, that they should be carried out in a properly constituted way
?
A.---I think the Magistrates' Courts are the proper places for these things.
The CHAIRMAN.-For which things?
A. For holding enquiries.
Q.-Into what?
A.-Into any alleged misdemeanor or crime of any kind. If the detective finds a man doing wrong he should hand him over to the Police so as to bring him before the Magistrate in the same way as is done in every case here.
Honourable Ho KAI.-Are you aware that the Police do make certain enquiries before bringing a man before the Magistrate?
call
A.--Of the man himself? I am certainly not aware that they make what you an enquiry. I do not think a man can be arrested and have his conduct enquired into by the Police.
Q.--But they enquire from other people concerning certain things before they make sure of the man and bring him before a Magistrate ?
A.—That is right, but not of the man himself. I suppose they work of course.
their up
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