The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-09-29
Police Tolerance
Of Violence

XVfHATEvER may be the Instructions issued by
w Sheriff Rose to the police oficerszon strike
work along the waterfront, some Of these officers
appear to have not the slightest idea Of their duties
Yesterday there were repeated violations Of law on
the part Of the strikers within plain sight Of the uni
formed oIcers while the latter made not the least
effort 10 eier prevent these to bring the offenders
up with round turn ..'!tGb.I
japanese workers, endesssvoorring to pass through
the cordons OF strikers to return to their work yes
tefday afternoon, were forcibly prevented from so
doing. individuals were seized and hustled back by
the strikers under the very eyes of the police.
When asked by representative of The Adver-
tiser why the ones guilty of these assaults were not
snmariy arrested one police officer stated that he
was not authorized to make any arrest unless the
japanese so assaulted would first go to the police
station and swear out warrant. During the time
the representative of this paper gaining this in
formation from the police officer strikers were hust-
ling Japanese steyedore within ten feet of the rep
resentative of the law. .
II any such orders as the policeman quoted were
issued BY the police department head serious state
of affairs has arisen such orders would indicate
intention the part of the sheriff to protect the
strike-breakers in their legal right to work If the
Policeman were simply talking from the depths of
his own ignorance serious state Of affairs still re-
mains, as his contention only demonstrates how
wholly incompetent are the men detailed on strike
duty.
We are inclined to the belief that the policeman
had no such orders he quoted and only speak
ing from his general lack of instruction in the ordn
AIRY duties of his Office The average Hawaiian POI
liceman makes the lack of warrant on many occa-
sions his excuse for frequent and repeated failures
TO act; even when violations of law are committed in
his presence. s7& +s 9t
Ofcourse, in the case of such assaults as appear.
TO have been frequent along the waterfront yester
day no warrants are necessary as justification for
arrests The law is most specific, even if common
sense did not prevail rs#- ... ~ "a
Section 1928 of the Revised Laws of Hawaii,
copy of which is doubtless in the possession of the
sheriff, says
Anyone il the act of committing a crime, may be
arrested BY any person present. wthpnt warrant.
Section 3726 Of the Revised Laws gives police
officer the power to go even further, saying:
Policemen, or other officers Of justice in any sea.
port or town, even in where IL is certain
that an ofense has been committed, may, without
warrant, arrest and detain for examination such
sons may be found under such circumstances as
Justify reasonable suspicion that they have commit
ted or intend to commit ofense ~. 49,; h',ft
We trust that Sheriff Rose will show his sincerity
in this strike trouble by instructing his men per-
init no further violence whatever along the wharves
either on the part Of strikers strke-breakers or EN-
poyers and that he will do his full duty despite the
fact that majority of the strikers are voters while
a majority of the Strke-breakers are not a