The labor world., 1922-06-24

Hits at Preus.
MIR. Hall addressed the con-
vention of the League of Mime
sofa Municipalities on invitation
of its officers. 1t is the first en-
phatic opposition given to the
scheme of Governor Preus to put
oyer a state police. The speech
was favorably commented upon
by members of the convention.
The concensus of opinion was
that Mr.. Hall made an excellent
case against the governors pet
idea.
Works Under Cover.
THE agitation for military po-
lice Or constabulary always comes
from underground sources" charged
Mr.. Hail. THE friends Of such
system in Minnesota came out of
the darkness when the motor corps
bill was fought out in the lesisla-
ture four years ago. They again
showed their hand when they at
tempted to create the office of pub
lie safety commissioner. the bill for
which would have indirectly given
the governor absolute power over
the police Of the state.
"A benevolent despotism may be
conceded to be efficient. It certain
ly acts quickly and gets prompt re-
suits, but it is the worst form when
the despot. no matter what office
he may hold. is a tyrant by mental
attitude or by Willingness to serve
the ends of the peoples enemies.
Towards .fAutocracy. ..@s~
"A state police system tends to-
, wards autocracy in government"
continued Mr.. Hall. The comman-
der of the Pennsylvania state police
was sent to Europe to study like
foreign systems with a view of i'm
proving his force. He spent consid-
erable time in the barracks of the
constabulary Of Ireland, among the
police of Italy, Germany and the
mounted police of Canada. He liked
the English constabulary system in
Ireland better than all others and
applied it to Pennsylvania.
"Centralized police authority, in
the form of state police, is not a
new venture and wherever it has
been established it has been used to
trial ends.
"Diaz. for more than 80 years the
dictator Of Mexico had his rurales
who imposed the will of that political
autocrat on the people, compelling
them to carry out his whim or fancy
and patroling the highways of that
country, until finally the crash came
with more than dozen successive
years Of carnage and slaughter
Like Mexican Rurales.
1.-THE same principle was involved
INF the establishment and mainte-
nance of the Mexican abulary
af is involved in constabulary leg
islation in this country. Systems
mby differ but the thought and
spirit behind them are the same.
: Preference is frequently made to
the Royal Northwest Mounted Po-
ce of Canada. Little has sifted
Through the public press about that
organization and we have gained a
Jrather favorable opinion of it's men,
bers through song and story. An oc-
OCCASIONAL hero thrown on the screen
compels admiration of the mounted
police. We are given the impression
that it is an ideal organization, es-
tablished to protect citizens against
outlaws, to maintain the safety Of
the home and to uphold the sancti-
ty of the fireside.
Facts, Not Romance.
"Ah, If that were only true. Let
us 'ay aside romance and review the
facts. One must know something of
the origin of the Canadian mounted
police to learn the truth. They came
into being following intrecine war
fare between the Hudson Bay COM
pany, the grantee of a large area
of Western Canada, and it's business
rival, the Northwest company.
1.-THE Hudson Bay company out
fought and finally absorbed it's COM
petitor. During the strife between
the two companies the rights Of the
people in the territory were ignored.
Then came the Dominion govern
ment in 1857 to which the Hudson
Bay company sold great tracts of
land Two years later the inhabi-
tants of the Northwest territory en-
gagged in rebellion as protest
against the new and severe land reg
tllations, which the politicians and
land grabbers at. Ottawa sought 10
impose upon them. Their homes
we're being broken up and their fire.
sides violated. The rebellion was
suppressed by the military forces Of
the crown, whose commanders then
Advised that permanent military de-