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The principal lesson which is to be drawn from the Police Commission inquiry is the absolute necessity of placing the force under efficient command. It must be apparent to the student of the Kelly literature that, given vigorous and intelligent administration, there would in all human probability have been no serious outbreak to chronicle. The North- Eastern district had for years been the haunt of a criminal gang, but the Melbourne authorities ignored all warnings, and as the district got worse and worse, they allowed the police surveillance to become more and more inefficient. Mr [[Nicolson|NICOLSON]] inspected the district about a year before the first shot was fired, and his report, written at the time, and not in the light of after events, is conclusive as to neglect. At this time the station specially formed to watch and check the KELLYS and the QUINS and the other horsestealers had been broken up as "too expensive" – to quote Captain [[Standish|STANDISH]]'S phrase to the commission. Moreover, the next station, [[Greta|Greta]], was in inefficient hands. One of the best senior constables in the force had been taken away, and a useless man had been put in his place.