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New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4259, 19 January 1901, Page 8 (Supplement)

The annual Parliamentary Blue-book on the Metropolitan Police for the year 1899 is full of instructive facts and figures. The metropolitan area covers 688 square miles, with a mean rateable value, for police purposes, of £42,657,150. and the total number of police available is 13,836, their pay amounting to £1,287,393. Under ’ the head of principal offences’ we find a diminution of nearly 1100 cases as against 1898. The number of burglaries and housebreakings has slightly diminished, while the value of property stolen is the lowest since 1890, showing a decrease of £37,282 as compared with 1898. On the other hand, in four out of the 21 murd'ors committed in 1899 no one has been made amenable. In regard to the licensing of public carriages the most noteworthy statistics are those relating te the increase in the rejection of obsolete or worn-out vehicles, and the withdrawal of electrically propelled hacknev carriages. Finally, out of 39,551 articles found in public carriages and deposited in the Lost Property Office, 19.804 were restored to their owners. The variety of these articles is, as usual., amazing, tho fauna of the most Property Office, comprisipg dogs, cats and several live birds, including an owl.