THE WANGANUI POLICE DISTRICT.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11644, 23 August 1905, Page 7

THE WANGANUI POLICE DISTRICT.

Inspector 1 Kiely's Annual Report

(From Our Parliamentary Special). (By Telegraph.)

WELLINGTON, August 23.-

In his annual report on the Wanganui and West Coast police district, Inspector Kiely says the retxirns for the past year •show an increase of 135 offences on the previous year. The increase was chiefly in drunkenness, 122; arson and attempted arson, 7 ; disobeying orders of the Court, 19; failing to support relatives, 18; illegally shooting game, 11 ; illegally on premises, 12; indecent exposure, 24; obscene language, 13; resisting the police, 17; opium smoking, 12; perjury, 3; rape, 3; receiving stolen property, 10; sly grog soiling, 3; vagrancy, 31. The decreases in offences arc, assault, 49; cruelty to animals, 18; ganiing offences, 15; obstructing thoroughfares, 19; theft, 34; theft by servants, 26; trespass, 15. The offencc3 reported totalled 2792, of which the police detected 2720, the number undetected be-

iug 72. In former years large quantities of liquor were consumed at Maori taugis, particularly in the New Plymouth and Hawera sub-districts, causing considerable trouble among the natives, and endless worry to the police, who Averc powerless to put a stop to it. Thanks to legislation passed in the' last year or two, such drunkenness is now at an end. Several prosecutions have taken place during the year for introducing liquor into Maori kaingas, which had a very beneficial effect. Complaints of sly-grog selling have been less frequent than the year previous, though "I am inclined to believe it is still carried on to some extent in many of the licensing districts under my supervision. Hotelkeepers have formed an association, which has for its object the better management and conduct of hotels. This.together with the amendments in the licensing laws last session, has greatly improved the conduct of hotels, and at the present time there are very few breaches of the Licensing Act in this district."

The conduct of the members of the force is reported as having been very good.

Our readers will be interested . to hear that early next month an experiment will be made in rafting timber down the Wanganui RiA r er from Taumarunui. Captain C. E. Hedditch who has had many years' experience of rafting on the Clutha, has for many months been in communication on the subject with Messrs Ellis and Bur. nand, the well-known sawmillers, and a meeting of sawmillei's is to be held at Taumarunui next Wednesday, when ' Captain Hedditch's proposals, which havb been well and carefully through out, will be fully discussed. Messrs Ellis and Burnand advise Captain Hedditch that there is no doubt the firms interested will agree to a trial trip, and the captain, when advised, will at once proceed to Taumarunui to give effect to liis proposals. There arc a largo number of mills in the vicinity of the Wanganui River, and should the venture prove successful it will result in a big timber trade between here and inland. Captain Hedditch has important business in the South Island for a time, but he will delay his departure thither imtil he has made the rafting experiment, which he is confident can be successfully, carried out.