NEW ZEALAND POLICE FORCE (SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT ON). [In Continuation of H.-5, Sess. I, 1887.]

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1887 Session II, H-09

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Sess. 11.—1887. NEW ZEALAND.

NEW ZEALAND POLICE FORCE (SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT ON). [In Continuation of H.-5, Sess. I, 1887.]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Commissioner of Police to the Hon. the Defence Minister. Sir, —- Defence Office, Wellington, sth September, 1887. In continuation of my report of the sth April last, I have the honour to inform you that I have since that date inspected the following districts of the South Island, visiting, en route, seventytwo police-stations, namely, Canterbury, Timaru, Oamaru, Lakes, Southland, Lawrence, and Dunedin. The result of my inspection has been most satisfactory, so far as the discipline, management, and efficiency of the force is concerned. From personal observation, and from the opinions expressed to me by settlers in the various districts, I gather that the police everywhere strive to merit the respect of the people. But although all matters within the immediate control of the Inspectors and their men are satisfactory, yet there are many things more immediately connected with the organization and head-quarters which are not, and should be altered with as little delay as possible. This failure in administration and organization has arisen entirely from the fact that there has been practically no inspection by a Commissioner for nearly fifteen years, and therefore that officer has never had the personal knowledge which would alone enable him to deal with affairs in a manner at once economical and satisfactory to the Government and to those under him. These matters, on which it seems to me advisable to report at length are— The Present Strength op Sergeants and First-class Constables in Excess op EequireMBNTS. The present strength of non-commissioned officers in the New Zealand police is as follows : 4 sergeants-major and 66 sergeants, or one to every six constables. The result of my inspection has been to convince me that the force would gain in efficiency by a reduction in these numbers, since though it might lose a little in supervision it would gain in working members. The authorised strength should in future be reduced to 4 sergeants-major and 52 sergeants, to be distributed in the following classes : 16 sergeants (first-class), 16 sergeants (second-class), and 20 sergeants (third class), instead of, as at present, 30, 19, and 17 respectively. Sergeants should in all cases be employed in positions of trust and confidence, such as charge of reliefs in the large towns, while in the smaller towns they should take the place of the Inspector but subordinate to him. At present, many of our sergeants are not so employed; in some cases they are doing constables' work, pure and simple, and in other cases are supervising one man. This is the case at Kaiapoi, Eangiora, Oxford, Akaroa, Waimate, Palmerston South, Naseby, Arrowtown, Eiverton, Balclutha, and Woodville. To employ sergeants in this manner is degrading to their office and expensive to the Government, but unavoidable from their excessive numbers. Ido not, however, recommend that any sergeant should be reduced or his services dispensed with, since any action of this nature would create a feeling of insecurity in the force, and prove more injurious in the end than an excessive number of sergeants. The necessary reduction can be effected in a very few years under clause 10 of the Police Begulations, whereby men are required to retire at the age of sixty years. In the case of first-class constables the proportion is out of all reason as compared with second-class and third-class: the numbers are at present 140, 100, and 147, respectively. Here again a large saving can and will be effected by your decision that the future strength shall be 100 first-class and 100 second-class, and that the excess shall be gradually reduced by the simple

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expedient of not filling up the vacancies which will occur in the natural course of events. When this reduction takes full effect the saving will be— £ s. d. On 14 first-class sergeants, at 2s. 6d. per diem ... .... ... 638 15 0 On 3 second-class sergeants, at 2s. per diem ... ... ... 109 10 0 On 41 first-class constables, at Is. per diem ... ... ... 748 5 0 Total ... ... ... ... ... ... £1,496 10 0 This saving cannot of course take immediate effect, but will commence more or less from this date, as will be seen by reference to that part of my report dealing with long-service pay and the retirements under clause 10 of the regulations. Laegb Number of Eented Stations. By reference to Schedule 111., attached, it will be seen that no less than sixty stations are rented, at an annual cost to the country of £2,287, an average of rather more than £38 per station. Assuming that it would require 6 per cent, to cover interest and sinking fund on brick- or stonebuildings, this rent represents a capital of £38,116, whereas £20,000 judiciously expended would build fifty of the most expensive of these stations. The remainder could be dispensed with, and the localities worked from other points. It would, however, be the worst possible economy to build as heretofore of wood, while brick or stone can be procured in all parts of the South Island at a cost scarcely greater than wood, and in the Lakes District even more cheaply. Ido not propose that these reforms should be carried out at once; but that sites should be procured where practicable, and a certain number of buildings erected each year, so as to decrease gradually the large and important item of rent. Schedule I. contains a list of twenty Government stations which w : ill require rebuilding, if not within two years at no very distant date. Some of these buildings are so old as scarcely to be habitable, and so ill-designed as to be offensive. At Westport the police-cells open into the kitchen of the constable's quarters, and there is no way of getting at these cells except through the kitchen; consequently every word uttered by a drunken man must be heard by the constable's family. Here we require two detached cells, and that two new rooms be added to the front of the house, for the accommodation is miserably insufficient. At Eiverton, Sergeant Eoutledge, an excellent non-commissioned officer, has a family of twelve persons living in a four-roomed house, built twenty-eight years since, and which is so rotten that it will hardly hold together. The worst buildings are, as a rule, to be found in the Lake and Southland Districts, where the severity of the climats demands the best possible accommodation. In Schedule 11. I have noted the rented stations which should be first dealt with for the following reasons: — Invercargill North. —Here we have an acre reserved for police purposes not more than fifty yards from the rented station. The cost of a good brick cottage should not exceed £250. Olaulan. —There is a reserve for Government buildings in this township, and the cost of brick cottage, cell, single-stall stable, and forage-room would probably not exceed £350. We pay £1 per week rent. Wyndham. — Here there was originally a police reserve, Block XV., 3-J- acres, but this would appear to have fallen into the hands of the local authorities. There is, however, space on the courthouse reserve sufficient for a police-station; and, as we now pay £1 ss. per week rent, it is advisable to build at a cost of £350. Balclutha. —Here we rent two cottages at a cost per. annum of £55. The site originally reserved was washed away by the great flood of 1878. A site should, if possible, be purchased without delay, for this must always be a police-station. Mosgiel, Morning ton, Roslyn, and North-east Valley. —Here we have no reserves, but it is advisable that sites should be purchased as soon as possible, for the first-mentioned village is rapidly growing in population and importance, and rent will soon be a consideration, for police-stations must always be near the centres of trade, where rents are high. The same argument applies with greater force to the suburbs of Dunedin, where property is even more rapidly increasing in value. Maclaggan Street Station. —l have already reported on this ease. In Dunedin alone, of all the New Zealand towns, no provision has been made for a central station. The rent paid for this building (£3OO per annum) does not by any means represent our annual liability, for by the terms of the lease all repairs have to be made at the cost of the police, a premium has to be paid on an insurance of £8,000, and all local rates and taxes paid by us. Other items make the total cost of this station over £450 per annum. By building a station at a cost of £2,000 on that portion of the gaol reserve nearest to the railway-station, not only could this at once be saved, but also £50 now paid yearly for transport of prisoners to and. from the gaol and railway-station. A fair proportion of the £2,000, say £500, would be properly a charge on the Justice Department for a police court where ordinary police cases could, be heard by Justices, as is the case at present in Maclaggan Street. This is a very excellent system, and relieves the Resident Magistrate's Court of much work of a petty character. No part of the colony is so ill supplied with reserves for police as Otago, for in many cases where reserves have been made they have been allowed to fall into the hands of the local authorities. In the City of Wellington £75 per annum is paid for police-stations at Newtown and on Clyde

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Quay. This expenditure might easily be saved by the erection of a suitable central station at Mount Cook, where the Government have a valuable reserve, and where, from proximity to the prison, bricks can be obtained very cheaply. An expenditure of £500 would probably suffice for this work, since other accommodation could be obtained in the old wooden buildings, that cannot now be required for military purposes. The Mount Cook site is most valuable for police purposes, since all parts of South Wellington, Te Aro, and Oriental Bay can be worked from that point, and at no distant date most of the city police will have to be stationed there. Bepaibs made to Old Buildings. A comparatively large amount of money has been spent annually in repairing old buildings, which were really not worth repairing. This has been the case at Waiau, where an iron roof has been lately placed on a wooden frame built in 1857 ; and many other instances of a like nature have come under my notice, where it would have been more economical to have rebuilt rather than repair. These matters are not, however, likely to recur, since at that time I had not made a thorough inspection, which would alone enable me to decide on the requirements of each station. Paddocks necessaey foe Teoop Hoeses. As a rule, the Province of Canterbury has provided police reserves more liberally than any other provincial district. The Amberley Station is an exception to this rule. Here we have not only no paddock, but not even a yard for the horse to run in; the consequence is the animal must be kept continually in the stable, where he is soon foundered. Palmerston South and North, Winton, Naseby, Invercargill, Eiverton, Otautau, and Wyndham are similarly circumstanced; and there are numerous other stations where the small patch of ground is only a paddock by courtesy, and much more closely resembles a back-yard. The economic aspect of the case is this : that where a paddock is provided, if only one acre, the consumption of forage during six months of the year is very small indeed, and considerable saving can be made under this head. Where there is no paddock the horse is kept continually in the stable, fed on oats and hay, and worked in an intermittent manner, sometimes idle for days, and then perhaps unavoidably hard ridden. Small wonder that under these circumstances horses are foundered or die suddenly (two have died within a week). It is for these reasons that I have in my memorandum of the sth May (A.C. 914, p. 87) recommended that in all future townships at least two acres should be reserved for police. Present Disteibution op the Foece. In Schedules IV. and V., attached, I have shown the present distribution of the police—firstly, in the four large towns of the colony and their suburbs, and, secondly, in the various provincial districts. By reference to the first-mentioned schedule it will be seen that the proportion of police to population is about the same in Wellington, Christ-church, and Dunedin, but that Auckland is rather less favoured. Much the same result is obtained by reference to Schedule V., where, regard being had to the circumstances of the districts and their local features, the police (Westland excepted) are fairly distributed. In the last-mentioned district the numbers of police employed are out of all proportion to the population and requirements of that very orderly community. It is obvious that there has been no redistribution there since the years 1866 to 1869, when the population was large and contained a strong criminal element; and it is as certain that there have been at least five constables in excess of requirements in the Westland District for the last seven years. I propose to break up the following stations in that district as soon as possible : Boatman's, which can be worked from Eeefton; Kanieri and Goldsborough—the work at the latter place can be done from Staffordtown. The constables available to fill vacancies can be removed as required to the adjacent districts. In the Dunedin District I propose to dispense with the following stations : Bavensbourne, Woodhaugh, and Portobello. Woodhaugh. —This station is quite unnecessary, and whatever police-work there may be can be done equally well from Eoslyn. During the past six months there were six arrests and five prosecutions by summons. The rent of the station is £24, and fuel and light £8. Portobello. —Here we pay —rent, £26 ; fuel and light, about £8 ; and the only prosecutions for the past eighteen months have been three, by summons. Whatever work there may be in this district can be done as well from Anderson's Bay. The constables from these three stations could be more usefully and inexpensively employed in Dunedin or at other stations. By carrying out these suggestions, and others of a similar nature which I may have to make when I inspect the • Napier and Auckland Districts, there will not only be no increase in the expense of the force for several years, but possibly a decrease for the next two or three years. The City of Wellington is the only place in which I anticipate a demand for an increase in the police, and that demand may have some weight from the existence of a central prison, from whence all the worst characters in the colony will be discharged. This must affect the criminal statistics of the city; and when, in the course of a few years, this evil makes itself felt, a larger force will be required than is at present necessary. Thanks to the assistance I have received from Inspectors Kiely, Goodall, and Thompson, I have been enabled to dispense with several stations and men, especially in the Tauranga and Waikato Districts, and this without injury to the public service. LONG-SEEVICE PAY. A sum of money, amounting to £4,514 16s. Bd., has been paid during the year ending the 31st March, 1887, as long-service pay to members of the police force. 195 men received Is. a day,

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and 203 men 6d. per diem. The numbers who will receive each amount during the next five years will be approximately as follows : — 1888. 1889. 1890. 1891. 1892. Is. per diem ... ... 262 ... 314 ... 332 ... 382 ... 407 6d. per diem ... ... 175 ... 133 ... 126 ... 89 ... 66 437 447 458 471 473 This return is only approximately correct, since it is based on the assumption that all those at present in the force will remain on the strength until the end of 1892. This however is not the case, for during the year ending March, 1886, there were twenty-four casualties in the force, and during the following year thirty-three. Since the 31st March five men have joined the force, and, by the terms of circular of the 10th February issued under your instructions, will not be entitled to long-service pay. This item will therefore have attained its maximum cost to the State a.bout the end of 1890, viz., about £7,000 per annum. But from that date the retirements under clause 10 of the regulations, deaths, and other natural causes will have introduced a large number of men into the force who are not entitled to this pay, and the item will therefore become yearly less and less, and slowly disappear from the estimates. From the following return it will be seen that the clause of the regulations enforcing the retirement of men at the age of sixty years will for some years affect the force but slightly: only twelve men will reach the prescribed age by 1892:— Year. No. Banks. 1887 ... 3 ... 1 first-class sergeant, 2 first-class constables. 1889 ... 2 ... 1 second-class sergeant, 1 first-class constable. 1890 ... 1 ... 1 first-class constable. 1892 ... 6 ... 1 sergeant-major, 4 first-class sergeants, 1 acting sergeant. 12 GoLDFIELDS ALLOWANCE. There is another item of police expenditure in which a saving may shortly be made, viz., the goldfields allowance of Is. a day to the men stationed in the Westland and Lakes Districts. The amount paid last year under this head was in Westland about £648, and in the Lakes about £338. This allowance was originally granted to remedy an apparent injustice by equalising the pay of men who were by chance stationed in expensive and remote districts. So far as Westland is concerned, the necessaries of life are not now much more expensive than in other places ; and if any inequality does exist in the inland towns, such as Eeefton, the progress of the East and West Coast Eailway will soon remedy the evil, and the grant may be abolished in Westland by the end of the present financial year. In the Lakes District this allowance should be continued some time longer, until the Otago Central Line has reached the neighbourhood of Clyde or thereabouts. Fuel and Light Allowance. The expenditure under the head of fuel and light has become so serious an item that I have considered it advisable to submit the whole subject for your consideration, and, to put the matter before you in a compact and digested form, have attached Schedule VI. to this report. This schedule shows the total expenditure in each district under this head, and, in addition, the average cost per station and per head respectively. It will be seen that the cost in different districts is most unequal, varying from £10 Is. 10d. per head in Westland to £2 19s. Bd. in Nelson, and from £20 3s. Bd. per station in Westland to £6 Bs. 3d. in Nelson. The excessive cost in the former district is unaccountable, except there be gross mismanagement, for it is essentially a land of coal and firewood. In Greymouth, Beefton, Brunnerton, Westport, and Denniston, where a large proportion of the men are stationed, the coal is actually at the station-doors; there are also other districts which have exceeded a fair limit of expenditure under this head—a limit which should not exceed £5 per head. It is evident that the scale of fuel and light laid down in circular of the 14th August, 1879, has been exceeded in some cases, viz.: — Head Stations. Fuel. —Where messes are established, one ton of coal or two cords of firewood per head per annum. Light. —One candle per night, or an equivalent in oil, for every four men. For Offices. —One ton and a half of coal, or three cords of firewood per annum. Out-stations. Fuel. —Two tons and a half of coal, or six cords of firewood per annum. Light. —281b. of candles, or an equivalent in oil, according to value, per annum. This scale is, I think, most unfair. It is true that constables in charge of out-stations may have to cook food for prisoners occasionally, and may perhaps require an allowance for that purpose ; but this is hardly a sufficient reason for treating the married men who are fortunate enough to obtain quarters so much better than those who have none. The single men, who occupy barracks in the larger towns and live in messes, should continue to receive the allowance of fuel and light as at present, for they are required to be always at hand, and are never actually off duty; but in no case should the scale be exceeded, and officers in charge of districts should be held personally responsible for any breach of this rule. The remaining portion of the scale will need revision, and it should be distinctly laid down that certain stations shall draw coal only, and others have choice between coal and wood; and it will be a matter for the consideration of the Government as to whether the married men unprovided with

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quarters are to participate in this benefit or not. Even though the present scale is adhered to, a fairly large saving ought to be made in this item. Examinations foe Promotion. In my report of the 31st March last I suggested that a system of examination of candidates for promotion should be introduced into the force, and I intended at that time to give immediate effect to the idea. But, on consideration, I have delayed the introduction until I could prepare a volume of police statutes, which should be placed in the hands of every member of the force, and contain in handy and portable form all or most of the statutes in which they would require to pass examination. By these means all candidates would be placed on an equal footing, and would have no cause of complaint that they had not access to our laws. lam strengthened in this decision by the fact that it is unlikely that any promotion will be made in the rank of sergeant or first-class constable for the next two years, since we are, as I have before shown, in excess of our proper strength in both these grades. I attribute great importance to the compilation of this book of statutes, for it cannot fail to assist all members of the force who desire to learn their profession, and will remove from the lazy all valid excuse for not doing so. Duties, othek than Police, peefoemed by the Foece. In addition to the ordinary duties devolving on police officers, no less than thirty-eight sergeants and constables are now employed as Clerks of Courts and as bailiffs. These are in addition to the men who, under the provisions of Circular No. 6, 1881, act as bailiffs in remote districts where the Justice Department have no officers. By these means the last-mentioned department is able to make a large saving. Whether this form of employment for constables will be a success from a police point of view is doubtful, but the system is well worth a trial in those country districts where serious crime is of rare occurrence, for it has the merit of economy, and no complaints have as yet been received that the constables neglect their own special work. At the same time, every man so employed must understand that no excuse will be allowed for failure in the repression or detection of crime, on the plea that they were employed in the work of Clerks of Court. Behaviouk of the Police Fobce. I have much pleasure in reporting that the behaviour of the force has been admirable, not only from the standpoint of moral conduct, but also from the personal courage shown by members of the police on every occasion where there was an opening for such display. Sergeant Stagpoole nearly lost his life by attempting to save the lives of a boatload of people who were upset in Tologa Bay, and Constables Christie, Cartinill, McDonnell, and Nestor have been recommended for the Boyal Humane Society's medal for saving life. I would also bring specially before the notice of the Government the admirable manner in which Inspector McGovern effected the arrest of the Hauhau fanatics at Waihou. These men offered a most desperate resistance, using tomahawks and spears freely. Any hesitation or want of courage on the part of our small party would have been followed by disastrous consequences to the peace of the district, for had our men been beaten off on the first occasion there can be but little doubt that any after attempt at arrest would have been resisted with guns. As a reward for service on this occasion Third-class Constables Sef ton, Hogg, and Hughes have been promoted to second-class, and First-class Constables Moar, Gordon, O'Eeilly, MeGilp, and Coghlan will be rewarded through the Eeward Fund. The arrest of Te Whetu and party at Parihaka by Inspector Pardy deserves similar notice, for here also our men met with a fierce resistance (though not of so serious a character as that at Waihou), and behaved exceedingly well, as did also the Permanent Militia who accompanied them. Under your instructions First-class Constable Kelly, whose seniority, ability, and good conduct have on many occasions entitled him to consideration, has been promoted to acting-sergeant: and Third-class Constables Twomey and Hickman to second-class. Constables Eoche, Eollo, and Hendry will be rewarded by a gratuity from the Eeward Fund. SUPEEANNUATION FUND. There is a very general feeling in the force that steps should be taken by those in authority over them to provide a Superannuation Fund, whereby men of the age of sixty years who have served the colony creditably should retire on a pension at that age. It would appear to me to be impossible to introduce this system generally into the present force, for the reason that so many of the men are middle aged, and consequently the payment of the yearly premium on each pound of future pension, which, at the age of forty would be 4s. 10d. (vide Schedule VII.), would be altogether beyond their means. This premium may be slightly reduced should Parliament see fit to make a yearly grant-in-aid instead of giving a retiring allowance of one year's pay after twelve or more years' service, and by paying all fines collected from the police into the fund. These items, together with possible forfeitures for extreme misconduct, would enable men up to the age of thirty-five to enter into the scheme with advantage to themselves and to the public. To secure a pension of £100 per annum at the age of sixty years a man of twenty-one years would pay annually £7 Is. Bd., and a man of thirty-one years £12 Is. Bd.; and there is no reason why a man should not take a less amount for his pension, provided always that the sum insured should not be for less than £50 per annum. Even though the Government should assist the fund as above indicated, I see no possibility of its application to men now over the age of thirty-five ; and, should the Government not assist, there is still no reason why men already in the force between the ages of twenty-one and thirty-one should not join, or that it should not be made compulsory on all those joining hereafter.

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The advantages of this scheme are by no means illusive either to the police force or to the Government. To the latter, it means greater economy of administration by a saving of all or part of the retiring allowances, an item which will otherwise become much larger in the immediate future; while to the men themselves it means a moderate competency for their old age, to be attained for the most part by a very slight amount of self-denial; and last, but by no means least, the pension looming in the distance will materially assist in increasing the discipline, good conduct, and efficisncy of the force. My proposal, summarised, will be as follows : (1.) That a pension scheme on the basis of Schedule VII. should be introduced into the force, whereby every man now a member shall be encouraged to insure, so as to obtain a pension of not less than £50 per annum at the age of sixty years. (2.) That insurance shall be compulsory in the case of every man who may join after the institution of the said scheme. As an alternative to the system of pensions I would suggest that all men joining the police after the end of October, 1887, should be required to insure in the Government Insurance Office, so as to receive at least £300 at or before the age of sixty. Thus, in the case of a man aged twentyone, he would pay an annual premium of £2 10s. per annum for each £100 to receive at the age of fifty-six years, and a man of thirty years would pay £3 2s. for the same sum, and receive it at the age of sixty. The advantages of the pension over this alternative are so obvious that comment is unnecessary. Necessity fob Amendment of Certain Statutes. I beg to draw your attention to the statutes hereinafter mentioned which might be amended with benefit to the public and the police force : — "Licensing Act, 1881," section 149, and " The Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1881," section 5. —A clear and precise definition is required as to what shall constitute an unlawful game. In the present state of uncertainty on this head it is found to be impossible to obtain a conviction against publicans and others for permitting gambling with cards or dice. Many Magistrates decline to convict in the absence of such definition. The insertion of the following clause, taken from the old provincial licensing ordinances, would meet the case so far as publicans are concerned : " No person licensed under this Act as a publican, or holding an accommodation-house license, bottle or conditional license to sell liquors, shall suffer or permit gambling or playing at any game of chance in or upon his house or premises." This amendment to the existing law would tend to check an evil which is becoming common throughout the colony simply because it can now be carried on with comparative impunity. " Licensing Act, 1881," section 169. —This section deals with the sale of liquor to prohibited persons. This clause is at present a dead letter, for the reason that the persons supplying the liquor can rarely be discovered and punished. This difficulty might possibly be met were, section 171 altered so as to make it compulsory on prohibited persons when arrestod for drunkenness to disclose the name of the person who supplied them with liquor, and power given to punish contumacy under this section. Under the same section Magistrates have declined to convict a licensee when the liquor has been sold by a servant and proof has been given that the master instructed the servant not to serve the prohibited or drunken persons. This clause should be amended so as to leave no doubt that the maxim Bespondeat superior applied. If this is not done the intention of the Act as to indorsements on licenses will be cleverly defeated. I would suggest the following clause : " Any breach of section 169 by the servant of any licensed publican shall be deemed to be the act of the licensee, and punishable as such, notwithstanding that proof may be given that such servant acted in direct contravention of the | orders of his or her master or mistress." " Licensing Act, 1881," section 155.—1n a prosecution against the licensee of the Albion Hotel, Wellington, for having sold liquor during prohibited hours, the Eesident Magistrate dismissed the case on the ground that the license having been extended to 11 p.m. under the provisions of section 9, " Licensing Act Amendment Act, 1882," it was necessary to show that the unlicensed sale occurred after midnight, since, though provision is made in the Act of 1882 for an extension to 11 p.m., no penalty is provided for selling between that hour and midnight : Nor is it anywhere laid down that the house shall be closed during that hour: section 154 of the Act of 1881 deals only with 10 o'clock and midnight licenses. I would suggest that the section be amended by the addition of the following words : " Where, under 'The Licensing Act Amendment Act, 1882,' a license has been extended for the sale of liquors until 11 p.m., the licensed premises shall be closed on Saturday night from 11 o'clock until 6 o'clock the following Monday morning, and on the nights of all other days from 11 o'clock until 6 o'clock the following morning." Prosecutions instituted under this section have been frequently dismissed on the ground that a sale had not been proved, although it had been conclusively proved that liquor had been consumed on the premises at unauthorised times. I think that the offence of supplying liquor during prohibited hours should be added to the penal clause 149, and that all persons, not lodgers or travellers, found drinking or obtaining drinks at such times should be made amenable to the law. " Police Offences Act, 1884," section 21. —1 suggest the following amendment: After the word "drunkenness," add "or by reason of the excessive use of alcoholic liquors his or her mental faculties or bodily health is impaired." The necessity for this addition is that many Magistrates will not apply the provisions of the Act to persons arrested unless they are helplessly drunk. Persons on the verge of delirium tremens are held not to be drunk, and are consequently charged as lunatics, and remanded to the gaol for treatment and examination as such by medical men. This means generally a few days nursing at the expense of the country, when they are discharged without being called upon to pay the expenses incurred on their behalf, and are at liberty to repeat the performance as often as it may please them.

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"Police Offences Act, 1884," section 3, subsection (29). —This subsection provides that the offences mentioned therein are punishable only when committed in a public place. Practically it has'been found that these offences are, as a rule, not committed in a public place within the meaning of this Act, but in a private yard, or on the other side of a fence adjacent to a public place. The provisions of this subsection to meet such offences as fighting, insulting behaviour, &c, are inoperative by reason of the omission of the word "or " after public place. It will be observed that this word appears in section 24, subsection (2) of the same Act, having reference to indecency, though more often required to meet the offences mentioned in the section now under consideration. Provision should also be made under this Act for dealing summarily with cases where a bystander, being called upon to assist a constable in arresting a prisoner, refuses or neglects to do so. A case of this nature occurred a short time since : the man called upon refused to assist, and no summary action could be taken against him in the present state of the law. " Gaming and Lotteries Act Amendment Act, 1885," section 7. —Great difficulty has been experienced in obtaining convictions under this clause from the fact that it is not shown therein that the sweepstakes mentioned apply to or are contingent on the result of a horse-race. This defect has been noticed by spielers, who get up sweepstakes on spinning-wheels without reference to horse-races, and Justices have declined to convict, contending that it was a sweepstake within the meaning of the Act. W. E. Gudgeon, The Hon. the Defence Minister. Commissioner of Police.

SCHEDULES.

SCHEDULE I. List of Stations which will require to be rebuilt within Two Years.

SCHEDULE II. Schedule of New Buildings required.

Name of Station. Material to be used in Rebuilding. Number of Rooms required. Year when built. Remarks. iVestport Only wood available 4 rooms and office, and 2 cells 1866 Campbelltown Siverton Charleston Brick or stone Brick Only wood available 6 rooms and office 6 rooms and office 4 rooms and office 1861 1860 1867 This building is quite rotten. Saseby 6 rooms and office 1864 New additions are now being made to this house. Stone is here cheaper than wood. irrowtown Lawrence 3-reymouth Local stone pointed with cement Local stone pointed with cement Brick Only wood obtainable .. 4 rooms and office 4 rooms and office 4 rooms 1866 1862 1866 Stone is here cheaper than wood. Invercargill Local stone pointed with cement Brick 6 rooms and office 10 rooms 1863 1863 A 4-roomed cottage was built here for the Inspector in 1885, but I fear the whole station will have to be moved after late floods. 2 cells built in 1882, and 2 rooms to sergeant's quarters in 1882. Repaired in 1886 at cost of £150: money thrown away. Sergeant-major's cottage built in 1886. Stable and forage-room of stone built in 1886; 2 rooms of inspector's house built in 1882. Repaired with iron roof in 1885. Clyde Hangiora vVaiau Vkaroa Femuka rapanui vVaitahuna ilawksbury Eiokitika 3ealy Local stone pointed with cement Brick Wood Brick 6 rooms, and Inspector's quarters, 3 rooms 5 rooms and office 4 rooms and office 5 rooms and office 6 rooms 4 rooms and office 4 rooms and office 4 rooms and office 10 rooms 4 rooms and office 1863 1860 1857 1866 1867 1866 1863 1863 1865 1867 2 rooms built in 1885; remainder very old. Wood '. . '.'. Brick Wood

Name of Station. Number of Rooms. Material. Remarks. Invercargill North Dtautau Vyndham 3alclutha tfosgiel dunedin tfornington Hoslyn Sforth-east Valley 5 rooms 5 „ 5 „ 5 „ 5 „ 12 „ 5 „ 5 „ 5 „ Brick Rented at 8s. per week. 20s. 25s. „ £55 per annum. £31 £300 £31 4s. £27 6s. £23 8s.

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SCHEDULE III. List of Rented Police Stations in the South Island, showing Cost per Annum.

Stations rented in the North Island.

Name of Station. Coit per Annum. District. Remarks. Richmond Spring Grove Boatman's Brunnerton Sydenham Woolston Bingsland Papanui Addington Rakaia £ s. d. 26 0 0 10 0 0 42 18 0 24 0 0 50 0 0 26 0 0 39 0 0 39 0 0 30 0 0 20 0 0 10 0 0 32 10 0 32 10 0 52 0 0 45 10 0 52 0 0 20 16 0 65 0 0 26 0 0 54 0 0 45 10 0 31 0 0 450 0 0 36 8 0 23 8 0 23 8 0 31 4 0 27 6 0 26 0 0 40 0 0 26 0 0 31 0 0 52 0 0 9 2 0 Nelson. Westland. Christchurch. Methven Pleasant Point .. Duntroon Ngapara Otautau North Invercargill Wyndham Waikaia Balclutha Kaitangata Mosgiel Maclaggan Street King Street North-east Valley Woodhaugh Mornington Roslyn Anderson's Bay Ravensbourne .. Portobello Green Island Waitati Pembroke Stables Timaru. Stables. Southland. Lawrence. Dunedin Reduced from 14s. per week. Including insurance on £8,000, rates, repairs, &o. Reduced from £41 12s. Reduced from £28 12s. Reduced from lis. 9d. per week. Reduced from 12s. per week. Reduced from £50 per annum. Reduced from 15s. per week. To be reduced to £26. Total .. 1,549 10 0

Station. District. Amount per Week. Amount per Annum. Kawakawa Parnell Devonport Freeman's Bay .. Dargaville Whangaroa Te Awamutu Whangarei Newmarket Kamo .. jrafton Ponsonby iratapu jrahamstown Surrey Hills Pukekohe re Kuiti Herbertville Hunterville Newtown lohnsonville Pahautanui stable Clyde Quay Martinborough .. Petone Pahiatua Cttaki Opunake Auckland .. £ s. d. 0 10 0 0 10 0 0 14 0 0 12 6 0 10 0 0 7 6 0 10 0 0 10 0 0 11 0 0 10 0 0 10 6 0 12 0 0 7 0 0 12 0 0 12 0 0 10 0 0 2 6 0 7 0 0 12 0 0 14 0 0 9 0 0 8 0 0 2 0 0 15 0 0 5 0 0 13 0 0 12 0 0 10 0 0 6 0 £ s. d. 26 0 0 26 0 0 36 8 0 32 10 0 26 0 0 19 10 0 26 0 0 26 0 0 28 12 0 26 0 0 27 6 0 31 4 0 18 4 0 31 4 0 31 4 0 26 0 0 6 10 0 18 4 0 31 4 0 36 8 0 23 8 0 20 6 0 5 4 0 39 0 0 13 0 0 S3 16 0 31 4 0 26 0 0 15 12 0 Hawke's Bay Wanganui .. Wellington .. Taranaki Total 737 18 0 South Island .. North Island .. £1,5? 7; :9 10 0 17 18 0 £2,21 17 8 0

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SCHEDULE IV. Proportion of Police to Population in the Four Chief Towns and Suburbs.

SCHEDULE V. Proportion of Police to Population in Provincial Districts.

SCHEDULE VI. Return showing Expenditure in Fuel and Light in Police Districts for Twelve Months ended 31st March, 1887.

SCHEDULE VII. Actuarial Table showing Annual Premium required for an Annuity of £1 at the Age of 60 Years.

[Approximate Cost of Paper— Preparation, nil; printing (1,425 copies), ±'8 Is. 6d.]

By Authority : Geoegb Didsbuby, Government Printer, Wellington.—lBB7.

Town. Proportion in Town. Proportion in Town and Suburbs. Remarks. Auckland Wellington .. Dunedin Christchurch 1 to 850 1 to 741 1 to 596 1 to 492 1 to 1,297 1 to 795 1 to 929 1 to 1,146

District. Proportion exclusive Proportion inclusive of Maoris. ■ of Maoris. Remarks. Nelson Marlborough Canterbury .. Auckland Otago Wellington .. Hawke's Bay Taranaki Westland 1 to 1,510 1 to 1,235 1 to 1,349 1 to 1,207 1 to 1,165 1 to 1,092 1 to 909 1 to 900 1 to 550 1 to 1,473 The Maori population in the South is so small as not to affect results. These calculations are based on the census of 1886. 1 to 1,145 1 to 1,055 1 to 1,054

Districts. | No. of I No. of , Men. ; Stations. Cost per District. Average Cost per Man. Average Cost per Station. Westland Waikato Timaru Christchurch .. Wanganui Invercargill .. Lawrence Auckland Lakes Wellington Taranaki Thames Oamaru Dunedin Napier Nelson 36 13 26 64 16 24 11 64 18 54 21 20 15 60 35 22 18 9 9 24 6 12 8 32 9 18 10 10 6 18 18 10 £ s. d. 363 5 2 118 17 9 161 10 9 345 7 11 79 9 6 128 2 2 60 10 9 305 17 0 ' 85 3 8 229 16 0 98 11 0 94 3 0 46 19 0 187 12 7 134 6 10 64 3 1 £ s. d. 10 1 10 9 3 0 6 4 5 5 8 0 5 0 0 5 6 9 5 9 0 4 15 7 4 14 8 4 5 1 4 14 0 4 4 1 3 2 7 3 2 6 3 16 9 2 19 8 £ s. d. 20 3 8 13 4 0 17 19 0 14 7 10 13 5 0 10 13 6 7 11 5 9 11 2 9 9 4 12 15 4 9 17 1 9 8 3 7 16 6 10 8 5 7 9 3 6 8 3

Present Age. Annual Premium for an Annuity of £1 deferred till Age of 60. Present Age. Annual Premium for an Annuity of £1 deferred till Age of 60. Annual Premium for an Annuity of £1 deferred till Age of 60. Present Age. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 s. d. 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9 1 10 2 0 2 1 2 3 2 5 31 32 33 34 35 86 37 38 39 40 s. d. 2 7 2 ',! 2 11 3 1 3 4 3 7 3 10 4 2 4 6 4 10 i 41 19 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 s. d. 5 3 5 9 6 3 6 11 7 7 8 4 9 3 10 4 11 8 13 3