H.—lo,

14

CiTm Duties. Steps taken for Prevention of Crime. —One foot sergeant and constable have been employed throughout the year on police duty in the township of Carlyle. No alteration has taken place in the police duties of the smaller detachments. At Hawera the mounted constables are often employed in serving summonses. Cases of crime in the district: 43 arrests, of which 40 were dealt with summarily, and 3 sent for trial. Erom the increased population in and around that portion of the district known as the Ketemarae Clearing, it has been necessary to detail a constable for police duty in the clearing; and whereas numerous complaints reached me (previous to this step) of riotous and disorderly conduct being carried on in the vicinity of the public-houses, comparative order is now restored. Collecting Agricultural Statistics, cfc.—Hj direction of the Enumerator for the province of Taranaki, Sergeants Hurrell and Stapp were employed from Ist to 12th February in collecting the agricultural statistics of the district. Sergeant Eortescue was employed as sub-enumerator in the district between Wanganui and Waitotara. Sergeant Eortescue and Constable Lyttelton were employed from the 24th April to the sth May in serving jury summonses in the Wanganui district. In the Fatea District, the constables at the various out-stations have been employed in obtaining the names of settlers and others liable to serve as jurors. Public a_d Useful Woeks. Nature and Extent of Roadwork. —Twelve chains of road, 30 feet wide, have been formed from the entrance to the bush on the north side of Ketemarae Clearing, to Government bush. The work comprised about three chains of through cutting, requiring the removal of 132 yards of earth. Building Bridges and Culverts. —No work of importance of this nature has been performed. One new culvert, 40 feet long, of sawn matai, has been made in the road previously alluded to. Several of the old culverts, in the vicinity of the camp at Waihi, have been taken up and repaired. Building Houses and Stables. —At Opunake an iron building has been shifted (by permission of Mr. Bailey) from the lower paddock to the camp, and is now used as a mess room. A small whare has been erected for the use of the sergeants. No new buildings have been erected at any of the other stations. The officer's quarters, and. non-commissioned officers' and constables' mess whare at Waihi, have been re-thatched and kept in good repair. The stable in course of erection at Waihi has been allowed to remain in a half-finished state for want of labour. I purpose, however, altering the plan, and, in order to utilize the timber already expended in the work, to make the building much smaller. Fencing Paddocks and Laying Down in Grass.- —At Waihi, a paddock of about six acres was laid down in rye grass, which, when mown, gave a yield of about fourteen tons hay. About 8 chains new post-and-rail fence have been erected at Waihi, and the old fences have been kept in good repair. At Patea the fences round the paddock in the rear of the Armed Constabulary huts were kept in thorough repair until the Immigration Department took over the greater portion of the enclosure for building purposes. The boundary of the remaining portion of the original paddock has not yet been laid off; but as soon as this has been done, I purpose securing the small paddock that will be left. The paddocks at Waihi have been kept cleared, and about 46 chains furze hedges clipped and trimmed. Total amount of fencing material split during the year : 200 posts and 350 rails. The boundary fence of the reserve paddock at Patea, about 28 chains, has just been erected. The force at Opunake has been employed in levelling and gravelling a parade ground, and in clearing about five acres land in the vicinity of the camp. They have also cut about twenty-five cords firewood, and this is now ready for carting into camp. Eemaeks. General Aspect of Native Affairs. —The general state of the district has been quiet, although certain turbulent Natives residing between Oeo and Opunake caused some uneasiness by stealing cattle that were being driven from Hawera to New Plymouth, and by threatening to burn down Mr. Bailey's flax-mill at Opunake. I believe, however, that the disturbance was set on foot by a few malcontents, who, when they found themselves badly supported, returned home. At present a tolerably amicable feeling exists between Natives and Europeans. The Natives residing at Waitotara have also been troublesome to some of the settlers living near them, and disputes are constantly arising between the Natives and a settler named Eiddle concerning the ownership of the land on which the latter is located. With regard to the cattle-stealing committed by the Opunake Natives, I would wish to remark that were drovers of cattle or sheep to exercise more care and watchfulness, when camping down for the night, in these isolated districts, the beasts would not stray so much, consequently the Maoris would not have the same opportunity of cutting off stray beasts. On Conduct and State of Efficiency of Force. —I can speak most favourably of the assistance afforded me by the officers in the district, and of their diligence in the performance of their duties. The conduct of the non-commissioned officers and men under my command has also been good; and in their drill they have shown great attention. I have, &c, H. E. Tuenee, Inspector A.C., Commanding Wanganui and Patea District. The Acting Commissioner, Armed Constabulary Force, Wellington.