H.—l6b.

D. Being in a hotel on three different occasions when on duty, and being addicted to drink : reduced and transferred, and cautioned for the last time. (1) Accepting drink in a hotel when on duty; (2) entering a hotel on duty : fined £1 on each; conduct and fitness to be retained in the Police Force to be reported on at the end of three months. Drunk coming off duty : reduced in pay for twelve months, and strictly cautioned for the last time.' E. Drunk while on duty : fined ss. This man had a bad record, and had been punished for a variety of offences. Very shortly after being dealt with for drunkenness he was promoted to charge of a station, and an important part of his duty would consist in regulating a certain hotel about the conduct of which there had been a number of complaints. F. Drunk on duty : fined three days' pay and cautioned. G. Drunk, not on duty : fined 10s. H. Drunk in barracks at 1 a.m., and making a mess in lavatory-basin : fined £1. I. Drunk off duty : fined 10s. J. Drunk on duty : suspended, reinstated with loss of three days' pay, transferred, and cautioned. K. Drunkenness : transferred. L. Drunk on parade : fined 10s. and cautioned. M. Drunk in barracks when required for duty : fined £1 and cautioned. N. Drunk on duty : fined £1 and strictly cautioned. A month later was drunk when required for duty, and was fined £1 again and strictly cautioned. 0. While on duty accepting liquor from hotel: fined £1. Five months later committed precisely same offence, and was fined £1 and strictly cautioned. P. Drunk on duty : fined £1. Q. Drunk on duty : fined £1. R. Drunk on duty : fined £1 and cautioned. S. Drunk on duty : fined 10s. T. Drunk when going on duty : fined £1 and cautioned that a repetition of such conduct would mean dismissal. Two years later was drunk while on duty, and was fined £1. U. Drunk when presenting himself for duty : fined 7s. 6d. and cautioned. V. Drunk on duty : fined £1 and cautioned. W. Drinking for four days, and acting in a disgraceful manner, while in possession of a warrant: strictly cautioned that any such neglect on his part in the future will be severely dealt with, and he will be transferred as soon as a vacancy occurs, and to lose four days' pay. X. Drunk on duty : fined 10s. and strictly cautioned. Y. Drunkenness : fined 10s. and transferred. Drunk, tenmonths later, at 9 a.m. : fined £1 and strictly cautioned for the last time. Z. This man was found drunk while supposed to be discharging very important and responsible duties. He was fined 10s., and has been since transferred to a district where the facilities for drinking are probably as great as in any other part of the Dominion. In the face of an extremely bad report on this man by his Inspector, this treatment by the Commissioner is absolutely extraordinary, and to my mind is destructive of true discipline and efficiency. The other exceptions, which would come under the head of " General," are not in the main of a serious character, but it seems to me that the light and absurdly lenient treatment of offences that I would certainly deem serious is not in the best interests of discipline and efficiency. Apart from the lack of punitive effect on the individual, it affords a shocking bad example to the rest of the men, and helps to destroy a valuable incentive to good conduct. To illustrate what I mean I will take a few cases : —

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