13

EL—l6

During the year one constable's services were dispensed with. During the year one constable was fined for a minor offence and one was reprimanded by the Commissioner. On the whole, the conduct of the men under me has been satisfactory. A new station was opened at Cobden during the year, and a bouse to be used as a station was purchased at Ross, the old station building there being uninhabitable and past repair. The offences .reported during the year totalled 772, as against 1,013 for the previous year, being a decrease of 241. The principal decreases were in cases of common assault, drunkenness, offences under the Gaming Act, malicious injury to property, breaches of the Opium Act, and petty theft. Out of the 772 offences reported 742 were dealt with, leaving 30 offences, or about 4 per cent., undetected, which I submit is fairly satisfactory. The decrease in offences can only be accounted for by the criminal class realizing that the police were keeping a watchful eye on their doings, and also by several of the undesirables clearing away from the district during the strike to their homes in Australia. The only serious offences reported during the past year were an .attempt to blow up the winding machinery at Denniston Coal-mine by means of explosives, and a similar attempt to destroy the incline cable for raising and lowering the coal-trucks from Waimangaroa to Denniston and vice versa. By the former attempt slight damage was done to the building, but none to the machinery or cable. An attempt was also made to burn down the company's boardinghouse at Denniston, supposed to prevent the housing of free labourers. The fire was, however, discovered in an early stage, and no damage was done. An attempt was also made to fire the engine-shed of the North Brunner Mine, near Stillwater. This tire was also discovered and extinguished before any damage was done. 'These offences, there is a good reason to believe, were perpetrated by the extreme section of the coal-miners on strike, in order to prevent the working of the mines. The additional police sent to Westport subdistrict had, however, the desired effect of preventing further serious offences being committed. Owing to the convictions obtained against sly-grog sellers at Waiuta and Globe Mine, the offenders have now commenced to realize what it means to them when they are detected, convicted, and fined, and sly-grog selling at both places has practically ceased.