H.—l6.

inaugurate a forty-hour week, the Government generously granted an increase in pay to the extent of 10s. per week as some compensation for the extra day worked in excess of forty hours, the general standard of hours set by the Government where it was practicable to give effect to it. The reports of officers in charge of districts indicate that, apart from the additional men required to work a forty-eight-hour week, an increase in the strength of the Force is necessary to meet the normal increase in the work of the Department in the cities and country districts. In order to provide for the more urgent requirements, I would ask that provision be made for increasing the authorized strength of the Force by another twenty-five constables. Transport. —During the year a new car was supplied to Auckland to replace one practically worn out and one to Dunedin. Four more cars are urgently needed to meet the requirements of the Department —one for each centre. Provision is being made in the current estimates for these. Since my last report the position of transport throughout the Service has been reviewed and brought to a reasonable state of efficiency. In all country and suburban districts the question of increased car allowance was carefully gone into, and an allowance in keeping with the service rendered was granted. This cost about £2,000 per annum over and above what was previously paid. In return the Department requires that efficient cars be supplied. Since the increased allowance was granted, benzine has gone up Id. per gallon, and with the prospect of a further rise of Id. per gallon in the near future we may have to consider the granting of a further increase in the allowance to meet the increased cost of running-expenses. Our transport has increased in efficiency fully 25 per cent, during the past year. There is a good deal of room for improvement yet, but we are making excellent progress towards having an efficient transport service in the near future. Efficiency. —In order to brighten up the efficiency of the Service, two officers —Inspector Jas. Cummings, of Palmerston North, and Inspector R. R. Ward, of Auckland —were selected to give a series of lectures throughout the various police districts during the past year on practical police and detective duties. Each took one Island, and every member of the Service (except about half a dozen who were ill) attended the lectures, which were delivered at convenient places. The lectures were greatly appreciated, and in many instances the members attending them asked that such lectures be repeated, as they were of great service, particularly to the 'country men, who were to some extent out of touch with the general run of police work. I have already initiated a regular fortnightly course of lectures on practical police work in Auckland, (following the recent increase in the number of officers there) for the Detective Staff, the sergeants in the Uniform Branch, ancl the constables —three separate classes. The probationary constables (those under twelve months' service) have a weekly class. These classes are being extended to the other three centres. In the smaller districts classes are being arranged also to suit those districts. I hope to be able to arrange during the current year for special lectures on the finger-print system, photography, chemistry and ballistics, and also on criminal law and medical jurisprudence. We have no adequate technical equipment for our experts to work with. I have requested provision on the estimates for the purchase of a comparison microscope for ballistic and other microscopical work, including micro-photography, and a projector for reproducing lantern slides, &c., on a screen, for lecture purposes. I have also included provision for the installation of a wireless plant, to try out the efficiency and value of wireless communication between a city police-station and patrol-cars fitted with wireless equipment. A large number of our men have been trained during the year under the direction of our firearms expert, Senior Sergeant Kelly, in the correct handling of firearms, and exceptionally good progress has been made in that direction. It is hoped to be able to complete the instruction in the South Island during the current year. It has been completed in the North Island. Additions to Staff. —The status of the following stations was raised during the year by additions to staff : Kaitaia, by a sergeant and a constable ; Rotorua, by an additional sergeant and three constables ; Newmarket, by a Senior Sergeant and a constable ; Ellerslie, by a sergeant and two mounted constables. We have retained two troop horses at Auckland and attached them to Ellerslie Station. The remaining horses (six) were disposed of and additional motor transport provided in their place. Sergeants have been placed in charge of Huntly and Tauranga stations, while additional constables have been stationed at Ivaikohe, Dargaville, Gisborne, Hamilton, Hastings, Palmerston North, Waitara, Moturoa, Nelson, Motueka, and Addington. The number of commissioned officers has been increased by the appointment of an additional Inspector at Auckland and another Sub-Inspector at Wellington, in order to provide for better supervision of police duty in these cities. Police Regulations. —The regulations require revising and bringing up to date to suit present-day conditions. A start has been made on them, and it is hoped to have them completed within twelve months. I am particularly anxious to have new regulations framed in connection with the annual examinations and promotions. During the year the travelling and relieving allowances were reviewed, and increases were granted, bringing them up to the allowances paid by other Government Departments. An increase was also granted in the allowance paid for supplying prisoners' rations. Training Depot.—A very fine type of recruit was taken on during the year. Three batches of some twenty-four men each were trained at our own depot in Wellington. When it became necessary to train a larger number, the Defence Department offered us the use of their camp at Trentham, where 125 men were trained in one batch to provide the forty-eight-hour week, and there is at present a 2—H. 16.

9