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therefore I have little hope of the police being successful in preventing Native women frpm getting drink. It would considerably strengthen the hands of the police if section 26 of f ' The Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Act Amendment Act, 1895," was amended and made to include. Maori women. It would at least get rid of them from hanging round and entering hotels. v , ,; A few years ago sly-grog selling was flourishing at Karioi, Raetihi, &c, but the very great energy and tact displayed by the Wanganui police in detecting and bringing, to justice a large number of the grog-sellers, and the good substantial fines from time to time inflicted by the Wanganui Bench, has almost stamped out the notorious sly-grog selling at the places named. The only crime of a serious nature was the assault committed on a warder by a prisoner in New Plymouth Gaol, who escaped with two other prisoners, but were recaptured and severely punished. The number of offences reported was 987, showing an increase of twenty-three. This increase principally consists of drunkenness. The population of this district is increasing rapidly, and likely to continue so, as the district may well be called the Garden of New Zealand. In reference to the discipline of the Force in this district, I may say, with one exception, it has been good. Police and other duties have been satisfactorily carried out. - ; if- r . -; fj]

Inspectok P. Pbndbb, Wellington and Maelboeough. Iα compliance with the instructions contained in your Circular No. 18, of the 2nd April, I beg to forward the following report upon the Police Force in the Wellington District for the.year ending 31st March, 1897. The strength of the Force on that date was eighty-nine regular members of the Force, three district constables, and one matron. No new stations have been opened during the year and none closed, but the regular .constable at Cullensville has been replaced by a district constable. The total number of stations in the district is thirty-one. The casualties for the year are as follow : Discharged on compensation, 2; died,. 2; resigned, 1. The conduct of the men, on the whole, has been good, and punishments rare ; and the following promotions have been made : One second-class sergeant to be first-class sergeant, four secondclass constables to be first-class constables, two third-class constables to be second-class constables, and one fourth-class detective to be third-class detective. The Offences Beturn for 1896 shows a decrease of 187 offences as compared with the year 1895, the numbers being 3,357 for 1895 and 3,170 for 1896. Of the latter, 97 cases were sent for trial, 2,299 dealt with summarily, and 431 dismissed; the total number of females dealt with being 393, and males 2,434. There has been a marked decrease in the crime of burglary, only 51 offences being reported, as against 68 during the previous year; drunkenness shows a decrease of 28; false pretences, 21; malicious injury to property, 25; obscene language, 13; stone-throwing, 10; theft, 17; and vagrancy, 43. Sheep- and cattle-stealing show an increase of 13, but some of the offences reported are of a doubtful nature, and the animals have probably strayed or died. There have been eight convictions for smuggling, as against two the previous year. Sixty-four neglected and criminal children, have been brought before the Court, as against forty-three in 1895. Wife-and-family desertion and disobeying maintenance orders has increased from 206 in 1895 to 261 in 1896. I regret to say that on the 27th August, 1896, a horrible murder took place at Petone, two old persons named Joseph Jones and his wife Emma being cruelly stabbed to death during the night in their own house. It is satisfactory to be able to state that, although no clue was left at the time, the police subsequently, by persistent inquiries, collected sufficient evidence to justify the apprehension of Stephen Bosher, who was tried and convicted at the Supreme Court here last month, and sentenced to death. Bosher was executed on the 21st April, haying previously confessed he was guilty of the crime. I also desire to mention the case of Herbert Allandale, one of the most notorious criminals in the colony. Immediately on his discharge from gaol at Lyttelton in December last, after completing a sentence of ten years for theft, &c, he came to Wellington, and at once perpetrated a series of impudent burglaries in the district, but was very soon captured by the police, and at the last criminal sessions here was sentenced to ten years' hard labour. I mention these cases for the purpose of showing that the Police Force in the district "is: in an efficient state, prepared to deal successfully with serious cases of crime when the necessity arises. Larrikinism and other minor offences have also been well kept in hand. A number of young inexperienced men have been taken on the Force during the year, and are getting on very well indeed. It is difficult to get satisfactory plain-clothes constables; besides, their pay is inadequate to support them in the position, having to move about so much amongst the public. I am glad to say that the City of Wellington is going ahead fast, good substantial buildings being erected in all directions; the shipping is also increasing very fast. Under these : circumstances it is, of course, very important that the small force of police maintained should be kept in as efficient a state as possible. I would therefore again submit for your consideration the advisability of erecting cottages near the central station, to be let to the married men in the city at reasonable rates. The single members of the Force have nothing to complain of. They are