67

H.—2

966. How long have these same kind of books been in use—have they been in use for ten years past ?—Oh yes, long before I saw ths country. They are all headed now " Armed Constabulary." 967. A list of reported crimes is sent every year to the central office, so that every year you have the number of reported crimes in the colony ? —Yes. 968. You have also the number of arrests made in relation to those crimes?— Yes. 969. The number of committals for trial or summary convictions, and also the discharges ?— Yes. 970. So that looking back through these reports, say, for ten years, and making an analysis, it would indicate whether or not the police had become efficient during that ten years ? —Yes, that is so. 971. The proportion of detected crime to the undetected could be ascertained for each year?— Yes. 972. Some of these reported crimes, I suppose, on inquiry are found to be really invasions of civil rights ? —Oh yes, and some are often found to be no crimes at all. For instance, a man says his watch is stolen, and two or three days after he comes and says he has found it. 973. But taking the average for each year, it would be about the same?— Yes. 974. The system that formerly prevailed, of allowing an Inspector the right to transfer men in his own district, you considered a disadvantage ?—Yes. 975. It is desirable to have transfers made by a central officer? —Yes. 976. Naturally, the central authority would know the capacity of the men required for a special place better than an Inspector?—l will give you a case in point. For instance, we will say a station in the Dunedin district becomes vacant—the constable at Kaitangata, we will say, dies. The Inspector in Dunedin in the olden days would have had the power—l do not know whether he would have done it or not—to send any constable in his district who had not got charge of a station to fill Kaitangata; whereas in other districts there might be men ten years the senior of that man, and not in charge of a station. 977. The Chairman.'] The tendency was to make the Force a local instead of a general one?— Yes, and cause discontent by putting juniors over the heads of seniors. For instance, a District Inspector has only got fifty or sixty men in his district to choose from, and a great many of them may be junior or senior to men serving in other districts, but he only knows the particular lot that are in his district. 978. Colonel Pitt.} The result clearly was to make the Force a local one instead of a general one ?•—Quite so. 979. Mr. Poynton.] The number of men in the Force receiving long-service pay will, of course, be getting less every year?— Yes. I believe a return has been prepared in connection with that. 980. The Chairman.] I wish to understand your use of the word " promotions." You have used it in referring to change of rank, and change of station, and sometimes to some other change. For instance, these transfers were not promotions ?—Oh, no. 981. Did it give juniors something over the heads of seniors?— Well, charge of a station is worth £50 a year more. 982. Then, it is a financial benefit?— Quite so; nothing in rank. It is no promotion in the Force. For instance, a country station to a man who has been serving in Wellington would be worth considerably more than £50, because he would save that very nearly in house-rent. He gets a free house, and he gets his provisions much cheaper, and he gets extra emoluments or perquisites as Clerk of the Court or something of that sort. [Mr. Tunbridge here handed in returns : (1) Of the men receiving long-service pay; (2) the state of the Eeward Fund, showing the rewards given for the last two years.] Colonel Hume : I may say, with regard to the sum of £93 paid as rewards during the year 1897-98, that £25 of that amount was paid for special services rendered by members of the Force in the Bosher murder case. The interest on the Eeward Fund amounts to about £60 a year, and that, as I have already said, is paid by the Public Trustee. 983. The Chairman.] The other sources of income to the fund is the fines inflicted on men in the Force ? —Yes. Of course, that has nothing to do with another fund for rewards for detection of sly-grog selling, which is in the gift of the Minister. 984. Colonel Pitt.] Of these 280 men who receive long-service pay, how many get 6d. and how many Is. a day?— They all get Is. a day now. [Mr. Tunbridge here handed in a corrected return of the religions of members of the Force.] 985. Colonel Pitt.] With reference to the questions put by the Chairman regarding the Detective Force: Mr. Taylor referred to the same paragraph as the Chairman drew your attention to in your report of 1891, and you said then to Mr. Taylor, " All that is improved now " ?—So it is, Sir. The Detective Force is very much improved. 986. I understood you to say this morning that the same state of things exist still ?—Oh, no; it is very much improved. I understood, having said that before, the Commissioners were aware of it. I would like to put in here the form of letter that is sent to candidates when they are appointed. [Document handed in, and read]. 987. The Chairman.] At the present time, if a man reaches the age of sixty, he would be entitled to his eighteen months' or two years' compensation, or whatever it is?— Twelve months. 988. And he would get his £200 for which he is insured ?—Yes, up to the date that compensation was done away with. Compensation is done away with now. 989. It is done away with ?—Yes; no Civil servant gets compensation now. 990. Mr. Poynton.] A retiring-allowance is given ?—To all those enrolled after a certain date. 991. What is the date?— From the Ist April, 1895.