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992 Colonel Pitt.] A man gets no compensation if he retires now?—No, This is to provide for compensation. I may say there has never been a case ; but that is what I understand The Commissioners asked yesterday how many men there were on this £120 a year who had-been enrolled since the Ist April, 1895. There are 122. I promised the Commissioners I would look up a case of leave granted. I find that on the 2nd April, 1882, Sergeant McArdle who was then quartered in Masterton, asked for twelve months' leave of absence to go to England to enable him to take a long sea voyage for the benefit of his failing health. Colonel Eeader was then Commissioner and he minuted to the Defence Minister : " Although Sergeant McArdle is worthy of every consideration, the utmost extent given on pay has been six months, and I cannot recommend more —14/4/82." The Hon. Mr. Bryce says: "I should not like to authorise more than six months—John Beycb. 15/4/82." He had six months'leave on full pay. 993 Are appointments in the Force generally sought—are there more candidates than are required for the Force ?—Yes. There was a list when I gave over of about 350, roughly speaking. I know that is well within the mark. . 994. The Chairman.] All properly recommended ?—Oh, yes; I think they are pretty well all eligible men. . , ~ „ XT fl . 995 Colonel Pitt.] Can you tell us why a position in the Force is so sought after >— No, bir , but I understand the Permanent Artillery is equally sought after, and they are on reduced pay. I would like to state here that I yesterday spoke somewhat disparagingly of this Beturn of Offences in my report. The reason is, if the Commissioners will turn to Eegulation No. 44, page 9, they will see lam obliged to furnish it. I did not like the form. I said it did not show what I call crime, and I quoted " Absconding from apprenticeship," which Ido not look upon as crime. But this is the form I found when I took office, and.it is the form that was in vogue long before I came, and I furnished it in accordance with Eegulation No. 44. 996 Mr Tunbridge.] About the men performing work as Clerks of the Court, and that sort ot thing Did you not find it hampered you very much in dealing with men as defaulters, and m transfers, and that sort of thing?— No. I explained to the Commissioners I did not take anything into consideration beyond Clerk of the Court. I dare say men will come to the Commission and say they were agent of the Public Trustee, and something or the other, but I did not take that into consideration at all. , n -. , ~ , -, ~ 997. You said that in many places constables had very little to do, and unless they had these outside offices they would really die of ennui ?— Yes. 998 The Chairman.] Did not the fact that some of these stations were more remunerative than others affect you in making your transfers ?—No; I could not possibly take that into consideration. It would be endless. , ~ . ,i r. 999 Mr Tunbridge ] Did you not find, when applications were made to increase the number of men at certain places, the argument advanced in many cases was that the existing constable s time was occupied a great deal by duties as Clerk of the Court and other outside offices ?—Yes, that has been adduced as a reason ; but in many instances I have attributed it more to local pressure being brought to bear on the Inspector than anything else. 1000 You admit that the money received by the constables who are fortunate enough to have the stations to which these offices are attached is a cause of complaint on the part of men who are not so fortunate as to get those offices?— Undoubtedly. I was going to suggest that the Commissioners might get a return of the places where constables are Clerks of the Court. I think there are about fifty altogether. .■,*■,, c 1001 Do you consider it a good policy for constables who are paid a fixed salary to perform their duty as constables to be receiving fees for the fulfilment of other posts?—Oh, yes; I have already explained I see no objection to it. ~,.., oa v i.i. t. tu--1002 You say you have no objection to their holding these offices when they have nothing else to do much. Do you think it a good policy that men should be paid for other posts than that of a police-officer, when they are taken on to perform police constable's work and no other ? Do you think it a good policy that they should be receiving other moneys ?—lf you ask them to do the work certainly; in fact, it is one of my grievances, because I could not get any pay. 1003. The Chairman.] You say they should be paid for outside work?—lf called upon to perform it. . ~, . . ", ~ 1004. Mr. Tunbridge.] You think that the pay a man receives as constable is not given to him for the whole of his time ?—Well, the police duty takes precedence of all other. 1005. Yes, but that is not quite what I mean. I mean a man is paid as a police constable ; and that bein* so, the Police Department have a right to the whole of the man's time. The men who are not holding these outside offices have to devote the whole of their time to the Police Force ?— Yes. 1006. And yet you think, in regard to the men who are holding other offices, that the department should forego its claim upon the whole of their services and permit them to hold those offices ? Forego its claim on the whole of their services ? . ■ 1007. Yes, the Police Department claims to have the whole service of a man when he becomes a police constable ?—Yes. . . 1008. And so long as he does not hold other offices the department has the whole of his RPI'VIOGS jLQS. 1009. But immediately they hold other offices the department foregoes its claim to the whole of the services of the men ?—Well, I have never found any detriment arise from it. It was in vogue before I took office :it had been in vogue for years and years, and I see no detriment. I think Major Gudgeon also speaks favourably of it. 1010. There is the difficulty about providing a fund for pensions. Do you not think that as the Police Department has the right to the whole of the service of every man in the Force, the