H.—l6

2

"breaking into shops and dwellings," "forgery and uttering," "malicious injury to property," " receiving stolen property," and various forms of theft being no less than 732, thus showing that during the year under review the primary object for which a Police Force exists—namely, the prevention of crime—has been much more nearly attained than in the preceding year. As a detective force there has also been an improvement on the preceding year, as the following will demonstrate: For offences against property alone the percentage of cases brought before the Court to the total number committed increased from 64-62 in 1898 to 68-19 in 1899 ; for offences against the person, the percentage increased from 9765 in 1898 to 98-01 in 1899; and for all offences, from 89-93 in 1898 to 9213 in 1899. Drunkenness, Sunday Trading, etc. The increase in the number of charges of drunkenness during the year has far exceeded that of any previous year so far as the records show. The total during the year was 6,289, being 757 over the figures of 1898. So far as the four principal centres are concerned, Auckland stands at the top, with a total of 1,145 cases, against 697 in 1898; Wellington next, 855, against 953; Christchurch next, with 568, against 583; and Dunedin last, with 535, against 597. From the foregoing it will be seen that out of a total increase of 757, Auckland and suburbs alone contribute 448. This large increase in Auckland is, in my opinion, largely due to the increased efforts of the Auckland police, under Inspector Cullen, to more expeditiously remove drunken persons from the streets than was formerly the case, and to the fact that during the whole of 1899, the closing time of licensed houses in Auckland was 11 p.m., instead of 10 p.m. ; but to the prosperous condition of the colony, and the large increase in foreign-going shipping at the various ports, may, I think, be ascribed the general increase of drunkenness. The total number of arrests for drunkenness on Sundays in the four principal centres during the year was 166, against 182 in 3898, divided as follows : Dunedin, 52, against 46; Wellington, 46, against 63 ; Auckland, 39, against 33 ; and Christchurch, 29, against 40. These figures indicate that the law relating to Sunday trading is by no means strictly observed, notwithstanding the efforts of the police. At present those who incite the publicans to break the law run no risk, whereas the consequences to the publican, if caught, are most serious. I think this is manifestly unfair to the latter, and trust that if the licensing laws are to be amended during the ensuing session of Parliament something approximating to section 25 of " The Intoxicating Liquors Act, 1872," in force in England, may be included in the amendment. I am convinced that many publicans would be glad to see the change. At present, to keep their trade together, they are reluctant to refuse to supply on Sunday those of their week-day customers who may call and ask to be supplied. If all persons found on licensed premises during prohibited hours, and who have no legitimate business there, were made amenable to the law it would be the means of preventing persons who have any respect for themselves from going to the hotels on Sundays to incite the licensees to break the law. My object in making above recommendation is twofold—namely (1), to enable the police to better cope with Sunday trading, and (2) to aid the hotelkeepers in resisting the importunities of persons seeking to obtain drink during prohibited hours. Drunkenness is always reflected in the number of such offences as manslaughter, abusive and threatening language, breaches of the peace, disorderly and riotous conduct, indecent exposure and behaviour, obscene and profane language, and obstructing and resisting police. The net increase during the year under the foregoin" heads is 288, distributed as follows : Manslaughter, 6 ; abusive and threatening language, 7 ; breaches of the peace. 64; disorderly and riotous conduct, 47 ; indecent exposure or behaviour, 35; obscene and profane language, 67, and obstructing and resisting police, 62. It is quite safe to say those increases are mainly attributable to the increase in drunkenness. During the year there were 260 prosecutions against publicans, resulting in 108 convictions, against 301 prosecutions with 121 convictions in 1898. They were distributed as follows : Auckland District, 58, with 23 convictions; Wanganui, 53, with 17 convictions ; Dunedin, 41, with 19 convictions ; Christchurch, 37, with 10 convictions ; Napier, 25, with 12 convictions ; Wellington, 23, with 15 convictions; and Greymouth 23, with 12 convictions. Although the percentage of convictions to prosecutions has risen from 40-19 in 1898 to 41-53 in 1899, the difficulty in obtaining convictions is still very great. Treatment op Persons Suffering prom Illness owing to Excessive Drinking. It has hitherto been the practice for Magistrates to remand to prison persons suffering from illness brought on by excessive drinking, although under section 21 of " The Police Offences Act, 1884," they have power to remand such cases to the hospital. The reasons assigned by the Courts for not availing themselves of this power, are : (1) That there are no separate wards in the hospitals for the reception of such patients, aud to place them in the general wards would disturb the ordinary patients ; and (2) that there are no male nurses in the hospitals to restrain delirium tremens patients. During the past eighteen months several persons have died while under remand to prisons for medical treatment, and the Press and public generally have condemned the system of sending such cases to a prison. It has been suggested by some that the necessary accommodation for treating such cases should be provided at the police-stations. At some of the principal stations a cell has been fitted up with a bed ; but this, I contend, cannot be made to fill the want. For properly treating these cases three things are essential—namely, (1) skilled medical attendance always at hand, (2) skilled nursing, and (3) a ready supply at all hours of suitable nourishing food. So far as I can see, a hospital is the only place where all the foregoing can be obtained, and I am convinced the cases in question cannot be properly treated outside one of those institutions.