E. r MACDONELL.]

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177. It is not therefore a very grave offence to go into an hotel after hours?— Not if a policeman goes in on a lawful errand. 178. But if he goes in as the friend of the hotelkeeper?—Well, 1 would not approve of that. 179. Now, as a matter of fact, Inspector, would'you not have to discharge half the policemen in the colony if that was an unpardonable offence ?—I do not think so. Perhaps you know more than I do. 180. With regard to the class of policemen that you had stationed at Nelson, were they young men ?—Yes, most of them. 181. I mean previous to these men being dismissed ? —We had some old men there. 182. You had several aged policemen there ?—Yes ; three or four. 183. Was there not, in consequence, a considerable amount of latitude given to the larrikin element in Nelson ? —I could not say that at all. There may have been some, but Ido not look upon Nelson as a bad place for larrikins. It is one of the quietest places in New Zealand that I have been in, as far as larrikins are concerned. There are no public works, such as coal-mines, or anything of that sort, to draw rough characters. 184. Do you not think that, if a number of aged policemen were placed in a town of considerable size, the bringing-in of young and energetic men would naturally cause irritation ?—Yes. 185. Amongst the larrikin class who wanted to have their own way?— Yes, I would expect that. 186. Do you not think that this case is one of that kind ?—No, I do not. 187. Why?—On account of all the complaints I heard. Nelson is not the only place that I have had supervision over and done duty in ; and I must say that the state of affairs that existed in Nelson was such as I never found anywhere else in the whole course of my career. 188. The class of men that you want for policemen are, I suppose, men with a considerable amount of energy ?—They are all the better for it. 189. Would you take them more for their energy than you would for their morality ?—No, never. 190. You would not take a man from a Young Men's Christian Association to be a policeman? —I have seen some men from the Salvation Army in the Police Force. 191. Mr. Colvin.] And good men too?—-Yes, in some respects. 192. Mr. Hall.] But a man wants an exuberance of spirits in a way so as not to be a coward, and if he has that exuberance of spirits you will admit that he might be tempted to go into a publichouse after hours once and again ?—No; I would not allow that at all. They may do it, but I have been over five months in charge at Napier, and am not aware of one such offence—not one. 193. Now, with regard to the reports that you furnished to the Commissioner, of course they were confidential ?—Well, no, not strictly confidential, but they were for his own information. I thought that probably further investigation would be made into the matters complained of before an inquiry was held. It was entirely a matter for my superiors, and not myself. I reported as I found things. 194. Do you, after all your years of experience, come to the conclusion that there are not many men in the Police Force at the present time who have been guilty of more indiscretions than the men in question ?—Do you mean that there are not many that have been ? 195. I mean that there are not many men in the Police Force at the present time who have been guilty of more indiscretions than these men ? —I do not agree with that at all. I may have known a few that I had reason to believe did more serious things than these men and are still in the Force, but only a few. 196. Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones.] Do you mean proved cases?—No; men that I have known perhaps for many years. 197. How do you come to make that statement if the cases were not proved?— Very simply. Supposing that some of them told me with their own lips what they had been guilty of 198. But you do not always take a man's confession as being true?— Not always ; I judge for myself. But I have seen such men a long time after who may have told me confidentially. 199. Mr. Hall.] Is there an Inspector at Nelson ? —No. The Inspector is at Greymouth, but he has control over the district. 200. Did he send in a report, are you aware ?—I was Inspector at the time. 201. You had a sergeant of police at Nelson ? —Yes. 202. Did you confer with him?— Often. 203. Did you confer with him on this matter?—No, I did not. 204. Was it not your duty to confer with him ?—I do not think so. 205. Were you asked to report direct without conferring with the sergeant of police ?—By whom ? 206. By the Department ?—No; because I sent my reports in first. 207. Were you asked by anybody else?— No. If I were told by anybody else I would not pay attention to it. 208. Have you had any conversation with the sergeant since ? —Yes. 209. Does he hold the same opinions as you yourself ?—I do not think so. 210. Do you not think that he would be in a better position to judge of the merits of the case, seeing that he was there permanently ?—Unfortunately, he was more or less implicated himself for allowing such things to exist under his supervision, and charges were made against him at the same time; so I would not expect him to be of the same opinion as myself. 211. You say that the sergeant of police was himself implicated?— Yes; charges were made against him. 212. He was head of the police at Nelson ?—Yes.