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72. This is your report for 1907: "During the year the conduct of the members of the Force, with very few exceptions, has been exemplary, and very few punishments have been found necessary. They have performed their various duties in a manner conducive to the public welfare and to the credit of themselves." This is for the year 1908: " During the year the conduct of the members of the Force has, with very few exceptions, been most exemplary. Only in very few cases has it been necessary to inflict punishment. Their duties are multifarious, and, on the whole, they have been performed in a satisfactory manner." Those are very good reports really as to the conduct of the men? —I spoke of them as a body. You see, 1 refer to exceptions. 73. Have you made representations about this at any time? —Many a time verbally. There are many things one does not care to put in an annual report. There should be confidence between the Commissioner and the Inspector, and they should discuss between them many little things in connection with the Force which should not be placed upon paper. 74. Why should not this be placed upon paper? What is the annual report for?—l have given you there the general conduct of the men as a body, and, as you see, 1 say there are a few exceptions. 75. I believe in records putting everything in black and white, and then we should know what you are talking about. Now, as regards pay, the last rise in pay was 6d. a day all round, practically at the end of 1907?— Yes. 76. Do you know wdiat recommendations as regards pay have been made by me recently?—l do not know what you have recommended. 77. Nor as regards lodging-allowance? —No. 78. With regard to Detective McGrath, was there anything wrong in promoting him to the rank of Sub-Inspector?—Certainly not. Knowing his capabilities, I consider him a very suitable man. 79. And you think promotion ought to be open to the detectives? —Yes, to the highest rank, even to that of Commissioner. 80. You also believe there should be the rank of sergeant amongst the detectives? —Yes. 81. As in other Police Forces?— Yes; that rank obtains, I think, in other Forces, including those of Australia, I believe. 82. Have you ever compared the pay aud allowances of our own Force with those of other Forces ?—Not for some considerable time. 83. You spoke of a constable who had a bad defaulter sheet : do you know the circumstances under which that man was appointed? —No. 84. Perhaps you know his service? —His service was very short indeed. 1 saw his defaulter sheet. 85. The Commissioner] 1 have it, and I know it struck me at the time I saw it. 86. Mr. Dinnie] You mentioned a sly-grog selling case, in which a reward of £2 10s. was given to one man out of a total reward of £4?— l did not find fault so much with the amount of the reward as with its apportionment. The man who did practically nothing was rewarded nearly as well as the man who did all the work. 87. There was 20s. difference. Without the file I cannot go into that?— Perhaps I might be allowed to mention another case of promotion of a constable who, I think, was over the age of fifty at the time. Ido not for a moment infer that he should not be promoted. I simply raise the question of his age, to sh >w that there is in reality no uniform age for promotion, although the circular says we are to recommend men between the ages of forty and fifty. Mr. Dinnie: I think it says "men of over ten years' service who are under fifty years of age.'' The Commissioner: We can get the circular afterwards. Witness: With regard to a district clerk, I do not think he has any more claim for promotion after he has attained ten years' service than has any other man. I think he should wait his turn. When he becomes district clerk or clerk in an Inspector's office he is allowed Is. a day extra, and he has a good many privileges that the ordinary constable has not. He has every night in bed, and his hours range from 9 o'clock in the morning till sin the evening. He gets off on Saturday afternoons and on Sundays, alsj on a good many public holidays. I will say this for my own district clerk, that between 8 and 9 every Saturday night he collects the mail from the Post-office, opens the letters, does any minuting he considers he is capable of doing, and places the correspondence on my desk. He is not, however, compelled by any instructions from me to do so. He is a most zealous and attentive man, and takes as much interest in the work as I do, and I .take this opportunity of thanking him, and showing my appreciation of his services. 87a. Do you know that your opinion as to promotion of district clerks to the rank of sergeant is at variance with that of 'all the other Inspectors?— That may be so, but it does not alter my opinion. Of course, after a man has been fifteen to twenty-five years a district clerk he should be appointed a sergeant when the proper time comes, but not before. I say there should be no cast-iron rule laid down for the promotion of a man doing work in a district office after he has served ten years. It engenders a spirit of discontent amongst the men who are out in the street in all weathers, and who have to handle any drunken roughs who may be misbehaving themselves. 88. Do you not think a man requires to have special qualifications for duty as district clerk? —His education should be above the ordinary constable. 89. Is he not the right-hand man of the Inspector?—To a certain extent, and he gets his Is. a day extra for that up to the time —say, fourteen or fifteen years—when he should in his proper turn be promoted to sergeant. 90. Do you know how clerks are treated in other Police Forces? —No. 91. This is the memo, as regards promotion: "Constables under fifty years of age with over ten years' service are fit for rank of sergeant": do you remember that circular? —Yes; and recommended constables over ten years' service, and they were not promoted.