H.—l6b.

44

[V. B. TAYLOB.

sinner first. It is a free country, and 1 consider any man lias a right to apply for any situation he likes if he thinks "tie can better himself without first applying to the Commissioner of Police. The Commissioner is reported to have said a short time ago that the duties of the men in the office are of a highly important and confidential nature, and that they must not be overlooked when promotion conies round. It appears to me as if the ordinary constable has not very much of a show. The men in district clerks' offices have more show than ordinary constables, being always under the eye of their superior, and uniform men are at a disadvantage. In the case of a man being brought into a district office or the Head Office he sits there for ten years and is promoted as a sergeant. There is a case in the last Gazette. A man named Cummings, who had just been ten years in the Force, and had not done six months' street duty since he had been in the service. He was nearly two years junior to me; and there are many whose qualifications are perhaps better than either of us. This sort of thing gives dissatisfaction in the Force. If there is a position for them, let them have a position of their own: put them into the Civil Service, or let them handle the lamp and baton and go out in the streets as others do, and take their turn for promotion. Then, I would ask that no man in the Force should have to answer charges brought against him by anonymous correspondents. 1. The Commissioner] Is that the practice?—l believe so; I have never suffered from it yet, but I take time by the forelock. 2. If it happened to you, would you decline to answer such a charge?—l could not question the Commissioner's orders. 3. Do you know it is a fact?— Yes. 4. Have they complained to you ?—No. 5. How do you know?—l know men who have had anonymous letters written about them, and have been transferred —in fact, the man whose place I have just taken. 6. You believe that was the cause of his being shifted?—l cannot say that it was so. If a, letter were written about me it would be probably sent to me, and the Inspector would come and make inquiries as to its truth. I say if a man has not pluck enough to put his name to a letter it should be put in the waste-paper basket. Another matter I should like to mention is the large amount of work entailed on constables in charge of country stations, who are Registrars of Oldage Pensions, for which they get no remuneration whatever. If the work were given to an outsider it would have to be paid for, and therefore the constable should have some remuneration. 7. Are you one?— Yes. 8. How many do you put through? —About seventy or eighty. 9. And j'ou have to make all the inquiries? —Yes. 10. Mr. Dinnie] The circular you referred to reads, " In future, applications for situations outside the Force are not to be made without the sanction of the Commissioner being first obtained" : Do you know that order obtains in other Forces? —No. 11. Do you not think it is desirable that the Commissioner should know your intention in such a direction, because he might have your name on the list for transfer or promotion?—No, I do not think it is right he should know. 12. Would he promote you if he knew you were going? The Commissioner: That might be an inducement to the man to remain, and that might be the reason for the circular. Mr. Dinnie: If I knew he were applying for a situation 1 might let him know his chances and so retain the services of a good man. 13. Mr. Dinnie] In no case has an application been declined that you know of?—No, but 1 object to it on principle. 14. You quoted a Press statement about some remark 1 made: Press reports are not always to be relied on?—I said you were reported to have made them. 15. The Commissioner] Under what circumstances were the remarks made?—l do not know; it was in the public Press. 16. Mr. Dinnie] Do you know of any case in which a clerk has been promoted to the rank of sergeant, and sent out in the street? —No. 17. Then, does making him a sergeant interfere in any way with the men on outside duty? —I understand the reason the sergeautship came in was that in old times when an Inspector was away the clerk in the office had to forward correspondence and instruct officers higher in rank than himself. 18. But does such promotion interfere with the men on street duty? —Yes, because there is one more place which the uniform man has no chance of getting. I would put the clerks into the Civil Service. 19. But it does not interfere with the outside men? —Yes, because it makes one vacancy less. Mr. Dinnie: Not at all, for there is no vacancy for outside men at the time. 20. The Commissioner] The question with you is whether the clerks should not do a certain amount of outside woik? —I think he should. I believe it was the practice once. 21. Mr. Dinnie] In regard to anonymous correspondence, do you not think it should be investigated?—l do not. 22. Do you know what the results of investigations have been? —I am only speaking of them as applied to men in the Force. 23. Do you not think it is my duty to investigate any correspondence I may receive from outside in respect to a constable? —No. I say the Inspector of the district will know if the man is what he should be, and if he does what he should do. There is no need for any one to write to the Inspector. 24. But supposing a man misconducts himself, and the Inspector does not know: he is not always with him; if he does so seriously, and an anonymous communication is received complaining of his conduct? —If he commits himself seriously all the world knows, and the Inspector first.