H.—l6b.

50

G. B. EDWAEDS.

te eligible for admission to the Police Force until he had been twelve months in the Dominion. That would tend to remove some of the dissatisfaction. With regard to the district clerkships, 1 will only say that the position is looked upon as the plum of the service. 3. Are you married?—l am married now. I was single when I joined. 4. You get 7s. a week allowance for rent? —Yes. You cannot get a house within quarter of a mile of the station under 14s. or 16s. 5. Do you know anything as regards this dissatisfaction in the Force which has been spoken of by other witnesses?— There is discontent right through, practically. 6. What is it due to, in your opinion?—lt is due to a feeling amongst the men that no one but favourites can get on. 7. Favourites of whom? —Of the officers and heads of departments. 8. Tlie Dunedin Inspector's grievance is that his recommendations are not given effect to. Do you refer to Dunedin only?— No. I was in Christchurch during the whole of the Exhibition time, and came in contact with men from all parts of the Dominion, and from conversations I had with them I am in a position to say there is a feeling of dissatisfaction and unrest. Another grievance is that defaulters coming from another part of the district are given the soft jobs. I refer more particularly to a certain man at a smaller station who was dismounted; he gets a share of the relieving and the soft jobs, and he is a defaulter. 9. Mr. Dinnie] Have those defaulters been punished by being sent here —reduced in pay, or anything of that sort?—l know they have been fined. As to whether they are reduced in pay or not I cannot say. 10. Have any of them been appointed to special duties here?—l am not in a position to say that. 11. You know who has the placing of them?— One of I hem, I have no doubt, got his position through yourself. Whether lie was recommended to you or not. I cannot say. 12. With regard to ex-constables coming here from other parts, you know it is stated on the application form that the Commissioner has power to appoint any ex-constable provided his qualifications are satisfactory?— Yes, lam aware of that. 1 would mention one little instance to show that intending recruits appear to think (hey are better off in their present jobs. One young fellow who sent in an application made a few inquiries afterwards as to the duties and so on, and he came to the conclusion that he was better off at £1 ss. a week and found in his present job. He considered the wages were too low in the Police Force. 13. The Commissioner] Why is mounted duty especially sought after?— The mounted man has greater liberty. He is not under the direct rule of any sergeant. He has practically every night in bed. The position is almost as much sought after as (hat of district clerk. Luke M'ullany, Sergeant, examined on oath. (No. 26.) Witness: lam sergeant of police, stationed at Port Chalmers. I entered the Force in June, 1885, and was promoted sergeant in December, 1904, I was just on three years at Port Chalmers! 1. The Commissioner] Have you any statement to make? —On the question of pay I should just like to say that if constables on joining were paid Bs. a day we should get a better class of men than we have been getting recently. I do not think the present educational test is too high or too severe. I think sergeants should start at not less than 10s. a day, and the increments should be as at present, or perhaps a little more, up to about 13s. a day. As regards the appointment of Chief Detectives to the rank of Sub-Inspectors, I have no objection to that, provided station sergeants are made eligible for the position of Chief Detective. If a sergeant wished to go into the detective branch I think lie should be allowed to do so, and take his seniority- in that branch. 2. Have you thoroughly considered the effect of that? A man before attaining the position of Chief Detective must have gone through a very long and trying experience. He would have to go through a certain routine?— The same thing would apply to Chief Detectives joining the uniform branch. He would have no more knowledge of the work of the uniform man than would a station sergeant have of the detective work. 3. But the detective would have worn the uniform before going into the detective branch, and would have gone through the ordinary routine? —Some of them would have had very little training there. I should not mind so much if a sergeant were allowed to go into the detective branch and carry his seniority with him, without disturbing the position of Chief Detective. A sergeant only receives 12s. a day, while a chief Detective receives 16s. 6d. a day. I think the length of time a sergeant is in the service should count —that is, from the time he entered the police itself. Some of the sergeants have brought their seniority from the Armed Constabulary, and I do not think that is right, as the work in the constabulary was of quite a different nature' With regard to travelling, I think sergeants or constables, when transferred, should be allowed first-class railway and steamer fares, as is the case in other branches of the service. I think, also if members of the Force were given some little concession when travelling on leave it would be greatly appreciated by all ranks. With regard to the general physique of the men at present, I have teen for a number of years at country stations, and when I returned to town I was greatly struck with the fact that the physique and general appearance of the men, as compared with those I had worked with twenty years ago, had greatly deteriorated. 4. To what do you attribute'that?—A good deal to recruiting from the ranks of returned troopers from South Africa. Although I look upon some of those men as very good men, I think, upon the whole, recruiting from the returned troopers has teen a failure, and I think it has been the means of introducing a good deal of what may te termed the larrikin element into the Force. As to influence, I cannot say that I know of any having been brought to bear so far as promotion