T. O'BBIEN.]

H.—l6b.

Mr. Dinnie: It applies now all over New Zealand. Witness: The rule was made at the time the trouble occurred here, and it transpired then that some constables, when coming from their residence to the police-station and also on returning to their residences, visited certain hotels. That, to say the least of it, is most unbecoming and most undesirable. Even when off duty a constable, while wearing uniform, should not te seen in the bar or tap-room of a publichouse, nor should lie in any way associate with persons who are habitues of such places. 83. Chief Detective Herbert] The constable whose name I now hand to you, who is now on pension, was under you for some time? —Yes. 84. You know his general character for sobriety for a considerable time before his retirement?— Yes. 85. Do you consider the pension fund should be _ The Commissioner said he could not allow that question to be gone into. Chief Detective Herbert: I expect Mr. O'Brien to say he should have been dismissed from the force for his offence. 86. The Commissioner] You raise the question of administration generally?— Yes. The Commissioner: I will not object to that. Witness: The constable referred to was finally discharged from the service owing to intemperance. The Commissioner: If he was discharged, I cannot inquire into the matter. Witness: Speaking of this man, I may say during the time he was in Dunedin he was very intemperate in his habits. One day, to my great surprise, 1 got a telegram from the Commissioner saving he was to be put in charge of Green Island, which I regard as a very important station. I disobeyed the order for the time, aud sent a telegram saying 1 considered he was absolutely unfit to have charge of that station. I was allowed to put another constable there. 87. The Commissioner] Had the Commissioner, to your knowledge, such information as would enable him to form a judgment with regard to his qualifications? —He had been punished for intemperance and other matters before (his. When a constable is punished his defaulter's sheet is sent to the Head Office, so the Commissioner should have had the reports in his office. 88. Mr. Dinnie] As regards Constable Havelock, it appears from the defaulters' sheets that Mr. Ellison dealt with him entirely—l did not?— That appears so. The same remark would apph' to that constable that would apply to Fretwell — that a copy of his defaulter's sheet must have been sent to the Commissioner, who ought to have known what the man's history was. 89. Chief Detective Herbert] Had you and I any conversation before this Commission sat regarding the nature of your evidence or of mine?— None whatever. 90. You have had considerable experience as a detective : what is your opinion in regard to the travelling-allowance of Bs. a day allowed to detectives?—lt is insufficient. In my own case I have, when on detective duty, spent nearly double my allowance. 91. The. Commissioner] On board and lodging?— Yes; and endeavouring to get into company and obtain information I was seeking. I think the fixed scale should be raised. 92. What is the general tariff in Otago?—From 6s. to 10s. a day. 93. What would the extra allowance you suggest be required' for?— Suppose one wants to interview- a man in a country township: in all probability, the only place to obtain an interview would be at the local hotel. One might require to take a statement, and would ask the landlord for a private room, which one might occupy for an hour or so. I should consider a defective to be a very mean man indeed if he did not ask the man he interviewed to have a drink, and I think, by way of compensating the hotelkeeper for the accommodation, at the very least he would spend Is. or Is. 6d. I have done it times out of number, and probably I am not more liberal than other detectives. If a detective loses his own money in this sort of way it discourages him in doing his work properly. 94. But he could get a refund?—He would have to answer all sorts of questions. The Commissioner : The Bs. is only to cover actual board and lodging; anything outside he can show a necessity for he would be entitled to have refunded. Mr. Dinnie: That is the system. Chief Detective Herbert: I might point out that men who are practically recruits in the service—the finger-print expert, for instance —who have not the same standing in the Force, get 10s. a day. Mr. Dinnie: The whole question of travelling-allowance is being considered now r . 95. The Commissioner] 1 understand you are certainly not against the promotion of detectives to the uniform branch?— That is so. 96. Did you find yourself handicapped in any way as Sub-Inspector by want of knowledge of the uniform branch? —I did not. I had had previous knowledge in uniform, having served both as constable and sergeant. 97. Is there any analogy between the promotion of Chief Detective to Sub-Inspector and the promotion from station sergeant to Chief Detective? —No, I do not think so. 98. The sergeants would not mind so much the promotion of Chief Detective to the rank of Sub-Inspector if a station sergeant could be made a Chief Detective?— That would be an utter impossibility. Patrick Herbert, Chief Detective, examined on oath. (No. 29.) Witness: I am stationed at Dunedin. I entered the service about this time of the year in 1881 as a constable. I was transferred to the Thames, where T remained as constable, watch-house keeper, and clerk to the sergeant-major in charge. While there I was appointed specially out of the whole district to perform special plain-clothes duty at the Bay of Islands in connection with the Sheehan murder case. I performed that duty successfully in that case, and was given credit

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