5

H.—l6

Sl,v-(;i!OGi There were 19<i prosecutions during the year for ely-gTOg selling, resulting in 117 convictions, agamet 235 prosecutions and 154 convictions during the preceding year. The police are often blamed for failure to detect illicit sales of liquor, and I therefore repeat what 1 said in last year's report—viz., that "the difficulty in obtaining evidence in support of charges of sly-grog selling is increased by the disinclination of the general public to afford the police any assistance in this respect, and lor this reason it is found necessary to resort to methods which are distasteful both to the public and the police. There is, however, no alternative unless the law-bieakeia are to be allowed to go their own way unchecked." The legislation of last session has had a good effect in abolishing the bogus locker system, which was used in some districts to defy the law : while the extension to the " proclaimed Native areas " of the provisions of the Licensing Act requiring notice to be given of liquor sent into no-license districts lias materially assisted the police in gaining control of the liquor traffic in these areas. L regret to observe, however, that there has been a disposition on the part of many dealers in liquor to disregard the provisions of the Act in this respect, or to regard them as vexatious requirements to be disobeyed "i evaded. It is a very valuable provision, as it enables the police to promptly trace liquor consigned to persons within the prohibited districts, and to follow it up before it has been disposed of illegally. A number of prosecutions for breaches of this section have taken place, and as there can now be no excuse thai ih,. law is not generally understood, further prosecutions will follow whenever the circumstances warrant that course being adopted. Legislation is required to control the output and sale of New Zealand wines. 1 have received reports which show that grave abuses result under the present law. The lines imposed on ely-grog sellers during the year 19J0 amounted to el 862 as anainsi 12,358 15s. in 1909. The amounts of tines in the various districts are as follows :— £ s. .1. Auckland .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 412 0 0 Thames .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 267 10 0 Napier Wanganui .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 302 0 0 Wellington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503 0 0 Greymouth (Jhristehureh . . .. . . . . . . .. . . 295 10 0 Dunedin .. .. .. . . .. .. .. 82 0 0 Invereargill Total .. .. .. .. .. .. £1,862 # 0 0 The direct cost to the Dominion in detecting and prosecuting sly-grog sellers during the year was £B<K) 19s. 6d., this being £1,061 Os. 6d. less than the amount of fines imposed. Gaminu Offences. There were 206 prosecutions, resulting in 169 convictions, during the year under the gaining laws, against 231) prosecutions and 208 convictions in 1909. The Gaming Act of last session has pretty well cleared the streets of the undesirables who hung about certain localities in the cities, and there has been a marked improvement in this respect. Betting still goes on, and will continue to go on ; but it is confined to fewer individuals, and has been made more difficult. 1 regard the gaining law of 191(1 as a distinct advance upon previous legislation. Criminal Registration. On the 31st March last the iinger-print collection consisted of the impressions of 10,905 offenders, being an increase of 986 on the previous year. During the year 148 offenders, whose antecedents were unknown to the police of the districts in winch they were in custody, were, by the means of their finger-impressions, identified as previously convicted persons, showing an increase of 8 over last year." The following table shows the steady increase of the finger-print collection, and prisoners traced thereby for the past seven years : —

Year. Prints in lection Number of Increa8eon prisoners traoe,! Prints m Col- p= Y as Previous lection. Previous Year. Oifcnders li Pr aorease i >vious Y on : fear. -I Previous lenders. 1VVV1VU' ' Ml II [ >. 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 L910 .911 .. I 4,200 5,000 6,151 7,622 8,718 9,919 10,905 > ! i 700 800 1,151 1,471 1,096 1,201 986 72 88 104 123 138 140 148