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With the exception of 13 constables who were dismissed from the Force, and a small number who were fined for breaches of the regulations, a good standard of conduct and discipline has been maintained by members of the Force, who have carried out their duties in an efficient manner. In some instances very good work was accomplished, and in this connection I may mention the recent case of the arrest after a long pursuit and, extensive inquiries, of armed men who held up the staff of the Bank of New Zealand at Bulls and robbed the bank, and also the case of three young men who held up with a revolver a woman shopkeeper at Lower Hutt' and robbed the shop and who were located and arrested within a few hours of the commission of the offence. There was a somewhat similar occurrence in the Gisborne district, in which an attempt was made to rob a country storekeeper, who was grievously injured and in a critical condition for some weeks. Exhaustive inquiries by the police led to the arrest of the offender. There are 29 women police employed by the Department—l2 at Auckland, 9 at Wellington, and 4 each at Christchurch and Dunedin. They have done very good work in cases in which women and children were involved, and have attended at railway-stations, parks, picture-theatres, and similar places with a view to preventing interference with children and young girls. They have also as opportunity offered been given training in the various branches of the indoor work of the Department. in order to increase their efficiency. New stations were established at Hanmer, Riversdale, Mission Bay, and Te Kaha, and the stations at Waikaia, Waitahuna, and Waiouru were closed. Police Buildings, &c.—The following works in connection with policestations were carried out during the year by the Public Works Department:— A new residence for the sergeant of police at Westport was completed; an office was erected at Mount Roskill Police-station, and garages at Belfast and Islington. The building of additional office and barrack accommodation at Dunedin Central Station was put in hand, and contracts have been let for the erection of new police-stations at Omakau, Ohakune, Kingsland, and Waitara. The sergeant's residence at Lower Hutt was removed and re-erected on another site, so as to leave the original site available for a new policestation at Lower Hutt, where the present accommodation is quite inadequate. Repairs, renovations, and improvements were also effected at many stations throughout the Dominion. The erection of new buildings has been restricted by the shortage of labour and material and the necessity for giving priority to housing construction. The office and barrack accommodation provided in the new building nearing completion at Dunedin Central Station will afford muchneeded relief at that station. The accommodation at Auckland Central Police Station is quite inadequate and out of date, and plans for the erection of a. modern building have been prepared and it is hoped that it may be possible to proceed with the work next year. New district headquarters stations are also required at Grey mouth, Timaru, and Wanganui to replace the existing buildings, which are beyond reasonable repair and do not provide the amenities necessary for present-day requirements. Plans for the erection of a new station at Greymouth on the site of the present building were prepared, but it has now been suggested that a more suitable and central site should be acquired, and negotiations are being carried out accordingly, and it is anticipated that they will be concluded at an early date. The erection of the building will then be proceeded with. Plans have also been prepared for the station at Timaru, but the estimated cost of the original proposals is so high that a revision

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