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earned the esteem and confidence of both the Bench and the offenders with whom he had to deal—a happy combination which contributed in no small degree to the success of his work. Steps are being taken to augment the staff by the appointment of several Assistant Probation Officers. Appreciation I desire to express appreciation of the loyal co-operation of Probation Officers, not only those on the Justice Department's staff, but the large body of police officers in the country districts who function as Probation Officers. I should also like to express my thanks to the Salvation Army, and in particular to the Salvation Army women who function as women's Probation Officers in numerous towns. The Department is also indebted to the various voluntary after-care organizations, especially the Women's Borstal Association, in connection with the care and oversight of most of the young women released from the Arohata Borstal Institution. B. L. Dallard, Chief Probation Officer.

REPORTS OF DISTRICT PROBATION OFFICERS Mr. C. E. Maxtbd, District Probation Officer, Auckland I have pleasure in submitting my annual report on the probation work in this city for the period Ist January, 1915, to 31st December, 1945. Mr. J. Anderson, who had been Probation Officer of the Auckland district for the past ten years, and with whom I had been associated, as Assistant Probation Officer for eight years, retired on superannuation on the 7th December last. The work for the year under review, therefore, was under his control. As Mr. Anderson's associate and successor, I desire to place on record my own appreciation of his work and the training which I received under him. His qualities as Probation Officer were the subject of high commendation by Judges, Magistrates, solicitors, social workers, and police of this city prior to his retirement. - : The figures for the period are as follows : on the Ist January, 1945, there were 182 probationers on the register. During the year 209 were admitted to probation by the Courts and 112 were received on transfer from other districts. These figures give a total of 503 probationers dealt with during the year 1945. Of that total, 94 completed the probationary term, 142 were transferred to other districts, two were committed to mental hospitals, 16 left the Dominion, 1 was discharged by the Prisons Board, 38 came before the Court for other offences, and 9 came before the Court on the original charge. It should be pointed out that included among defaulters are those who commit such breaches of the licenses as failure to report, or failure to comply with some special order of the Court, as well as those who commit other offences while on probation and are brought before the Court either as a disciplinary measure or to bring their probation to finality on account of a prison sentence having been imposed for some offence committed after admission to probation. Taking into account the very unsettling conditions prevailing during the twelve months under review and the fact that many probationers have been required to work overtime and on shift-work, the results achieved must be considered highly satisfactory. In many cases the discipline exercised through probation over a number of adolescent youths is the first real discipline they have experienced, the omission being brought about by their fathers being either in the Army or absent from home jon essential work, and perhaps their mothers also undertaking war work. One of the greatest problems which the Auckland Probation Officer has had to deal with was the great influx of Maoris from the north to undertake essential work. A number were on probation when transferred to Auckland, and during the year no less than 41, or 20 per cent., of those admitted to probation during the year were Maoris.

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