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between these centres. The machines are still being operated on a restricted service—during the evening and early morning—but the question of extending the period in which the units are used will be considered as soon as the circumstances warrant this course. The system whereby all suburban stations are linked up by telephone with district headquarters for simultaneous broadcasts has worked satisfactorily at Wellington. The extension of this system to the other main centres will receive attention when the necessary equipment is available. Criminal Registration Branch.—At Headquarters on the 31st March, 1947, the finger impressions of 70,065 persons were on record. During the year 3,623 sets of prints were received, classified, indexed, and filed ; 159 persons were identified as previous offenders who, had it not been for the finger-print system, would have passed as first offenders ; 2,614 photographs were taken by the photographers attached to the Branch ; the photographs of 2,331 persons (4,177 photographs) were received and dealt with; 640 photographs were reproduced in the Police Gazette ; 12 wanted persons were located and 3 unknown deceased persons identified by finger-prints. Finger-prints left by offenders committing 43 crimes were identified as belonging to 33 persons. Finger-prints of 110 persons were received from other countries for inquiry, of which 14 were identified as those of persons previously convicted in New Zealand ; the finger-prints of 532 New Zealand offenders were sent overseas for inquiry, and 39 were identified as having been previously convicted outside this Dominion. In one case the finger-prints of a man who had been arrested in this Dominion for a serious crime were transmitted to London by telegram in the Collins finger-print code, and a reply was received within three days giving full particulars of his previous history as known to the police at Scotland Yard, London. To date the finger-print system in Wellington has been responsible for the identification of 8,479 persons. On the 31st March, 1947, the finger-print collection in the Auckland Criminal Registration Branch totalled 12,022 sets. During the year 1,260 prisoners' finger-prints were received, classified, searched, and filed. The photographs of 376 prisoners were taken and 1,880 prints were made from the negatives ; also, numerous photographs of scenes of crimes and motor accidents were taken. The total number of photographs produced by the Branch during the year was 2,861. In 44 cases offenders were traced by their finger-prints as having been previously convicted, and in 16 other cases prints left by offenders when committing crimes were identified and the offenders duly arrested and dealt with by the Courts. Arms Bureau. —The Arms Bureau has carried out its usual functions of examining firearms which have come under police notice in relation to accidents and offences. All firearms with "which fatal accidents occurred were examined, and reports were prepared for the information of the Coroner. In many cases where the wound was not fatal the weapons were also examined and reported upon, and in some of these cases it was found that the weapon either had inherent faults or had worn into a dangerous state. Such weapons were referred to a licensed gun-dealer for treatment and the owner warned regarding any hidden dangers and the need of care in their use. In cases where crimes involving firearms were committed and persons were charged, evidence was prepared and presented to the Courts. The identification of metal objects from which trade-marks, names, or serial numbers have been abraded by filing or beating is another branch of police work undertaken by the Arms Bureau, and during the year a number of obliterated legends were successfully restored and made legible.

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