H.—l

when Pungarehu was our principal advanced camp. We then visited the Parihaka detachment, at that time consisting of two officers and sixty-five constables, under the command of Major Goring. Much work had been done since I last visited the post in comfortably hutting the men; and I found everything clean, orderly, and a credit to that officer. The next post visited was Opunake, the head-quarters of the district. This, like all other posts, had been greatly reduced in strength, numbering only fifty-nine of all ranks. The redoubt and barrack accommodation were in excellent order, and the men presented, as at the two former posts in Lieut.-Colonel Eoberts's command, that orderly and cleanly appearance which proves their being well looked after in their training. I visited the post at Manaia, which completed the inspection of Lieut.-Colonel Eoberts's district. This post had been reduced to seventeen men, occupying the valuable redoubt erected by the commanding officer, Captain Gudgeon: All expenses connected with Lieut.-Colonel Eoberts's district have been reduced to the lowest workable limits, and every assistance haa been given by that officer in this direction. 10. In the early part of March, under your instructions, I proceeded to Tauranga, to make arrangements for abolishing the Opotiki District as an independent one, on the retirement of Major Swindley from its command, and attaching it to the Taupo District, under command of Major Scannell. The old arrangement of keeping it a separate district was no longer necessary, as it was easier and cheaper for Major Scannell to work part of it, the Wairoa for instance, from Taupo than it had been from Tauranga. Of course this extended district could not be worked alone by Major Scannell; I therefore made the arrangements, approved by you, of stationing Captain Baker at Tauranga, to take charge of the northern subdistrict as far as Opotiki. This enabled me to effect considerable reductions in the working of the new district. 11. Agreeably to instructions from you, I then proceeded to the Waikato, with a view to closing Cambridge as a Constabulary station. I reached Cambridge on the 24th March, and immediately made arrangements for transferring the men at that post to Kihikihi and Alexandra, establishing Kihikihi as the head-quarters. In the few days I could spare to remain in the district I visited Kihikihi and Alexandra, with a view of arranging for working-parties being immediately available for the formation of the Alexandra-Kawhia Eoad, on the application of Mr. Hursthouse, the Engineer in charge. Before leaving Cambridge, my instructions to take down and remove all movable buildings to Kihikihi were being carried out, and the work promised to be completed within two months. 12. It is very gratifying to me to be in a position to speak most highly of the general conduct of all the members of the Field force. When it recently was found necessary to reduce the number by eighty men, it was decided as the fairest way to select by defaulter-sheets, and then by the juniors. The defaulter-sheets could not supply the number. 13. The casualties during the past year were 165, made up as follow: Transfers to Militia staff, 2; to Prisons Department, 1; recruits to police, 13; resignations, 64 ; reduction of force, 72 ; expiration of service, 1; discharges, 4; dismissals, 4; medical unfitness, 3; and death, 1. I have, &c, H. E. Eeadee, The Hon. the Defence Minister. Commissioner.

Return showing the Proportion of Police to Population, and Cost of Police per Inhabitant, in each of the following Places:—

2

Place. Proportion of Police to Population. Cost of Police per Inhabitant. Zealand *Iew South Wales Queensland Victoria South Australia 1 to 1,263 1 to 609 1 to 425 1 to 774 1 to 745 s. d. 3 3 6 7 11 10J 5 14 6 6