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28. The Chairman.] Where were you stationed at this time?—Christchurch and Timaru. I ■was first for some time at Christchurch, and then I was for some years at Timaru, and then came back again to Christchurch. A number of the Armed Constabulary men, I think, after the provinces were abolished, were transferred to the general Force. 29. How did those men who were transferred from the Permanent Artillery and from the Armed Constabulary shape in police duties ?—Well, I think, fairly well. Of course, some of them turned out only middling; others were very good men, but I may say they were not equal to the men that we had in Canterbury. 30. That is, the southern portion of the Force ?—Well, the Commissioner in the Canterbury force was then Mr. Shearman. A number of men came over from Australia, the same as they did to Otago. In fact, for a long time the force was pretty well supplied with men from the other colonies, and they were all superior men. 31. Colonel Pitt.} Were they not mounted men? —No. Some of them were. The Force was recruited pretty well from those colonies. The Irish Constabulary men were taken on then. They were all men of experience. 32. All good men?— Well, not all. 33. The Chairman.'] They were experienced in police duties? —Yes. You could put them in uniforms and send them out, and they knew what to do. 34. You were in the service in Australia, Mr. Pender, and you say these men who came over were experienced men. You attribute that to their training in Australia? —They had a superior training altogether. 35. What was the training they received ?—The training in Australia at that time did not differ very much from the training here, with the exception that they had a depot at Melbourne, where all the men were trained before they were allowed to go out. Every man had to undergo a training —had to pass an examination. 36. Colonel Pitt.] What do you mean by examination—physical, of course ?—And intellectual as well. 37. Mr. Poynton.] A knowledge of his duties?—A knowledge of his duties generally. He had to undergo'three months' training in the depot. It was four months in the Irish Constabulary. 38. Did the same system prevail in the Irish Constabulary?— The Victorian system at that time was a mixture of the English and Irish system. 39. What I especially want to get at is, whether the training was a strictly military training, or, whether it was a training in the duties of constables as civil officers ? —They were trained by the non-commissioned officers, and instructed in their duties. 40. As constables ?—As constables. 41. Were they drilled as well?— Drilled as well. 42. I am trying to distinguish the military and civil character of their duties?— They were trained, and carried arms—rifles and revolvers—and they were mounted. 43. And they were instructed in their duties as police ? —Yes. They now have lecture-rooms, both in Ireland and England. 44. The Chairman.] And do you know for how long the training was ?—I think for three months at that time. 45. Mr. Poynton.] Three months in Victoria, and four in Ireland ? —Yes. 46. Colonell Pitt.] In Melbourne they had lectures too? —Not at that time. The sergeant lectured the men ; but now they have public halls where they deliver lectures, and so they have at Home. 47. The Chairman.] You attribute the fact that these men were better than the Armed Constabulary to the fact that they had been specially trained as constables? —Well, perhaps they were superior men. Sir Charles McMahon was an old military officer—a captain in the army—and when he took charge of the Force, the improvement commenced at onee —improvement in the Force generally. He was a man of great ability, and had been a captain in one of the hussar regiments, and he was appointed Chief Commissioner, and was in charge of the Force generally. He was then Captain McMahon, afterwards known as Sir Charles McMahon. Then, Captain Standish, another military officer, took charge. 48. And now, I think, we must bring you back to New Zealand. Having got a Force composed of members of the Armed Constabulary and Permanent Artillery, and partly of men who had been trained in Australia, how did the Force work ? The Force worked fairly well, in my opinion. Of course, there were exceptions, as in other Forces I have known. There were " black sheep" every now and again. 49. What was the administration? What power had the local officers of police at Christchurch, for instance, Wellington being the centre ?—There was an alteration made with regard to local Inspectors. Dp to that time I think a local Inspector had power to remove the men in his own district. 50. To remove them from one station to another ?—Yes, to transfer them ; but every instance of removal was notified to the Commissioner. 51. Colonel Pitt.] Up till when did that obtain?—l could not really fix the date. 52. It was after the Government took control?— After the Government took control. He had power to transfer men to all stations within his own district, but all transfers had to be notified to the Commissioner, to be approved or otherwise. 53. The Chairman.] How long did this system of recruiting from the Armed Constabulary and the Permanent Artillery last ?—Men were taken from the Permanent Artillery up to a short time ago. 54. Up to the last amended regulations ?—I can hardly say. 55. To March, 1897 ?—I could not tell you the date.