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462. The Detective Force, as far as you are aware, were always satisfied?—We have always worked well, not only with the Detective Branch, but with the general Police Force. That is, in the Wellington District. 463. What practice do you follow here : do you make written reports to your Inspector on all matters you are instructed to inquire into? —Yes. 464. Do you make reports about your whereabouts during the day ? —We have a day-book in which we enter our daily movements. 465. Briefly or extensively ?—Briefly. We cannot say every place we have been. Each officer has to enter the particular work he has been doing. 466. Do you think the licensing law is observed in Wellington on Sunday, from your observation ? —Well, I have no doubt there are breaches of the law, but I do not think that is increasing. 467. How can you tell whether it has not been increasing if you have never taken definite observations ?—I am judging from what I have seen in the streets. 468. What evidence would you take—the number of drunken persons on Sunday in the streets? —Yes ; and ifche number of persons going in and out of hotels. 469. Have you seen some numbers go in and out of hotels on Sunday ? —Not so many. 470. Since when?— Within the last few months. 471. Since the new Commissioner arrived ?—Yes ; the hotelkeepers appear to be more careful. 472. Have there been more prosecutions since the new Commissioner came than during the same period before he arrived ?—Yes. 473. Would you take that as an indication that the publicans are becoming more careful, or the police more vigilant ? —I think it is both. 474. How will that work out; if the publicans are becoming more careful, how is it that there have been more convictions since Commissioner Tunbridge arrived ?—I mean since the convictions have taken place. 475. When was the last case —was it not last week ?—Yes. 476. Then, it is during the last fortnight that the publicans have become more careful ?—More than that. Since the new Commissioner arrived there has been a tendency to be more careful. 477. The Commissioner has been here since October last—not five months —and you say there have been more prosecutions for Sunday trading during those months than during the preceding five months ?—Yes. 478. You think that argues there is less Sunday-trading carried on, or more?— Less. 479. And the police are doing their duty more vigilantly in regard to the licensing law ?—They have special instructions from the new Commissioner to give special attention to breaches of the licensing law. 480. Do you know that of your own knowledge ?—From the men. 481. Have you been told that instructions have been issued to the men? —Yes. 482. What man told you that?—l cannot give any particular name ; but I heard that the new Commissioner issued special instructions to look after breaches of the Licensing Act. 483. You do not know it for a fact ?—Simply from hearsay. 484. Do you know whether it is the custom for certain hotelkeepers to put a watch by the door on Sundays, as a guard against surprise by the police ?—I have heard it is so. . 485. And you cannot say from your own knowledge, although you have been in Wellington since 1879? —Not from my own knowledge. 486. And you do not know that it is the custom of publicans to keep a watch on their houses? —I cannot say definitely. I have seen men standing outside, but I cannot say for certain they were put there by the hotelkeeper to watch. 487. Do you know of any special precautions taken to guard against surprises?—l have heard about electric bells ; but the hotelkeepers say they are for the convenience of boarders. 488. Where are they situated ?—Outside, by the door. 489. Have you ever known them in Wellington to be placed under the window-sill? —No. I have never known of any instance. 490. Have you noticed that many of these men outside public-houses on Sunday seem to be doing beat duty ? —I have seen one or.two of them. 491. Do you know of the existence of any tote-shops in Wellington ?—As I have reported some time ago, there are one or two offices kept by book-makers, but I would not call them toteshops, for the simple reason that they do not do any betting inside. They do their betting on the streets. They keep their office simply for correspondence. 492. Have you a copy of your report? —Not here. 493. What is the date of your last report ?—About two months ago. 494. You say you have had several convictions here ? —Yes. 495. Of what kind ?—Tote-shops. 496. Will you give us the definition of a tote-shop?—A tobacconist's shop used for totebetting, the tobacconist's business being used as a cover for the betting business. We have had several convictions. The way we used to manage was : We generally got a stranger and sent him in to the parties to back on certain races, and they kept books with the names of the races and the names of the persons who had invested, with the amounts. We had a warrant all ready to raid tha shop, and, as soon as the person went in and invested, we took possession, and not only had the witness who invested the money but the books as well. 497. When was that class of prosecution last made ? —A good number of years ago. 498. Five years ago?—lt must be more than that. 499. Seven years ?—I cannot say, but I know several raids were made some years ago. 500. And the outcome was that one prosecution you spoke of? —More than that. We made it a rule to raid all the shops on the same day, and different men went to the different places. Since