85

I.—lα.

C. E. ALDEIDGE.]

803. Was there any feeling between the single men and the married men at that time ?—■ Latterly there was. 804. Yon know the Postboy Hotel ? —Yes, sir. 805. What was the reputation of that hotel when you were in Nelson ?—Well, I have not heard anything against the hotel, but I have heard that one of the girls who was employed there did not bear a good reputation. 806. Do you know young Bannehr ?—Yes, sir. 807. Had you anything to do with that case at all ? —No, sir. 808. What reputation does young Bannehr bear in Nelson ?—Oh, very good, sir. 809. Do you know a young fellow named Hamilton ?—Yes, sir. 810. What reputation does he bear.—Very good, sir. 811. Do you know Daniell ? —I do not know him very well. He is employed at Sclanders and Co. 812. Have you ever known during the course of your duties there Bannehr to be given tc drink, or of his having been intoxicated? —I cannot say I have seen him intoxicated. He certainly takes a drink. 813. You do not know, I suppose, yourself anything against Constables Burrell and Dur bridge ?—No, sir. 814. Nothing but hearsay ?—Nothing but hearsay. 815. Do you know a man by the name of Stapp ?—No. 816. You had quarters at the station?—No, sir. I was a married man, and lived away from the station. 817. Commissioner Tunbridge.] You were a married constable in Nelson, were you not ?—Yes. 818. And you were also Inspector of Weights and Measures ?—Yes. 819. You were not employed on beat duty ?—Occasionally. 820. But never at night ?—Not all night. 821. So that your duties were not likely to bring you into contact with the people the same way as the ordinary constables?— No. 822. A great deal of your duty was in the clerical room or in the country districts?— Yes, sir. The only time I was on during the night was on the occasion of a theatre being open. I would be on duty there. At other times I would not be on duty after 9 o'clock. 823. Mr. Herdman.] In reference to the girl , you only saw Durbridge out once with her, I understand ?—That is all. 824. So when you say you heard he was keeping company with her it was only from information supplied by somebody else ?—Yes. 825. I understand you were on friendly terms with Durbridge and Burrell ?—Yes. 82-6. And you never saw anything in their conduct which led you to suppose that they were not performing their duties properly while you were thqre ? —I did not mean to refer to these two more than any one else. It appeared when the sergeant was friendly with a man he allowed him to do what he liked. 827. Apart from the fact that sometimes they may have been friendly with the sergeant they appeared to discharge their duties properly ?—That is so; when they were not unduly friendly with the sergeant. 828. Mr. Skerrett.] Is it not a fact that towards the latter part of your stay in Nelson Burrell and Durbridge were friendly .with the sergeant?— Yes. 829. Were you satisfied that the state of affairs existing at the Nelson Police-station ought not to be allowed to continue ?—I was not satisfied with them. It was on account of the unsatisfactory state of affairs chat I left. At least, I considered I could have remained there. The Commissioner asked me to make an application to that effect if I did not want to leave and get charge of a country station. 830. But you said ?—I said, owing to the unsatisfactory state of affairs I would leave and go to Havelock. 831. You felt that the station was not properly conducted?— Yes, I did. 832. Commissioner Tunbridge.] You applied for charge of a station ?—Yes. 833. That is, to be sent out somewhere where you would have a station ?—Yes. 834. The Havelock Station fell vacant, and in response to your application I caused you to be appointed to that station ? —Yes, that is so. 835. After you had been appointed to the station you, I believe, took some steps to make it known to me that you did not care for the charge of that particular station?— Yes. 836. Well, then, it came to me not as an application from you. Perhaps you can tell me where it came from. Who was it sent it to me: was it Mr. Trask ?—I believe Mr. Trask wrote to you. 837. Yes, Mr. Trask approached me on your behalf to get your appointment to Havelock Station cancelled, was that not so? —Yes. 838. And I said that if you desired to remain at Nelson you should make an application in the ordinary course ?—That is so. 839. You then did not see your way clear to do that, and consequently went and took charge of the Havelock Station ?—Yes. 840. The appointment to the Havelock Station was, I believe, a promotion?— Yes. I would like to say, when word came of my transfer to Havelock Station the telegram was read to me by the sergeant. Shortly afterwards a telegram came stating that the transfer was to be put off for a fortnight on account of the illness of one of the constable's children there. Shortly afterwards a telegram came to me stating that if I did not want to go there I should make an application to the sergeant to that effect. I did so, and he abused me for having done so.