I.—lα.

98

[S. MACKAY.

55. That is the same constable who was charged with assaulting him ? —The same constable who was charged with insulting him. Remnant made no mention of assault. . 56. This was one of the charges inquired into by the Commissioner—charge No. 2 against yourself ?—Yes. 57. Are you aware of his finding ?—Yes. 58. It reads, " The constable at the time of the alleged assault was not on duty, and the offence was a statutory one. .. ." Was Burrell not on duty at that time ? —I may state that I used to utilise the men of a Saturday night sometimes to strengthen the relief. On this night I will not say whether Burrell was on duty or not. I think he was off duty. 59. Seeing that a complaint was made to you, had you not, as sergeant in charge of the station, a duty to perform—to enter the complaint in the occurrence-book, even though it was only a verbal complaint ? —Seeing that the man was under the influence of drink 60. That is not the point. If you, as sergeant in charge of a station, have a complaint made to you, is it not your duty to enter it in the occurrence-book? —It may have been. I will not doubt that. I would have entered it in the occurrence-book had the man come back with a written complaint. 61. Although he made only a verbal complaint, was it not your duty to have entered it in the ordinary manner?— Yes, I understand that it would have been, but I would have entered it had he come back. 62. Was it not your duty to have entered it even though it was a verbal complaint ? —lt may have been. I will not say that it was. 63. How long have you been a sergeant ? —Since 1894. 64. And yet you cannot say whether it was your duty ?- -It is the custom. 65. Is it not a part of the regulations ?—A column is in the book for the purpose. 66. It was part of your duty to enter it even though it was only a verbal complaint ?—I omitted to enter it for the reason I have given. 67. It was part of your duty, although you did not do it: according to your regulations you ought to have made an entry ?—I should judge so from the heading of the book. 68. Why did you not ? —Because, as I have explained, 1 expected the man to come back with his complaint. 69. You admit that you ought to have entered the complaint, and that you omitted to do so ? —It is customary to do so. 70. The regulations say it should be done ?—I do not know that a regulation bears on that. I am guided by the column of the book. 71. It is the duty, then, of a sergeant in charge to enter complaints, either verbal or in writing ?—lt is the custom, I believe. 72. And it ought to have been done ? —Yes, I dare say it should have been. 73. Were you convicted by the Commissioner on this charge ?—lf my memory serves me aright, I was. 74. And cautioned to be more careful in future think so. 75. Another charge was in connection with a visit by two single females to the single men's quarters some time between 1 and 2 o'clock on a certain morning ? —Yes. 76. Were you aware of those girls being at the station?—l was called. 77. By whom ?—By Constable Williams. 78. What did he say? —He came to me and said there were some women in the station. I immediately got up and went to the station. 79. You were in bed ?—I was. I found all the doors wide open, the gas fully lighted, and the constables and the girls sitting at the table having refreshment of some sort. From what I had seen of them in the street I knew them to be respectable girls, coupled with the fact that one of the constables was engaged to be married to one of them. I went out into the office and called Durbridge. I told him that to take females to the station was a very wrong thing to do; that probably he did not mean any harm, but that harm could be made out of it; and not to do it again. He explained to me that he had been to a social with the two young ladies, and when returning to the police-station he asked them in a joking way to come in and have a cup of cocoa. They accepted his invitation and went. I said, "It is a very indiscreet act to bring them here. You should not have done so. Do not do it any more." It had never been done before since I had been there, and has not been done since. 80. Have you ever known of any other occasion where single men have taken single girls into the single men's quarters at the police-station at that hour of the night?—l cannot say that I have. 81. You do not know of any similar ease ?—No, I cannot think of any. 82. Did you mention the matter to the Inspector or report to him ?—No. 83. Did you make any entry of the matter having been reported to you ?—No. 84. Was it not your duty to have done so? —I did not think so. I did not think there was anything wrong about it. 85. Do you approve' of single girls being taken into single men's quarters in that way ?— No. 86. You did not consider it sufficiently important to bring under the notice of your superior officer ?—Had the girls been strangers whom I had not seen before I should have thought so. 87. If they are girls that you know you do not mind their going in at 2 o'clock in the morning? —Considering the circumstances 88. Do you think it should be allowed ?—Oh, no, not at all. But it was the first time that I ever knew of it, and I simply, as I have said, cautioned them. 89. You have never known of any case similar to this ? —Not at night,