H—l6

Sly-grog Selling.—There were 114 prosecutions during the year for selling liquor without a licence, and also 11 prosecutions for other offences against the provisions of the Licensing Act in force in no-licence districts. The fines imposed on the sly-grog sellers during the year 1946 amounted to £1,067. Gaming Offences. —There were 521 prosecutions under the Gaming Act, against 1,001 prosecutions in 1945. There were 249 prosecutions in connection with bookmaking during the year ended 31st March, 1947, resulting in 244 convictions, the amount of fines imposed being £17,978. Prosecutions under the Motor-vehicles Act. —There was a substantial increase in the number of prosecutions for causing death or bodily injury through reckless driving of motor-vehicles and for being intoxicated in charge of a motor-vehicle. In addition to warnings for minor breaches of the Act and regulations, there were 3,905 prosecutions for such breaches, being 320 less than in the previous year.

Growth of Department.—The following return shows the growth of the Department, the population, and the total number of offences (irrespective of by-law offences) reported, and in which arrests or summonses resulted, at each tenth year since 1877, prior to which date each province in the Dominion had its own Police Force. The figures for each year from 1939 to 1946 are also shown :

J. CumminGtS, Commissioner of Police.

5

Year. Officers. Non-commissioned Officers. Detectives. Constables. Total. Police to Population. Cost per Inhabitant. Population. Offences reported. Offences where Arrests or Summonses resulted. Arrests for Drunkenness (included in " Offences reported ")• s. d. 1878 25 90 14 329 458 1 to 944 * 432,352 14,157 13,959 6,668 1888 13 69 17 388 487 1 to 1,328 3 If 646,913 12,897 11,854 5,387 1898 7 56 16 457 536 1 to 1,435 2 8 768,910 16,378 14,730 5,532 1908 15 83 32 604 734 1 to 1,331 3 2J 977,215 23,510 22,484 10,343 1918 20 111 38 732f 901 1 to 1,274 4 6£ 1,147,391 19,067 18,043 7,228 .1928 23 127 54 913f 1,117 1 to 1,301 5 9 1,453,517 33,138 30,622 6,601 1938 26 145 93 1,164f 1,428 1 to 1,123 7 6 1,604,479 44,308 41,618 5,446 1939 27 148 91 l,173f 1,439 1 to 1,129 7 51 1,624,714 46,378 43,162 5,935 1940 27 149 90 1,191-j-1,457 1 to 1,126 7 8f 1,640,901 45,009 41,619 5,470 1941 28 155 97 l,229f 1,509 1 to 1,084 7 11J 1,636,230 38,559 35,896 4,887 1942 29 159 105 1,306f 1,599 1 to 1,022 8 3J 1,634,338 34,608 30,790 3,001 1943 29 175 112 l,324f 1,640 1 to 998 8'lOi 1,636,700 33,192 28,722 2,304 1944 31 173 116 l,314f 1,634 1 to 1,006 9 5} 1,643,909 31,960 27,229 2,132 1945 37 168 110 1,250f 1,565 1 to 1,064 9 H 1,664,585 33,744 27,965 1,854 1946 34 174 103 1,164f 1,475 1 to 1,159 9 10* 1,709,048 34,016 28,818 2,069 1947 38 208 97 1,154f 1,497 1 to 1,184 10 6J 1,772,787 * Not obtainable. f Includes temporary constables.