Maladministration.

The inspector's report to which the magistrate referred was as follows:—"I cannot express an opinion as to this man's fitness to conduct an hotel; he was dismissed from the force for immoral conduct." After the Commissioner had had several communications with his subordinates, and two days after the magistrate had explained the reasons for refusing to issue the licence, the inspector sent the magistrate a telegram:—" Re——licence for public house. I beg to withdraw all objections, having made further inquiries. I believe he will make an excellent publican." On the same day the magistrate issued the certificate for the licence. The effect of this case upon the character of the police, who had been forced by the will of their political masters to participate in the affair, may easily be imagined. They would have no shadow of doubt as to how they were to act in future in a similar case!

In another case a constable with a very fluctuating record, who had been described by the stipendiary magistrate as either "very untruthful, or deficient in intelligence," made application to his inspector for admission into the detective branch of the service. The inspector reported to the Commissioner as follows:—"In justice to the service, I cannot recommend it; to place him at an important station like Invercargill would be very detrimental to the service, and unfair to the public, who look to the police for protection." Commissioner Hume stated that, despite this report from the inspector, the Minister of Defence, at the instigation of Mr. Millar. M.H.R. for Dunedin, gave instructions that the constable was to go into the detective service, and he went. After experience of the man, Inspector Pardy stated that there was no man in New Zealand less fitted for detective work than the one thus appointed.