CHAPTER XXII. 



THE CUSTOMS AND POST OFFICE. 



There are no departments in the colony which 

 have improved so much within my time as the two 

 named above. Let me begin with 



The Customs. 



It is difficult to describe the state in which the 

 Customs — one of the most important institutions in 

 the colony — was in my early days, and I think I had 

 better not attempt to lay bare all its shortcomings, 

 because I certainly could not successfully do so with- 

 out sitrring up a lot of mud ; all that I will 

 therefore say is that the building then set apart was a 

 nest of filth, disorder, irregularity and fraud. The 

 frauds first discovered were within the department 

 itself and were committed in a department, which, if 

 not honestly conducted, lends itself to so much 

 frauds. I am not sure that I know what led to the 

 discovery of these frauds ; but to them I owe a good 

 deal of my after insight into the devious ways by 

 which frauds could be so easily committed in a depart- 

 ment not then too well looked after. To it I also owe 

 a good deal of what afterwards proved of such help 

 to me in my career in the Police Force, for through 

 them I was brought into contact with an able and 

 also a fair conscientious prosecutor jj I allude to the 

 late Mr. L. D. O'Connor, at that time Crown Solicitor, 



