8.—6.

The annual values of the pensions granted are as follows : — Number of Annual Average Pensions. Values. Pension. To soldiers (twelve months and £ £ upwards) . . .. . . 1,003 53,087 52 To wives and widows (including 686 children) .. .. .. 437 42,916 98 To other dependants . . .. 1,638 47,872 29 To soldiers (temporary pensions) .. 3,194) To dependants (temporary pensions, 198,320 57 including 332 children) .. 258) Totals .. .. 6,530 £342,195 £52 Of the total pensions granted, some 1,300, which were granted for a period only, have been terminated, and the annual liability in regard to the remainder at the close of the year stood at £270,000. ||The gross payments made by way of pension in New Zealand during the year amounted to £.176,982, to which must be added the amounts paid to dependants of returned soldiers, who subsequently became pensioners, by way of allotment after the date of casualty, and also payments made to pensioners residing in Great Britain and Australia by the High Commissioner and Commonwealth pension authorities respectively, amounting in all to another £15,000 at present, of which amount some £7,500 only had been brought to charge at the close of the year. IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT SUPPLIES. During the past year the operations of the Department controlling Imperial Government supplies have been considerably extended. Frozen Meat. The handling of frozen meat began on the 3rd March, 1915 ; the total shipments amounted to 1,313,748 quarters beef, 5,279,408 carcases mutton, 6,928,023 carcases lamb ; and the payments, £15,800,701. The prices which had been current from the date of the inception of the scheme were increased as from the 20th October, 1916, as follows : Mutton and lamb, |d. per pound increase ; beef, Jd. per pound increase. The number of insulated steamers despatched during the twelve months ended 31st March last was seventy-six, compared with eighty-one for the previous year. Four steamers provided with insulated space engaged in the New Zealand trade were reported as having been sunk by the enemy during the year. Sheep-skins and Hides. The purchase of sheep-skins and hides commenced on the Ist February, 1.917. The number of sheep-skins purchased was 213,202, at a cost of £60,883. Hides and calf-skins are being valued, purchased, and shipped for the Imperial Government. No transactions had taken place up to the 31st March, 1917. Wool. Early in November, 1916, the Imperial Government advised that it was proposed to requisition all wool comprising the New Zealand 1916-17 clip, and

iii— B. 6.

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