H.—2o

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returns from each district where public works were in hand have now been received, and the result is given below : — Value of Prison labour on Public Works' as estimated by Engineers. £ £ Waikeria : Building and load-construction ... ... ... ••• 2,605 Roto Aira : Waimarino Road ... ... ... ... ... ■•• 2,785 Point Halswell, Wellington: Various works... ... ... ... •■• 1,659 Paparua : Blockmaking and buildings ... ... ... ... ••■ 1,137 InvercargiU: Blockmaking, buildings, and reclamation-works ... ... 3,216 Total value of prison labour on public works ... ... ... 11,402 Value of Prison Labour employed on other Works and Industries for which Cash Credits not obtained. Auckland Prison : Tailor's shop ... ■■ ■ ••• ■■• 44 Boot-shop ... ... ... ... ■•• -'516 Dressed stone ... ... ... ... ... 634 Grammar School wall ... ... ... ... 624 Lyttelton Prison: Boot-shop ... ... ... ••• •■• 200 Quarrying, &o. ... ... -.. ... ••• 300 Wellington Prison: Tailor's shop ... ... ... ••• till Alterations ... .. ... ■■■ ■■■ 60 Kaingaroa Prison : Building ... ... ... ■• •■■ '50 Roto Aira Prison : Building ... ... ... ... ■■• LOO Addington Prison : Building, &o. ... ... • ■• •■-. ••• ' ,r, O InvercargiU, Paparua, and Waikeria : Work, on reinforced-concrete telegraphpoles and fencing-posts and other concrete products ... ... ••■ 200 3,409 14,811 Cash credits for tree-planting, bricks, farm-produce, gardens, road-metal, <feo. ... 9,867 Total value of prison labour, excluding all labour employed for domestic and administrative purposes ... ... ■■• £24,678 From the foregoing table it will be seen that the labour of the physically fit prisoners employed on works and industries has resulted in a saving to the State of nearly £25,000. This result must be looked upon as eminently satisfactory, more especially as a considerable number of the fit prisoners are employed on domestic work, cooking, cleaning, &c, within the prisons. The value of their labour is not shown, nor is that of the men employed on farming, development-work, &c. There is also a percentage of men who are mere derelicts and who are unfit for work of any description. Progress during the Year. Buildings. Since the last report was written the south-wing extension lias been finished and occupied, thus completing the whole of the original building scheme for Auckland. As stated in previous reports, the internal arrangements have been much altered from the design first prepared. Instead of dividing up the whole available space into cells, provision was made for a schoolroom, officers' quarters with reading-room, dining-room, recreation-room, baths, &c, store-rooms, and a prison infirmary. The infirmary was designed on the usual hospital lines, and is a marked improvement on the former hospital division, which was located in an old wooden building and was insanitary and inconvenient. The completion of the new wing has also made it possible to demolish the old wooden divisions that had been an eyesore and a menace for so many years. Their removal has also enabled the Department to commence erecting subdivisional exercise-yards, six in number, to provide for a better system of classification than it was possible to carry out under former conditions. The whole of the work is being executed by prison labour under the direction of our own officers. A start has also been made to replace the concrete floors of many of the cells with kauri flooring. The floors were in a very bad condition, and as they required relaying advantage is being taken of the opportunity to make the cells more fit for human habitation. In order to ensure economy an arrangement has been made with the Public Works Department by which all work at Auckland is now carried on without the assistance of free labour and without any charges for supervision. Our own officers are quite competent to control and direct the labour. The works in hand are thus being prosecuted at the lowest possible cost to the State. The first wing of the new Waikeria reformatory prison, with kitchen block, including bathrooms, washhouse, laundry, &c, is now in occupation, and is by far the best-equipped and most satisfactory prison building we have. To supplement the accommodation in the new building, where there are eighty cells, one of tho temporary cell-houses was removed to a position adjoining the new structure, and has been converted into a very satisfactory auxiliary cell range containing twenty cells. Temporary exercise-yards have also been provided, and the whole of the arrangements reflect the greatest credit on the Supervisor of Prison Works and the other officers who were responsible for them. A small part of the new administration block, containing a Board-room, Gaolers' and clerks' offices, has also been completed and occupied during the