H.—36

Session 11. 1918. NEW ZEALAND.

PRINTING AND STATIONERY DEPARTMENT (ANNUAL REPORT OF THE) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1918.

Laid on the. Table of the House of Representatives by Leave.

SIR,- - Government Printing and Stationery Office, Wellington, Bth July, 1918. I have the honour to submit the annual report upon the working of this Department for the year ended 31st March, 1918. The tables accompanying the report show the nature, extent, and result of the year's workings. Gazette. —The number printed was 1,690, the number of subscribers 190, and the amount received £296 lis. 3d. Hansard. —The number of Hansards printed for session 1917 was 8,000, the number of subscribers 101, and the amount received £22 15s. Stamp-printing. —The number of sheets of stamps of various values printed was 1,163,258, the number of stamps 167,338,235, and the value £1,856,470. In addition, 296,320 war-loan certificates, of a value of £4,434,000, were printed by this branch. Stereo and Electro Plates. —The number of stereo plates cast during the year was 23,089, the weight being 20,313 lb. The number of electrotypes was 2,632, and the weight 282 lb. Rubber Stamps. —The number of rubber stamps made was 5,084. Railway Tickets. —8,193,820 railway tickets were printed, the largest number (1,150,242) being printed in April. Work of the Year. —All branches of the Department have been very busy, and, as usual, two shifts are being worked in the machine-room, though the shortage of machinists makes it difficult to get as many hands for the night shift as is desirable to enable the work to be kept under. Overtime. —Over a hundred of the employees of the Department are now on active service, and many more have been passed as fit and will shortly be going into camp, and owing to the scarcity of skilled tradesmen this necessitates a considerable amount of overtime being worked. Military Ballots. —The publication of these lists continues to be a strain on the establishment, both in labour and in paper. Storage Accommodation. —As a result of the alterations of the building the accommodation for storage has been much improved, which will prove to be economical to the Department. For some years we have been labouring under great disadvantages by reason of the cramped storage accommodation, and the additional room gained will result in a saving in the handling of stores. Paper and Stationery. —The cost of paper is even higher than last year, and in many cases prices have advanced over pre-war days from 300 to 400 per cent. Apart from the fact that smaller quantities are being turned out from the mills, it is difficult to get paper at all, owing to the shortage of shipping, and even in American purchases it is not certain that the; orders will come to hand. In view of these circumstances, and the possibility of the position becoming still more acute, I must again urge that the heads of Departments keep a careful check of their printing and stationery orders, and especially cut down the sizes of forms whenever practicable, so as to save paper. lam convinced that this matter does not receive the consideration that it should, and that orders are at times on too lavish a scale. Without enumerating any special items of stationery, all goods are difficult to obtain, and orders are a long time coming to hand. This in many cases is the cause of a great amount of inconvenience, but the position is not likely to improve until the war is over. Accommodation.--To obtain the best economic value from the new addition to the building a rearrangement of the office has been brought about. This necessitated considerable alterations to

I—H. 3(3.