H.—2o

4

Table 2.-Total Value of Prison Labour employed on Roads, Buildings, Reclamation-wall Building, and other Public Works for which no Financial Credit has been received for the Year ended 31st March, 1924.

Table 3.—Value of Prison Labour employed on Prison Works and Industries for which Cash Credits are not obtained, for the Year ended 31st March, 1924.

Summary. £ Cash and financial credits for the year 1923-24 .. .. .. 53,178 Estimated value of prison labour employed on public works for which neither cash nor financial credit was received .. .. .. 23,486 Estimated value of prison labour employed on farms, industries, domestic work, &c. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 27,285 103,949 Less salaries' of officers employed on public buildings .. .. .. 2,870 Total value of prison labour, 1923-24 .. .. . .£101,079 Development during the Year. The reports of the controlling officers show that progress has been well maintained since my last annual report was written. The Waikeria property has been brought a stage nearer its final development. The system of planting shelter-belts has been continued, the whole of the trees planted out having been provided from the nursery on the farm. Drastic culling in the dairy herd has resulted in the returns of butterfat per cow showing a substantial increase over last year's figures. Nearly the whole of the area originally reserved is now in splendid condition, and as each year passes the property is becoming more valuable, and is an object-lesson to those who originally scoffed at the idea of breaking in country and afterwards farming it with prison labour. Our latest undertaking, the land-development camrj at Hautu, near Tokaanu, is jjrogressing very satisfactorily, and a marked impression has already been made on the first section of the block of 10,000 acres we intend to prepare for settlement. The reports of the Agricultural Department's officers on the work that has already been done, the quality of the pumice land we have taken up, and the future of the property are most encouraging. Their advice to my Department regarding manures, grasses, and methods of cultivation has also been most valuable, and has contributed greatly to the success of our operations. From the report of the Superintendent of our .Paparua Prison Farm at Templeton it will be seen that the pace set in previous years has not relaxed. By far the greater part of the ancient Waimakariri River bed that formed the bulk of the original prison reserve has now been brought under cultivation, a dairy herd has been establish!*!, and, generally speaking, we are now getting results that compensate us for the large amount of labour expended on this property. The Invercargill Borstal Institution reclamation is rapidly assuming the appearance of a wellestablished farm, and is also justifying the large expenditure of labour that has taken place there. The report of the Superintendent on the institution generally, and of the Farm-manager on the general development of the property, show in detail the advance that has been made since last year.

Prison. Buildings HrravuHnn and Walls Construction Erection ttt&e Maintenance "%g£ A of Concrete of „?X P ssa" an,i Blocks or Koads. °v£!?,!?J? y Machinery. Bricks). Urounds. . Sundries. Totals. Auckland lnvercargill Paparua Wellington Wi Tako Other prisons and institutions £ 1,308 2,048 2,906 668 1,781 1,188 9,899 £ 3,903 822 129 186 370 5,410 £ 146 909 £ 2,129 £ 429 329 £ 71 190 £ 1,954 9,508 3,728 J, 713 4,479 2,104 850 19 95 919 81 140 264 66 1,434 106 Totals 2,019 3,129 1,162 1,867 23,486

Prison. Bootmaklng for Officers and Prisoners. Tailoring (including repairs to Clothing, ice.). Domestic EmGardening ployment (Includand Farming. ing Laundry Work). Totals. Addington Auckland Hautu lnvercargill Napier.. New Plymouth .. Paparua Point Halswell .. Waikeria Waikune Wellington Wi Tako Minor gaols £ 611 22 340 22 95 206 £ 35 570 18 Kill 15 14.'1 84 372 52 61 141 35 28 £ £ J16 260 312 2,416 2,525 420 2,546 1.896 41 372 521 468 1,917 1,472 349 387 1,948 1,461 88 521 612 1,392 936 493 63 210 £ 260 2,416 420 1 .896 372 468 1,472 387 1,461 521 1,392 493 210 £ 411 3,909 2,985 4,912 450 1,227 3,679 1,108 3,548 722 2,560 1,464 310 £ 411 3,909 2,985 4,912 450 1,227 3,679 1,108 3,548 722 2,560 1,464 310 87 52 415 9 Totals 1,859 1,684 11,974 11,768 11,768 27,285 27,285