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posts to the chain and five wires. Half a mile of road was metalled, and six miles of dray-track cleared, stumped, and formed 15 ft. wide from the camp to the bush. Six miles of the main TaupoTokaanu Road and three miles of the Tokaanu-Waimarino Road have been repaired and graded. The following buildings were completed during the year, viz. : Residence for the Officer in Charge, implement-shed, motor-shed, and piggeries. The various officers carried out their duties satisfactorily. Invercargill Borstal Institution. At the beginning of the year there were 176 male inmates in custody ; during the year 154 inmates were received and 143 inmates discharged or otherwise disposed of, leaving 187 inmates in custody at the end of the year. The daily average number in custody was 175-38. The health of the inmates has been extremely good. There were four admissions to the Southland Public Hospital during the year, three of which were sufferers from septic hands as the result of accidents on the works. The fourth admission was a slight surgical case. The conduct of the inmates has been remarkably good, the number of offences dealt with being 49, as against 124 in the previous year, which is a gratifying improvement. Two inmates escaped at night while employed on the dredge, and were recaptured by the police some days afterwards in Central Otago. Both of the escapees were sentenced to further terms of reformative detention. One other inmate escaped during the day from a party working on the farm, and was recaptured the same day, and is at present awaiting sentence. Entertainments were again provided by local musical societies, and proved very popidar. Frequent gramophone concerts were given by members of th.e staff. Members of the Rotary Club have taken a great interest in the inmates during the last six months, and have visited the institution weekly in the evenings. The institution band continues to make good progress. Mr. Page, physical instructor, still attends regularly for the purpose of imparting physical instruction to the boys, and the benefit derived by them is very marked. The Association Class, consisting of the best-behaved youths of the institution, is still a great incentive to good behaviour, and admission to the class is eagerly sought after on account of the extra privileges enjoyed by its members. The hour or more spent by its members in the evening in the social room, where various games are played and where a plentiful 3upply of magazines, &c., is provided is greatly enjoyed and appreciated. Football and cricket in season are also played by the class on the institution recreation-grouncl on Saturday afternoon and holidays. Instruction in carpentry and plumbing by members of the staff was carried out during the year in the evenings, and the eagerness of the classes to avail themselves of the opportunity to learn is very noticeable. In addition to the evening educational classes, which were carried on regula.rly under the direction of qualified teachers, the opportunity to study in their cubicles art night is also given to those that desire to do so, and quite a number avail themselves of the facilities provided. A series of lectures on the functions and management of the human body were given by Dr. Garfield Crawford, and great attention and interest was paid to them by the inmates. The bootmaking class, under a qualified officer-tradesman, is doing good work. All the boots and slippers worn by the inmates in the institution are made in the shop, and all future supplies for Paparua Prison are to be made here. Uniform boots for all prison officers in the South Island are also made in the shop. Quite a number of the inmates have expressed themselves as being quite confident of being able to take up the trade of bootmaking after their release. Breadmaking is still being carried on with satisfactory results by an inmate who learnt to bake since his admission to the institution, and a substantial reduction in the cost of this commodity is noticeable when compared with the price of bread locally. During the year a portion of the institution was declared a Borstal Institution under the Prevention of Crime (Borstal Institutions Establishment) Act, and two inmates were received under the Act. In addition to the practical training received in blocklaving, carpentry, plumbing, &c., in connection with the various building operations, the inmates also received instruction in farming on our extensive farm. All milking is now being done by hand, about two hundred cows being milked twice daily, which provides employment for a number of inmates. The following is a detailed statement of the work undertaken or completed during the year : — The Stead Street roading contract has been completed, the following material being used: 3,150 tons rubble, 1,224 cubic yards gravel, and 400 cubic yards clay. Forty chains of road on No. 1 Corporation section were formed and gravelled, 600 cubic yards of gravel being used in the formation. All the farm-roads were pitched with rubble, and half of them gravelled. The sections around the stables, No. 1 dairy, pigsties, and behind the ranch-house have been levelled. A new ditch, 13 ft. wide by 3 ft. deep and 28 chains long, has been put in, running north and south past the slaughterhouse. A contour drain, 10 ft. by 4 ft. by 3 ft. 6 in., and 69 chains long, on the west side of the rifle range, has been completed, and all the drains on the property cleaned out. An officer's cottage and a new residence for the Deputy Superintendent were completed in concrete blocks. On the farm an additional cow-shed and new sheep-yards and dip were erected. A powder-magazine for the Internal Affairs Department was also built. The new rifle range is practically completed. The new system of water-supply to the farm was pushed on, and it is now nearing completion. The dredge continues to do good work, and large quantities of gravel are being pumped, over the wall for use on the roads. There is an area of 6 chains by 6 chains by 3 ft. deep levelled north of the main farm-road and running from the western wall towards the garden. An area of 6 chains by 6 chains by 2f ft. deep has been filled in but not yet levelled. All blocks and tiles for the new buildings have been made in the block-shed. Manuka is still being obtained from Bushy Point and cut into lengths in the firewood-yard for sale. Revenue for the year ended 31st December for firewood sold amounted to £188. Timber for boxing and rough lining

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