B.—4a,

419. Our recommendation of this economy must not be taken as an indication of our approval of the present method of liquidating bankrupt estates. Saving, £500. 420. In addition to the foregoing, the following items in this subdivision should be reduced : — Items —Postage and Telegrams, £500. Rents, £500. 421. Each of the above can be reduced by £100. Saving, £200. Subdivision VI —Criminal Prosecutions. Items—Jurors, payment of, &c., £3,350. Witnesses, expenses of, £4,600. 422. Although salaries and wages have generally been reduced and many economies have been effected in various social and other services, the amount payable to jurors in criminal and civil cases still remains at 10s. 6d. per day (for more than four hours' attendance), whereas until comparatively recently the rate was Bs. per day, and not very many years prior to that was only 4s. per day. Jury work should be regarded as a national service and it is considered that a reduction in the present rate of payment would not result in any undue hardship, although appreciable economies would be effected. 423. We recommend that the rate be reduced to 6s. per day, and that the allowances payable to witnesses in criminal prosecutions and at Coroners' inquests be reviewed. 424. Jurors' fees may be varied bv Order in Council under section 2 of the Payment of Jurors Act, 1919. Estimated saving, £1,500. Subdivision VII. —Miscellaneous Services. Item : Commission on Money-orders for Transmission of Moneys. £100. 425. The commission on money-orders should be deducted from the remittances. Saving, £100. Item—Shorthand Reporters Act, 1908, £50. 426. Examinations for shorthand reporters' certificates are at present conducted by the Department of Justice, but the Public Service Commissioner's Office conducts examinations similar in character, and there seems to be no reason why the shorthand reporters' examination should not also be conducted by the Public Service Commissioner's Office. This would tend to uniformity of practice and lead to a small saving. Saving, £10. Item —Payment to Post and Teleqraph Department for Cost of restorinq Gable to Pakatoa and Rotoroa Islands, £308. 427. This expenditure is non-recurring, and represents a saving on 1932-33 appropriations. Saving, £308. Item —Postage and Telegrams, &c., £3,400. 428. It should be possible to reduce this item by at least £750. Saving, £750. Closing op Minor Courts. 42-9. Considerable economy has already been effected by the closing of twenty-five of the minor Courts, and a saving of £1,120 per annum has resulted. We are of opinion, however, that, in view of the relatively few plaints which are heard at several of the Courts still in existence, further economy can be effected in this direction. We recommend that the Courts at Hunterville, Ohura, Waiuku, Port Chalmers, Havelock, and Ruawai be also closed. There would be little inconvenience to the public through the closing of these Courts, and further economy to the extent of approximately £250 should result. Saving, £250. General. 430. There are other matters to which we wish to refer, but which are not strictly appropriate to any particular item in this subdivision. They are : — Hotel License Fees. 431. We deal with this subject here, as the administration of the Licensing Act is largely a matter for the Justice Department and the police.

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