8.—4 a

Jtem —Purchase of Equipment and Material for use in Meat-inspection, £125. 1032. This item should be reduced to £75. Saving, £50. Item —Quarantine Stations, Auckland, Wellington, and Lyttelton, £1,150. 1033. This item should be reduced to £700. Saving, £450. Item —Telephone services (including Extensions, Maintenance, Rent, and Calls), £1,000. 1034. This item should be reduced to £850. Saving, £150. It em —Transfer and Removal Expenses, £800. 1035. This item should be reduced to £450. Saving, £350. Item —Travelling Allowances and Expenses, £14,200. 1036. In this Division the travelling-expenses are heavy. We are of opinion that a reduction in the stafl by approximately one-third should result in a somewhat proportionate reduction in the item for travelling-expenses. At a conservative estimate we believe a saving of £4,000 should be possible. A reduction' in the staff will probably result in increased travelling by the remaining officers, but a total appropriation of £10,200 should suffice. Saving, £4,000. Item —-Veterinary Laboratory, £1,850. 1037. In view of the activities of Massey Agricultural College and Lincoln College and the research being carried on by these institutions, we believe that a considerable reduction in the expenditure in connection with the Veterinary Laboratory should be possible. We suggest a reduction of £450 on this item for 1932-33, and recommend that investigations be made with a view to seeing whether the work cannot be undertaken wholly by Massey Agricultural College and Lincoln College. In any case, the item should be reduced by £450 for 1932-33. Saving, £450, with ultimately greater savings if work is carried out at Massey and Lincoln. Item —Veterinary Surgeons' Board, Expenses of, £10. 1038. We see no reason why the expenses in connection with this Board should be borne by the State, and recommend that the item be abolished. Saving, £10. Subdivision 111. —Horticulture Division. Item —Salaries, £1.7,790. 1039. A reference to the comparative table (para. 994) will show that in 1914-15 the expenditure on salaries in this Division (then called the Orchard Gardens and Apiaries Division) was £6,765, as against £19,550 in 1930-31. 1040. We consider that the services rendered by this Division could well be curtailed. We recommend that the Division be reorganized and that the staff be reduced by approximately one-third. It is realized that this will necessitate the curtailment of services, but in view of present conditions this is unavoidable. It is noted that in this Division there are some officers whose retention appears to be unnecessary. The work should be confined to districts where fruit is an important industry. Saving, £5,500. Other Charges for and Incidental to. 1041. Reductions in staff will necessarily mean that there will be corresponding reductions in other items of the vote. These are dealt with separately hereunder. Item —Bicycles and Motors, Purchase of, £300. ~ Maintenance and Running-cost of, £600. 1042. A reduction of at least £250 should be possible in these two items, and the Department should defer the purchase of new cars. Saving, £250. Item —Collection of Orchard-tax, £75. 1043. This should be reduced by £25. Saving, £25. It em —Cool-storage and Horticultural Experiments, £85. ■ 1044. This item should be reduced by £35. Saving, £35.

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