B.—4A

Item —Control of Fireblight Disease, £85. 1045. This item should be reduced by £35. Saving, £35. Item —Cutting-out of Abandoned Orchards, £10. 1046. This is a non-recurrent item. Saving, £10. Item —Fumigation and Destruction of Diseased Fruit, £70. 1047. This can be reduced by £20. Saving, £20. Item —Orchard Requisites, &c., £30. 1048. This should be discontinued. Saving, £30. Item —Horticultural Station, Te Kauwhata: Wages, dc., £3,250. 1049. The balance-sheet for 1930-31 in connection with the Te Kauwhata Horticultural Station showed a net loss of £397 on the operations for the year after taking into consideration a profit of £1,379 in connection with the wine-cellar. We are of opinion that the property has demonstrated the possibilities of the industry, and that there is no further reason why the Department should continue to engage in the business. We accordingly recommend that the property be disposed of at the first suitable opportunity. A saving of £350 should result. Saving, £350. Item —Tobacco Industry: Material and Apparatus for Experiments, £45. 1050. This should be discontinued, as the industry should now be able to bear the cost of its own experimental work. Saving, £45. Item —Transfer and Removal Expenses, £100. 1051. This can be reduced by £25. Saving, £25. Item—Travelling Allowances and Expenses, £3,900. 1052. As with the other Divisions of the Department, the travelling allowancess and expenses are unduly heavy, and a sum of £2,500 should suffice for 1932-33. Saving, £1,400. Subdivision IV.—Dairy Division. Item —Salaries, £45,030. 1053. The salaries in respect of this Division have increased from £10,246 in 1914-15 to £50,323 in 1930-31. When the increase in production and export is taken into account the expansion of the whole Division can be understood. Nevertheless, we are of opinion that the organization should be reviewed, and we must recommend a reduction in the numerical strength of the staff by at least 10 per cent. We consider that this can be brought about by a curtailment of services. Estimated saving, £4,500. Other Charges for and Incidental to — 1054. There should be a reduction in these charges, and we submit our recommendations hereunder. Item—Bicycles and Motors, Purchase of, £560. „ Maintenance and Running-cost of, £2,290. 1055. It should be possible to reduce these items by approximately £500. In particular, the Department should avoid the purchase of new cars for as long a period as possible. Estimated saving, £500. Item —Certificate-of-record Testing and Official Herd-testing of Purebred Dairy Cows, £250. 1056. This item can be reduced to at most £200. Saving, £50. Item—Cost of Passage to London, Inspector of Dairy-produce, £81. 1057. This is a non-recurrent item. Saving on next year's estimates, £81. Item—Dairy Requisites and Produce for Experiments, £75. 1058. This should be reduced to £50. Saving, £25.

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