H.—20,

Regarding the industrial side of our activities, the main works performed were in connection with the general maintenance of the areas already under cultivation and duties attendant to the raising of live-stock. The restricted amount of prison labour now available prevented us from going ahead with the breaking-in of virgin country. The little work carried out during the year involving capital expenditure was in connection with subdivisional fencing in some of the larger paddocks and in other cases making existing fences sheep-proof. The farm is now carrying 2,490 sheep in addition to other live-stock. A draft of wethers from Hautu Prison was sold at Westfield in March last and realized an average price of £1 9s. per head. Some of the line reached the top price at the sale of £1 lis. 9d. per head. At the present time there is 775 head of cattle on the farm, but that number will be added to when a full count of the season's calvings has been recorded. Calvings for the current season are estimated at 180. About 200 acres of land was sown in turnips, 40 acres in oats, and about 8 acres of land was utilized in the planting-out of potatoes. The returns for the present season's harvesting are not yet available, but there is no reason for anticipating a reduction on last year's figures. Systematic steps were taken to eradicate rabbits from the property by means of poisoning, trapping, and the use of special carbon-monoxide appliance for the destruction of rabbits in their burrows. By these means the rabbit pest has been kept in hand. Working in co-operation with the Department of Internal Affairs, strips of land at Hautu were sown in maize to provide feeding-grounds for liberated pheasants. In conclusion, I desire to thank the staff for their co-operation during the year. Napier Prison. (Gaoler, Mr. C. J. McMullin.) I beg to submit my report on the Napier Prison for the year ended 31st December, 1936. At the beginning of the year there were 11 male prisoners in custody ; during the year 160 males and 12 females were received and 156 males and 12 females discharged or transferred, leaving 15 male prisoners in custody at the end of the year. The daily average number of prisoners in custody during the year was 16-01. Divine service was conducted by members of the various denominations, including the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Gospel Hall Members. The Salvation Army, with their band, visited once a month, and their services and music were much appreciated. The Colenso Fund has been of considerable benefit in providing assistance to prisoners on release. This is a bequest fund for providing clothing and helping cases of necessity. The Napier Brotherhood, under the Rev. H. J. Odell, visited the prison in the evenings once a fortnight and conducted community sings, which was much appreciated. On Saturday afternoons, when circumstances permitted, the prisoners were entertained by me to a wireless programme in the exercise yard. As in former years, our main revenue was derived from the prison quarry, which continues to provide employment for the major portion of prison labour. Sufficient vegetables were grown to supply our needs all the year round, the main potato crop being very successful, while the onion crop is equally good and is estimated to last until next season. The prison buildings and grounds have been kept in a good state of repair with very little expense ; the yards have been repaired with cold-fix and are now in good condition. The conduct of the prisoners has been exceptionally good, no punishment of any nature having been found necessary. The thanks of the Department has been tendered to Mr. J. P. Thomson, Visiting Justice ; the St. Vincent de Paul Society ; Mr. Robert McGill, of the Gospel Hall; and to the Napier Brotherhood for their gifts of extra eatables and cigarettes to the prisoners at Christmas and New Year. In conclusion I desire to express my appreciation of the co-operation of the staff throughout the year. New Plymouth Prison. (Superintendent, Mr. W. Dineen.) At the beginning of the year 55 convicted prisoners were in custody. Of these, 20 were released by the Prisons Board, 20 were transferred to other prisons, and 14 were handed to the Police, and 41 were discharged on expiration, 88 were received, leaving a balance in custody of 48 at the end of the year. As in former years, the chief means of employing the prisoners has been the prison quarry and garden. The bulk of the quarry output has been sold to the New Plymouth Borough Council. The Fitzroy Quarry Co. has taken a quantity of boulders to be used for crushed metal. In the sale of the material from the quarry (as the competition is keen) the prices have been correspondingly low. However, the situation of the quarry lends itself particularly well for the purpose of giving the prisoners reasonable outdoor labour which leaves the men at all times under direct supervision. This latter requirement is especially necessary with the homo-sexual class of prisoner detained at New Plymouth Prison. The prison garden has again been successfully operated during the year, and a varied ancl plentiful supply of vegetables has been provided on the prison menu. It is safe to say that very few householders have as large a quantity or as varied an assortment of vegetables as is given at the midday meal to the prisoners here. The surplus supply grown is sold by public auction. To use up the waste vegetables from the garden and kitchen refuse breeding sows have been kept, and the litters from these have been sold by auction.

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