H—36

Stereo-plates.—The number of stereo-plates cast during the year was 47,628, of which 4,219 were nickel-plated, the weight being 39,051 lb. The output over the last six years is shown in the accompanying table :

Number of Stereo-plates Cast

Rubber Stamps. —The number of rubber stamps made was 20,967. The details set out in the table appended show the output of this section over the last six years : Number of Number of Year. Stamps. Year. Stamps. 1944-45 .. .. 13,466 1947-48 .. .. 12,325 1945-46 .. .. 21,507 1948-49 .. .. 15,291 1946-47 .. .. 24,567 1949-50 .. .. 20,967 jßailway Tickets. —The number of tickets printed was 7,409,035, the largest number printed in one month being 713,952 in November, 1949. Photo-litho and Process Engraving Branch. —The output from this branch during the last six years is shown in the table set out below:—

Offset lithography continues to play an increasingly important part in the production of printed matter and great advances are being made in the development of this branch of the printing trade in Europe and the United States of America. In the Department this process is utilized principally for the pioduction of maps, charts, and posters. There is a growing demand for this type of work, and after consultation with the Armed Services Mapping Committee and the Lands and Survey Department it has been decided to extend this branch considerably to meet the expected requirements of these two bodies over the next few years. Accordingly orders have been placed for additional cameras and offset printing presses of various sizes, together with subsidiary plant. This equipment when installed should enable the Department to handle all the mapping work required for some years and will also provide a margin of machine time which will be available for work at present being printed by letterpress process but which is more suitable for production by offset,

2

Year. Ordinary. Nickel-plated. Total. Weight of Metal. lb. 1944-45 54,238 891 55,129 34,830 1945-46 53,241 1,377 54,618 37,021 1946-47 48,597 3,163 51,760 32,156 1947-48 40,515 3,462 43,977 31,017 1948-49 ., ■ 48,362 5,207 53,569 .37,675 1949-50 43,409 4,219 47,628 39 ,'051 .

Number of Number of Number of Year. Maps, Plans, Process Multex and Diagrams. Blocks. Plates. 1944-45 237 3,111 1945-46 372 2,649 1946-47 453 2,433 , . 1947-48 405 2,903 289 1948-49 349 4,692 536 1949-50 492 4,328 440