Political.

Otago Witness, Issue 1499, 7 August 1880, Page 23

Political.

Wellington, July 31st. I hear that the Investigation Commission appointed to report on the Government printing establishment have brought eight instances of reckless and culpable waste on the part of certain Government departments: for_ instance, outrageous extravagance in the printing of forms, which are turned out by thousands, and often so carelessly drawn up at starting as to require reprinting more than once, the condemned onea being useless except for waste paper, of which an enormous quantity is exported yearly, consisting almost entirely of theseapoiled forms. Itia stated that all this labour and material is sometimes wantonly sacrificed by the Government offices for most trumpery and inadequate reasons. In one case it is alleged that 25,000) forms which had been printed at considerable cxi pense were rejected and condemned to the wastepaper bales merely because they were printed by mistake on blue instead of white paper. Sometimes expensive returns are printed in full; although only three copies can possibly be. wanted. So far as the actual management and working of the printing-office itself is concerned, I understand the investigations of the Commissioners have resulted most favourably for Mr Didsbury and his subordinates.