H.—22

1885. NEW ZEALAND.

GOVERNMENT PRINTING DEPARTMENT (REPORT ON) FOR 1884.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Government Printing Office, Sik, — Wellington, 28th July, JBB5. I have the honour to submit the following report on the operations of the Printing and Stationery Department for the year 1884: — MACHINERY, ETC. No new machinery has been added to the plant during the past year—though some important additions were necessary —for the reason that there is not an available corner in the present building where such could be placed. The machine-room at present contains six printing machines and one addressing machine, and these are erected in closer proximity to each other than is consistent with the safety or comfort of those employed in working them. Some of the machines, which have been in use for the last eighteen or nineteen years, should be replaced by new ones of a more modern type, but this has been deferred until new and more commodious premises are provided. In the binding branch more labour-saving machinery could be introduced with advantage, but cannot at present for the reason above stated. Since the introduction of the wire book-sewing machine, the statutes, which formerly were only " stabbed" and quarter-bound, are now sewn, and bound in cloth, rendering the volume much more serviceable and convenient for use. DEPARTMENTAL RETURNS. A number of returns will be found appended to this report giving information as to the value of printing and binding executed, the quantity and value of paper and parchment consumed, the number and classification of the employes, the number and value of printing and advertising accounts submitted to the department for examination, and the value of printing and binding executed at the Lyttelton Gaol. There will also be found balance-sheets not only for the past year, but also for the four previous years, commencing with 1880. These have been prepared by the Accountant to the department on the model of those constructed by the Auditor-General, and which were appended to his report on the Printing Department in 1874. This has been done with a view of presenting the transactions of the department in a form which will readily be understood by men of business, and show more correctly the relative value the work performed bears to the expenditure incurred in working the department. After taking into account all items justly chargeable against the department, these balance-sheets show a profit to the credit of the colony, amounting in the aggregate to £41,837 17s. for the past five years, or at the rate of £8,367 11s. sd. per annum. The return of the number of employes engaged in the departtSent during each month in the year exhibits the usual fluctuations, the lowest number (94) being in January, and the highest (148) in-October. The average per month for the year was ]29. I—H. 22.