3

H.—22

The receipts from the sale of official publications amounted to £1,536 6s. 10d., being a slight increase over those of the previous year. The quantity of waste paper shipped during the year was 47 tons, being an increase of 7 over that of last year. The price received for this material is £2 10s. per ton. Regarding colonial industries, I have not much to add to the remarks made in my report of last year, further than to express my regret at the discontinuance of the manufacture of parchment at Duncdin, the quality produced there being quite equal to that imported from England. I communicated with the manufacturer, with a view to giving him an order for 56500 worth —which is about the value of our annual requirements —but was informed that difficulties in obtaining skilled labour and suitable premises had compelled him to abandon the industry. The brown wrapping-papers made in the colony are now being used, and that item is omitted in our Home orders. I have also ceased to impart neatsfoot and lard oil, as the trotter oil manufactured by a local firm is not only far superior to that received from England, but has the recommendation of being very much cheaper. LYTTELTON GAOL PEINTING OFFICE. Since the year 1880 the printing executed at the Lyttelton Gaol has been placed under my control, and all paper, ink, and material required are supplied from the Government Printing Office. Returns of work done are furnished by the Gaoler at the end of every month, from which the table of results appended to this report is compiled. It will be seen that 566 orders were sent during last year, the number of copies printed being 1,418,565, and the value of the work, £722 3s. 7d. Since the date when I assumed control, 53 prisoners have been employed in the office and 54 discharged. The number at present employed is 9, but as many as 15 have frequently been placed under the charge of the Printers' Warder. Of the 54 discharged, only one remained in the office during the whole five years, the others being disposed of as follows : After three and under four years' service, 3 men; two years and under three, 9 men; one year and under two, 11 men; six months and under twelve, 12 men; one month and under six, 18 men. Of the nine at present employed, three entered during 1883; one in 1884; and five during the first half of the present year. With one exception none of them had any previous knowledge of the trade. The duties of Printers' Warder are discharged by Mr. W. Riley, and are of an important and multifarious character, requiring a knowledge of bookbinding, paper-ruling, presswork, and stereotyping, in addition to that of an ordinary compositor. The constant influx of "raw material," upon which he has to operate and render serviceable, entails many drawbacks, and increases the arduousness of his duties. Notwithstanding these difficulties, however, the work, as a rule, is very creditably done. CONCLUSION. Before concluding this report, I desire to express my thanks to the Overseer and Suboverseers of the respective branches of the department for the very efficient services they render, and for the intelligent and ready help they afford in cases of emergency. The important functions they perform, where so much depends upon their zeal and ability, constitute a claim to consideration on the part of the Government, which, I venture to hope, they will not refuse to recognize. Of the men also it is due that I should state that, under conditions which are far from favourable, they perform good and faithful service, and that, as regards both quality and quantity of work done, there is every reason to be satisfied w rith the result. I have, &c, George Didsbury, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Government Printer.