D.—l

for going on with the proposed new prison at Invercargill, and also for Gaolers' residences at Auckland and Dunedin, warders' cottages at Lyttelton, and repairs, renovations, or improvements at Napier, Wellington, Hokitika, and Dunedin. Police-stations. —The principal works carried out under this heading were the erection of the new station-cells, &c, at Auckland. A number of smaller works have been in hand during the year, however, the principal items being as follows : New stations at Ongarue, Outram, Roxburgh, and Invercargill; new quarters at Waipawa and Timaru; and additions, renovations, or repairs at Aratapu, Clive, Waitara, Manaia, Hawera, Kimbolton, Wellington, Reefton, Cheviot, Christchurch, Southbridge, Glenavy, Waikouaiti, Ophir, and Lawrence. Post and Telegraph. New post-offices were erected at Aratapu, Hamilton, Onehunga, Kawhia, Tolago Bay, Gisborne, Weber, Toko, Inglewood, Opunake, Wanganui, Feilding, Eketahuna, Alfredton, Motueka, Denniston, Hanmer Springs, Sumner, Ashburton, Temuka, Mornington, Caversham, Naseby, and Gore. The terminal station for the new Pacific cable at Doubtless Bay was built ; quarters for Postmasters or other officers were provided at Auckland, Tarawera, and Kaikoura; and additions, alterations, or repairs were made at the post-offices at Auckland, Newton, Rotorua, Foxton, Wellington, Blenheim, Renwicktown, Christchurch, Lyttelton, Springston, Timaru, South Dunedin, and Cromwell. The principal items provided for in the vote for the present year are the purchase of the necessary land for the enlargement of the General Post Office, Wellington ; proposed additions to the post-office at Christchurch, and acquisition of site of same; an extensive addition to and rearrangement of the post-office at Dunedin; and the completion of the Doubtless Bay cablestation. Provision is also made for sundry new post-offices which are necessary for efficiently carrying on the working of the Department. Customhouses. The expenditure under this head last year was principally in connection with the erection of the new Customhouse at Timaru, and the completion of the additions at Wanganui. This year the only item of special consequence for which provision is made is the new Customhouse and site at Wellington, for which an authorisation of £10,000 (on account) is provided. Lunatic Asylums. The principal expenditure was again at Porirua. £2,120 was spent at Auckland, and £4,667 at Seacliff, Smaller amounts were expended at Wellington, Nelson, and Sunny side. For the current year provision is made for completing the additions to the Auckland Asylum, completion of works at Porirua, and additions at Nelson, Hokitika, Sunnyside, and Seacliff; and for the preliminary work in the erection of a new asylum upon a site yet to be selected. Schools. The amount voted for school-buildings last year was £91,000 —viz., £25,000 under the Consolidated Bund and £66,000 under the Public Works Fund. The expenditure amounted to £63,400 —viz., £24,793 under the former and £38,607 under the latter fund. Native schools were erected last year, or are in course of erection, at Kerepehi, Whareponga, Parawera, Takahiwai, Whangara, Mangonui, Torere, Omaio, and Tangoio; the Mawhitiwhiti School has been removed to Pariroa, and additions, repairs, and painting have been effected at Te Ahuahu and Te Waetu. This year we ask for a total vote of £91,500 —-viz., £25,000 under the Consolidated Fund, and £66,500 under the Public Works Fund. Provision is made for a grant to the Victoria College; also for an industrial school at Levin, and additions, &c, at the industrial schools at Auckland, Te Oranga, and Burnham, and for the new school for deaf-mutes at Sumner.

XII