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There is one serious handicap to rapid progress —or perhaps I should say, reasonably rapid progress—and that is the limited time at a teacher's disposal. This, coupled with the number of men, their very varied educational qualifications, and the number of subjects actually requiring to be taught, tends greatly to nullify the effectiveness of my work. The Principal Warder, who assists me, however, renders valuable assistance in supervising classes doing written work, thus freeing me to engage in the actual teaching of other classes. The time-table is so arranged that each class receives instruction in all the subjects at least once a week. On the whole the men evidence a distinct desire to improve, and although a new-comer sometimes resents attendance at school, he soon settles down to good solid work. Although 1 am of opinion that if the men might be carried through to Standard VI requirements far-reaching results would ensue, still I am sure that habits of study have been implanted in the minds of many who have gained Standard IV, and in this the work of the school has been more than justified. I have, ample corroboration of this, as during my service with the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces I had ample opportunity of observing the work of many men whom 1 had previously taught in the Institute. To conclude, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of the staff of the Institute for their ready assistance and the courtesy extended to me at all times ; to the. Officer in Charge for untiring efforts to further education within the Institute and plans to improve the physical conditions under which the school labours. KAINGAROA AFFORESTATION CAMP. The general conduct of the prisoners has been exemplary. The industry of the prisoners employed on the, plantation has been entirely satisfactory, the following being a summary of tho work done by prisoners for the Forestry Department during tinyear : Pits dug, 1,264,400 ; trees planted, 1,418,975 ; lining-out, weeding, ploughing, fire-breaks, roadmaking, fencing, clearing for tree-planting, stable work, and general upkeep. The amount earned by the prisoners employed by the Forestry Department represents the sum of £2,872 3s. 7d. The general health of the prisoners has been excellent; there were, no cases of sickness in the Prison during the year. Special precautions were taken during the influenza epidemic, and I am pleased to say no cases occurred within the Prison. The officers carried out their duties in a most efficient manner. More, than sufficient vegetables for the. use of the Prison were grown in the Prison garden. The, oat crop was harvested in February, and provided sufficient chaff for the Prison horses. Surplus chaff to the value of £25 12s. was exchanged for grass-seed and seed-oats, wfiich were sown on the Prison farm. An excellent stack of hay was taken off a 12-acre paddock, and provided winter feed for the Prison horses, cattle, and sheep. The area of the Prison farm has been increased from. 50 to KM) acres. An area of 30 acres has been laid down in oats and grass for the coming year and gives promise of a good crop. An area of 2 acres was planted with potatoes and yielded 110 sacks of excellent potatoes, which is a record for this Prison. About fifty pigs were bred during the, year ; eleven were slaughtered for the use of the Prison, the market value at 6d. per pound being £32 10s. Pigs to the value of £16 17s: were sold and the proceeds paid into the Public Account. Divine service, was conducted periodically throughout the year. The Medical Officer paid regular visits, saw all prisoners, and made a general inspection of the Prison. The, Prisons Board held a meeting on one occasion here (luring the year, examined and interviewed all prisoners sentenced to reformative detention, and till hard-labour prisoners who had completed half their maximum sentence in terms of section 14 of the Statute Law Amendment Act, 191.7, and subsequently recommended the release on probationary license of four prisoners, two under the Statutes Law Amendment Act, 1917, and two under the Reformative Detention Act, 1910. Three prisoners were brought before the Visiting Justice and dealt with for minor prison offences, one being transferred to the Prison at Auckland. LYTTELTON PRISON. The health of the prisoners has been good, and with the exception of the cases arising from the influenza epidemic in November last no sickness of a serious nature, occurred. Two cases requiring surgical treatment were sent to the Christchurch Hospital, where they were successfully dealt with. One- case, a man on remand from Police Court for drunkenness, had to be sent to the Hospital, as he was suffering from the effects of alcoholic poisoning when brought to the Prison. One prisoner died of pneumonia following an attack of influenza ; that was the only casualty due to the epidemic, and, as stated at the time in my report, I consider the favourable results as being due, to the careful nursing of the, patients by the, prisoner who volunteered his services for the hospital work. On the- sth March the death penalty pa,ssed on Frederick W. Eggers for the murder of John Coulthard was carried out in the presence of the Sheriff', the Deputy Inspector of Prisons, the Prison Chaplain, the Prison Medical Officer, representatives of the Press, and Prison staff. The conduct and industry of the prisoners has been good ; there were no charges of a serious nature, and the few minor cases were dealt with by the local Visiting Justices.