D.—l

XXI

Courthouses. No new Courthouses were erected during the year. A site for a new Courthouse at Blenheim was secured. Necessary renovations have been carried out at the following : Kawakawa, Kaitaia, Russell, Waipu, Whangaroa, Cambridge, Onehunga, Otorohanga, Paeroa, Te Aroha, Te Awamutu, Rotorua, Taupo, New Plymouth, Waitara, Hawera, Opunake, Wanganui, Patea, Tolaga Bay, Taumarunui, Napier, Waipukurau, Dannevirke, Picton, Westport, Reefton, Clyde, Lawrence, Naseby, Roxburgh, Dunedin. Prison Works. The erection of necessary prison buildings was proceeded with during the year to the extent permitted by the funds available. Additions and alterations to the Women's Division of the Auckland Prison, including the erection of a suitable infirmary for female patients, were completed, and good progress'made with the construction of two additional cottages, one of which is now in occupation. The development of the Tokanui Mental Hospital property by Waikeria Reformatory inmates has been continued, and improvements to the Reformatory farm and roads have also been carried out. A new sawmill, on modern lines, has been erected at Waikune Prison Camp, Erua, and the plant, which has now been in use for some months, is satisfactory in every respect. In addition to formation and repair work on the Waimarino-Ohakune section of the Main Trunk Road, the road from Waimarino to Tokaanu was maintained throughout the year by prison labour. The clearing and breaking-in of pumice lands at Houtu, near Tokaanu, progressed satisfactorily during the past year, and much valuable work has been accomplished. The erection of a new Trial and Remand Prison on Watts Peninsula, Wellington, is proceeding. An additional building to house women committed under the Reformatory Institutions Act is being erected at Point Halswell, and will be ready for occupation within a few months. The second cell-range at Paparua Prison has been completed, and the foundations of a new Administration Block have been laid. At Invercargill the construction of the rifle range has been further advanced, and the targets are now being erected. An additional cottage, constructed of concrete blocks, has been completed, and is now occupied. Police-stations. New stations have been erected at Devonport, Nuhaka, and St. Albans ; the erection of a constable's residence at Clyde, a lock-up and office at Ruatorea, and additional office accommodation at Wanganui Police-station have been put in hand ; houses for use as police-stations have been purchased at Henderson and Taneatua. Provision is being made in the current year's estimates for the erection of police-stations at several places where new buildings are long overdue. Post and Telegraph Buildings. The efforts of the Department to overtake the leeway in its building programme caused by the war and the subsequent financial depression have been successful to the extent of enabling increased or improved accommodation to be provided at many places at which it was urgently required. The expenditure on new post and telegraph buildings during the year far exceeded that of the previous year. Owing to the great building activity in the Dominion, and the consequent difficulty in obtaining tradesmen, the cost of building is still comparatively high. The Department is therefore restricting its operations to cases in which improved accommodation is essential for the efficient conduct of its business. During the year buildings were erected at the following places (the list includes a number of post-office buildings of the smallest type) : Awakino (lineman's residence), Dannevirke, Stratford, Dunedin (automatic telephone exchange), Kopaki, Ngongotaha, Ohinewai, Onewhero, Patea, Springburn, Tinui, Waharoa, Waimauku, Waitoa, Wellington (store, workshop, and garage). Additions were made to the post-office buildings at Inglewood, Kaiapoi, and Motueka, and to portions of the railway-station buildings used for post-office purposes at Midhirst and Normanby. At New Plymouth and Tokomaru Bay