H.—2o.

4

Reviewing the prison industries as a whole, notwithstanding the unfavourable economic conditions and the depressed prices that were prevalent throughout the year under review for primary produce, the revenue for the past year is the maximum yet earned in any one year. In reviewing the results it is necessary not merely to have regard to the extent of the business done and the total revenue received, but rather to the net revenue and its effect in reducing the cost of prison maintenance. It is satisfactory to note that due to the vigorous prosecution of industries, together with the farmdevelopment programme of recent years, which is now coming into fruition, the year has shown a greatly improved cash surplus within the industries. The total cash receipts including institutional items amounted to £83,806, which is approximately £10,000 in excess of the preceding year, while a comparison of the net cash surpluses from the industries alone, compared with previous years, shows the following : — Cash Expenditure Cash Receipts Cash Year. on Industries. from Industries. Surplus. £ £ £ 1927-28 .. .. .. .. 34,670 63,310 28,640 1928-29 .. .. .. .. 33,528 70,389 36,861 1929-30 .. .. .. .. 39,070 80,365 41,295 The principal contributions to this revenue are from the following sources : Farms and garden products, £21,642 ; cfuarries, £29,989 ; road works and contracts, £17,781 ; bootmaking, £4,288 ; mail-bag repairs and tailoring, £2,386 ; miscellaneous industries, £4,279. It is to be borne in mind that the actual revenue earned by the Department does not by any means indicate the total value of production. The clothing, feeding, and housing of the inmates comprises a substantial production in addition to the production which leaves the prison, and a heavier expenditure from the Public Account woirid be involved were the Department not producing its own requirements in this respect. A statement is given hereunder which reveals what may be termed a maximum acceptable figure of the value of prison production. It is by no means easy to estimate the aggregate economic value of prison labour, and in the figures quoted the following classes have been omitted : Value of output of bakehouses, £7,000, which can hardly be included to the exclusion of kitchen production, internal laundry, clothing, repairs, and produce grown for domestic consumption.

Touching on the activities of the various industries, the following are the main points for mention. The volume of farm production showed a substantial increase over any previous year, but towards the close of the year when most of the revenue normally comes to hand, practically all commodities were seriously affected by the fall in the markets. Notwithstanding this, the farm revenue amounted to £21,6-42, being only £277 lower than for the previous year, which was a record. The drop in butterfat, wool, mutton, and lamb prices cost the Department, at a conservative estimate, £5,000 for the year. At the prison farms, where the honour system can be applied and men placed on trust to a greater degree, are the conditions favourable to the best results from a reformative point of view. Farm life and broad acres provide the freedom and the healthful physical exercise which are so essential to impart the resistance necessary to break anti-social habits, and at the same time inspire a feeling of confidence and promote the extension of those higher qualities of manhood which must develop in the process of reformation. While the main direction of prison labour is in farm-development, it is not practicable to employ all classes of prisoners on farms. For the safety of the community many must be kept on intra mural occupations, or where they can be kept under close surveillance.

Distributed Farm and Garden Workshop p , a .° u , j out of the Produce to Manufactures a 1 ions Total. | Department. Institutions. to Institutions. 0 Work? a " £ £ £ £ Addington .. .. 867 82 .. .. 949 Auckland .. .. 23,538 582 5,314 .. 29,434 Hautu.. .. .. 665 573 .. 2,133 i 3,371 Invercargill .. .. 5,960 1,668 1,032 1,546 10,206 Napier .. .. 552 40 .. .. 592 New Plymouth .. .. 1,258 156 .. .. 1,414 Paparua .. .. 16,579 1,729 333 1,294 19,935 Point Halswell .. . . 779 29 .. .. 808 Rangipo .. .. 13 152 .. 1,455 1,620 Waikeria .. .. 9,209 1,127 .. 1,110 12,446 Waikune .. .. 16,943 15 .. .. 16,958 Wanganui .... 45 17 . . . . 62 Wellington .. .. 4,629 241 60 2,695 i 7,625 WiTako .. .. 4,794 490 ... 352 5,636 Minor gaols .. .. 15 .. .. .. 15 85,846 7,901 6,739 10,585 I 111,071 I