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The Probation Officers and Voluntary Probation Committees associated with them have also done exceedingly good work in the friendly oversight of discharged inmates. The Department is indebted to the many voluntary helpers, christian workers, lecturers, and others for their valued assistance in connection with the running of the Borstals. Revenue and Expenditure. The general betterment in economic conditions has been reflected in an improvement in the various industries carried on by the Department. The revenue for the year from the sale of farm-produce, quarry metal, and other activities, exclusive of the values of commodities used for domestic consumption, amounted to £69,933, which represented a gross revenue gain of £9,700, or 15 per cent, more than the previous year. The diminished number of inmates accounted for a reduction of expenditure in certain directions, and the net expenditure, £74,527, was the lowest recorded for ten years. An item of expenditure that stands out in more liberal proportions in the Department's accounts than in most oversea administrations is the total sum granted each year for the aid of prisoners' dependants and for the assistance of prisoners in their rehabilitation on release. Last year the total amount paid out under this section was £14,867, which included £8,809 as grants towards the maintenance of dependants, which now commence after the first month instead of after three months as heretofore, £5,884 as gratuities to prisoners on release, and £165 as grants to Prisoners' Aid Societies.

Summary of Cash Payments and Receipts of Prisons Vote, 1924 to 1936.

Public Works Fund Expenditure on Prison Works. A summary of public-works expenditure is given below. The amount expended has been relatively low and insufficient to meet needs, but full consideration has had to be given to Government's past desire for reduction in loan and capital expenditure. For the present year provision is being made for a number of improvements of a capital nature which will involve increased expenditure. They are confined in the main to farm buildings and improvements to laundries, which have been deferred for several years, fuller details of which are contributed in the Public Works Department annual report. Summary of Public Works Fund Expenditure. Pre-depression period— Seven years 1923 to 1930: Average, £20,382 per annum. Depression period— Four years 1930 to 1934: Average, £2,047 per annum. Present period— Year ended 31st March, 1935: £1,605. Year ended 31st March, 1936: £2,123. Industries and Development. The finding of adequate work for prisoners of a nature which is healthy and instructive and at the same time sufficiently remunerative to assist in reducing the cost to the taxpayer for prison maintenance is one of the major difficulties of a prison administration. The aim is to select work which will involve the minimum of competitive frietion with private enterprise and at the same time provide some training or experience for when a prisoner is released. The change from task labour to work of a utilitarian character accentuated this problem in the early depression years. There was a large influx of prisoners and

2—H. 20.

9

Daily Gross Expenditure. Credits. Net Expenditure. Year Average ' Number of T" Inmates. Total. Per Head. Total. Per Head. Total. Per Head. £ £ £ £ £ £ 1924-25 .. .. 1,228 144,484 117-67 68,118 55-56 76,366 62-11 1925-26 .. .. 1,340 152,794 114-00 79,099 59-02 73,695 54-98 1926-27 .. .. 1,397 148,766 106-47 70,915 50-76 77,851 55-71 1927-28 .. .. 1,490 161,199 108-21 66,979 44-95 94,220 63-26 1928-29 .. .. 1,502 163,451 108-83 73,994 49-27 89,457 59-56 1929-30 .. .. 1,425 172,248 120-83 83,806 58-87 88,442 62-04 1930-3] .. .. 1,525 171,382 112-36 70,669 46-33 100,713 66-03 1931-32 .. .. 1,641 152,581 92-93 55,867 34-03 96,714 58-90 1932-33 .. .. 1,661 142,940 86-04 52,412 31-84 90,528 54-49 1933-34 .. .. 1,488 138,193 92-88 54,823 36-77 83,370 56-11 1934-35 .. .. 1,306 137,484 105-25 60,242 46-12 77,242 59-13 1935-36 .. .. 1,170 144,460 123-47 69,933 59-77 74,527 63-70 _ : ___ _ _ i