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1895. NEW ZEALAND.

REPORTING DEBATES AND PRINTING COMMITTEE (REPORT OF THE) ON THE HANSARD STAFF, TOGETHER WITH APPENDICES, AND ALSO ADDENDA LAID ON THE TABLE 11th OCTOBER, 1895.

Brought up Bth October, 1895, and ordered to be printed.

ORDER OF REFERENCE. Extract from the Journals of the House of Representatives. Friday, the 21st Day of June, 1895. Ordered, That a Committee, consisting of ten members, be appointed to assist Mr. Speaker in all matters which relate to the reporting of debates and to the printing executed by order of this House, and for the purpose of selecting and arranging for printing returns and papers presented in pursuance of motions made by members of this House; three to be a quorum. The Committee to consist of Mr. Speaker, Mr. Carncross, Mr. Duthie, Mr. Hogg, Mr. G. Hutchison, Mr. Lang, Mr. Pirani, Mr. Saunders, Hon. Major Steward, and the mover."—(Hon. Mr. Reeves.)

E.BPOET. The Eeporting Debates and Printing Committee have the honour to report, That this Committee considers that the permanent Hansard staff is insufficient to cope with the work at present put upon it, in consequence of the time-limit increasing the amount of speaking compressed into each reporter's "turn," and the increased number of Legislative Councillors. That this Committee considers the present chief of the staff, Mr. Barron, is thoroughly competent to retain charge, and has the confidence and esteem of the reporters. That this Committee recommends that an additional gallery reporter be appointed at £250 per annum, with an annual increase of £10 up to £300 per year ; the appointment to be made by the Eeporting Debates and Printing Committee, on the recommendation of the chief of the staff, after a thorough practical test of efficiency. Bth October, 1895. W. J. Steward, Chairman.

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. Questions put to members of Hansard staff, and replies thereto. (No evidence was taken down in shorthand.)

Memoeandum for the Hon. the Chairman, Eeporting Debates Committee, House of Eepresentatives. Undeb my original appointment I was not to take turns in the gallery; but it was found so difficult to obtain competent shorthand reporters at that time that I had to go into the gallery, or the whole system would have broken down. There were then only five reporters besides myself; there are now seven. I continued doing this for over twenty years, when I found my health breaking down from the strain of work, and felt that I could no longer stand the double work of reporting and carrying on the necessary duties of supervision, &c. No other chief reporter of any staff in the world of which I have been able to obtain a record has clone such work, except in Victoria, where, as I was informed by a member of that staff', they I—l. 8.