101

H.—l4

New Zealand State Advances Department. Ihe adding and listing machine has been used since it was Hist installed in the preparation of the annual balance. bast year it was utilized in the classifying of receipts, and the resultant saving may be estimated at the difference in salaries of the persons doing this work. £220—30 and £120- say. £100. When the multiple scheme is in full swing, and the combined typing and adding machine is used in the preparation of instalment notices, I think that three officers could he released from that particular portion of the Department's work. With this and the oonsequenl changes effected in the Department's books, I hope that in future the yearly balance may be obtained without calling upon the staff for any work at night, as has always hitherto been necessary. An exact estimate in pounds sterling of the further amount that will be saved it is not possible to give just now. [Note. —Subsequently the Permanent Head reported that the amount was £1,950 per annum.j Department ok Tourist and Health Resorts. An adding and listing machine driven by motor-power was introduced during the year ended 31/3/14. A considerable amount of overtime has been saved as a result of its introduction. The probable increase in the passenger -booking business that will result in 1914—15 will be met without any addition to staff. Tli KABURY I) EPA lITM ENT. Two combined typing and adding machines and one adding and listing machine were introduced, and were used for typing schedules of paid vouchers (in duplicate) and imprest schedules, and advices of remittances to the credit of local bodies' accounts. The economy effected during the year ended 31/'i/14 by the introduction of the machines was £670. It is difficult to estimate the economy likely to arise during 1914-15, as most of the work in the Treasury will be entirely new, owing to the intended change in the mode of payment and the keeping of the public accounts. Valuation Department. The machines introduced into the Department were one adding and listing machine and eight Brief typewriters. The adding-machine was obtained to enable the totals of valuation rolls to be extracted, to assist in the compilation of returns, and for general use. A machine of larger capacity and more suitable for the Department's requirements is on order, and better results are expected next year. The typewriters were obtained late in 1913 to perform by multiple process the work of preparing new rolls, notices, and tickets for districts undergoing revaluation, and are satisfactorily performing the work required of them. The results achieved this year, considering that the scheme is in an experimental stage, can only be regarded as highly satisfactory. The yearly amount chargeable against the purchase and hire of typewriters is set off by the reduced cost of stationery consequent upon the introduction of the new scheme. The services of four temporary typistes have lieen obtained, while if the work had been performed under the old system the temporary services of sixteen extra clerks would have been required to perform the volume of work. Concurrently with the saving in cost a considerable saving in time has been effected, as a result of which local rating authorities and the band-tax Department will receive their rolls at ii much earlier date than would have been possible under the old system. 1 have to confirm the estimate of £1,300 for the cost of performing this work under the old system for the year ending 31/3/15. The estimated cost under the new system, based on the results obtained to date, is £600, an estimated saving of £700. The use of typewriters for other branches of the Department's work xvill, I estimate, effect a further saving of £100—a total saving of £800 for the year ending 31/3/15.