D.—l

IX

Agricultural. The expenditure under this head has been low during the past year. A pro perty was acquired at Stratford for a Stock Inspector's residence. Wooden cisterns were completed in connection with the water-supply for Te Kauwhata Horticultural Station. The proposals for this year include housing-accommodation for responsible officers in certain, centres, where it has been found impossible to otherwise secure residences ; the erection of a caretaker's cottage at Motuihi Island ; new Chemical and Biological Laboratory buildings ; and increased accommodation at the Milton Poultry-station. Mental Hospitals. Tokanui. —The fifth unit is nearing completion, and additions have been made to the machinery in the engineering workshop. Buildings to accommodate working patients and a staff supervisor have been erected, which will admit of conveniently and economically working a remote part of the estate ; also an abattoir has been built. Porirua. —A complete automatic telephone system has been installed, and the new drainage system is being pushed on to completion. Sunnyside. —The new reception and hospital block is completed and is now being furnished, and electricity has been installed. Seacliff. —Accommodation for the patients removed from The Camp has been added. A reservoir has been constructed and a new sanitary service installed at Simla. Waitati. —The new male ward has been extended, and plans prepared for another unit addition to the female ward. Nelson and, Hokitika. —Minor repairs have been carried out at both these institutions, and it is proposed to call tenders for the erection of a reception-house at the former. Hospital and Charitable Institutions. A considerable increase in expenditure under this vote will be incurred this year. The new St. Helens Hospital in Christchurch, an item for which has appeared annually in the -estimates, will be erected at an estimated cost of £16,000. Additional hospital accommodation has been provided at Rotorua, and certain necessary works at Te Waikato and, Otaki Sanatoria. A heavy item of expenditure is that of providing proper accommodation at the quarantine stations, in connection with which £14,000 will be required at Auckland and £22,450 at Wellington, with a further expenditure of £6,000 at each station for equipment. Certain necessary expenditure will also be undertaken at Lyttelton and Port Chalmers, making the proposed expenditure during the current year for the quarantine stations amount to £64,450. Education Buildings. The finance for Education buildings for the remainder of the present year and the four following years has been established by the Education Purposes Loans Act recently passed by both Houses. It is estimated that the moneys already expended and the liabilities already incurred under this class amount to £450,000, for which provision, has to be made in addition to the moneys authorized under the special Act. Of the £450,000 thus to be provided separately from the Public Works Fund it is estimated that not more than £250,000 will actually come to account during the present financial year, and a vote for that amount is proposed for appropriation accordingly. Any part of that £250,000 unexpended during the present financial year, together with the balance of £200,000, will be provided on the public-works estimates of the financial year commencing on the Ist April, 1920, in addition to any moneys raised under the special Act. The effect will be that, in addition to the ,£500,000 for the present year and £750,000 for each of the four successive years (provision for which is made by the Education Purposes Loans Act), a further sum of £450,000 will be provided, out of ordinary Loan Account to discharge past liabilities already incurred, and that, of the latter sum of £450,000, £250,000 is proposed to be voted in the present year, and ,£200,000, together with any unexpended balance of the £250,000, to bo voted in the next financial year. The moneys authorized by the special Act will be thus rendered available for future commitments only, without any charge thereon for past expenditure and commitments.

ii—D. 1.