8.—6.

Advertising. All Government advertising is submitted to this Department for scrutiny prior to publication. Throughout the year a stringent check has been maintained thereon, with the result that the expenditure has been decreased by more than one-half. The comparative figures for the last two financial years are as follows :■ — £ 1920-21 .. .. .. .. .. ..23,767 1921-22 .. .. .. .. .. .. 11,839 Saving for all Departments .. .. £11,928 A Publications Committee was- set up towards the end of last calendar year to review all Government publications with the object of reducing their volume without affecting their value. Later the functions of the Committee were extended to embrace the control of expenditure on publicity propaganda, and to coordinate with the Publicity Officer attached to the Internal Affairs Department, who acts as Secretary of the Committee. The Committee has undertaken the reduction, of the bulk of departmental printed matter, and a reform of the system of free issues of Government publications. EDUCATION. The expenditure on education services from Government sources during the past financial year has been as follows: — Votes from Consolidated Fund — £ Department of Education . . ■ . . . . 2,580,562 Under special Acts .. .. .. .. 140,008 Primary-education reserves revenue . . . . 88,135 National-endowment revenue .. .. ~ 71,738 Public Works Fund, for buildings . . . . 2,469 Education loans for buildings .. .. .. 563,201 £3,446,113 To this should be added the amounts expended from, revenue received by the Boards from secondary education and University reserves, £79,800, making a total expenditure of about' £3,526,000, as compared' with £1,420,000 in 1913-14. The increase in the past eight years has therefore been 148 per cent. The increase over last year was due largely to the natural increase in the attendance at the primary, secondary, and technical schools, to an increased expenditure on new buildings of £106,000 (many grants made previously coming to charge during the past year), to arrears of payments for the previous year for technical instruction and other purposes having to be met, and to a considerable increase in the number of students at the training colleges. I have made provision, for an amount of £350,000 to be available during the current year for land and school buildings. Every endeavour has been made to curtail expenditure without seriously affecting essential services. Economies have so far resulted in a total estimated annual saving of £125,000, including £.1.05,000 from the first reduction in the cost-of-living bonus or increase. HEALTH DEPARTMENT. Including subsidies, the total expenditure for the year under this heading was £725,8.10, as against £621,990 in the previous year. The receipts of the Department amounted, to £64,337, as against £31,628 the previous year. The net expenditure of the Departmental vote was £223,388 as against £202,332 for 1920-21, the increase being due to taking over the four military hospitals —King George V Orthopaedic Hospital at Rotorua, Trentham Orthopaedic Hospital, Pukeora Sanatorium.

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