EL—2O

Summary of Cash Expenditure and Revenue Received, Prisons Vote, 1924 to 1937.

Detailed accounts and balance-sheet are shown at the end of this report in Table B, showing the total cost of prison administration after taking into consideration all charges for interest and depreciation and building maintenance out of Public Works Department votes. Industries and Development. My previous report indicated that a period of high influx of prisoners and depressed economic conditions for a number of years had made it difficult to provide useful work for all inmates of a character non-competitive with the outside trades. During 1935-36 the substantia] reduction in the number of receptions, together with improved conditions outside, diminished this difficulty. For the 1936-37 period now under review this changed tendency has continued to a marked degree, and at the present time it has become a difficult matter to find sufficient labour for those industries which require a maximum of manual labour. In particular, the prosecution of farm-work has necessitated a substantial curtailment in quarrying and roadworks, which is reflected in a decrease of £9,500 revenue from the two latter activities compared with the previous year. Although these conditions have provided the Department with a new aspect of its constant problem of providing prisoners with labour of a utilitarian character and of remunerative results, it definitely enables the problem, for a few years at least, to be found a satisfactory solution. The Department has, as indicated above, concentrated much of the available labour on farming work aided by mechanized plant where necessary. This has been a substantial factor in raising farm revenue from £24,000 to £32,000 during the past twelve months. This latter figure represents the highest annual value of production to date. Except with regard to quarries and roadworks, it has been possible by partially mechanizing the minor industries, to help keep up miscellaneous revenue to a satisfactory level compared with previous years, notwithstanding the acute shortage of labour available. Apart from the monetary results, this development has the further advantage from the psychological and vocational viewpoint that by the judicious use of machine plant the Department is providing inmates with a more modern and useful farm and industrial training than it has been possible to undertake at any time in the past. The following figures show the cash expenditure incurred and cash revenue earned from prison industries over the past seven years, indicating by the steadily improving results that these industries are on a stable footing to recoup all expenditure invested in them.

Cash Expenditure and Cash Revenue: Prison Industries.

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Daily Gross Expenditure. Credits. Net Expenditure. Yftar Average Number of j Inmates. Total. i Per Head. Total. Per Head. Total. Per Head. • _ I ' • £ £ £ £ £ £ 1924-25 .. .. 1,228 144,484 117-67 68,118 55-56 76,366 62-11 ]925-26 .. .. 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 1930-31 .. .. 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 1936-37 .. .. 985 146,314 148-54 68,661 69-70 77,653 78-83

Industries Industries Net Cash al *' Expenditure. Receipts. Revenue. £ £ £ 1930-31 .. •• •• •• 34,340 65,235 30,895 1931-32 .. .. •• 27,788 50,863 23,075 1932-33 .. .. .. 25,709 46,918 21,209 1933-34 .. .. ■■ 27,456 49,413 21,957 1934-35 .. .. •• •• 25,822 55,328 29,506 1935-36 ' 31,952 65,247 33,295 1936-37 .. .. .. 26,094 63,845 37,751