H-36

Railway Tickets. —The number of tickets printed was 7,179,206, the largest number printed in one month being 703,476 in May, 1948. Photo-litho and Process Engraving Branch. —-The output from this branch during the last six years is shown in the table set out below.: —

A new service undertaken by this branch during the past two years, is the preparation of multex plates for use on multilith and similar machines operated by other Departments. Several of these machines are now installed throughout the Public Service and this aspect of the work of the branch is assuming increased importance. The facilities for speedy reproduction by"the photo-lithographic process are being availed of to the greatest possible extent and during the year a number of reprint orders of jobs which would normally have been reprinted by the letterpress process were executed. Stationery Office. —This branch of the Department continues to suffer from lack of sufficient and suitable accommodation, which accentuates the difficulty of retaining staff in the branch. The output continues to grow and the need for further and more congenial accommodation is becoming more pressing. Measures- taken during the year have produced some temporary relief, and efforts are now being directed towards the acquisition of a suitable site with a view to the complete removal of this branch from the Department's building. Details of the operations for the. year as compared with those of previous years are appended :

Paper. —-Prices of paper overseas readied their peak in the early part of 1948, and after a few months of relative stability began to show a slight downward trend in 1949, which is still continuing. The supply position has also eased considerably, and although certain of-the finer classes are still difficult to procure, most of the commoner lines of paper are now available for shipment from the United Kingdom within two or three months of ordering. The Department has now reverted to the pre-war practice of calling tenders through the New Zealand representatives of overseas manufacturers for its paper supplies. This enables samples to be inspected and tested before orders are-placed and will allow the Department to maintain a stricter control over the quality of stock.

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Number of Number of Number of Year. Maps, Plans, and Diagrams. Process Multex Blocks. Plates.-, 1943-44 410 2,701 1944-45 237 3,111 1945-46 :)T2 2,649 194(5-47 453 2,433 1047-48 405 2,903 289 1948-49 349 4,692 536

Value of Year. Number of Requisitions. Number of Items. Number of Typewriters .Supplied. Stationery and Publications Supplied. Value of Typewriters supplied. Total Value. £ £ £ 1943-44 18,311 133,236 435 122,751 11,157 133,908 1944-45 17,542 154,674 361 121,795 9,332 131,127 1945-46 17,733 175,105 419 136,059 - 10,621 146,680 1946-47 17,843 180,652 330 143,990 9,190 153,180 1947-48 18,332 208,241 538 168,345 17,071 185,416 1948-49 20,015 220,706 379 209,472 10,748 220,219