17
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Chief Officers have boun increased by one and Principal Officers by six, in order to provide for adoquato supervision of the Reformatory, the Remand Prison and the Experimental Borstal Institution which it is proposed to develop during the coming
yoar.
Prisons Hos ital staff is being provided for under the Prisons Department and not under the Medical Department Head as in previous years.
The reduction in the numbers of the Indian Warder staff is reflected in the reduced number of guards and Indian Warders. It has also been possible to cffcct a reduction in the establishment of the Chinese Warder staff owing to the return to duty of the Indian contingent.
Two loadors, five assistant loaders and soven trade instructors have boon included to provide for the discipline and training of the inmates of the Roformatory and the Experimental Borstal Institution.
The probation staff have been transferred to the newly establishod Social Welfare Dopartrient.
Under Sub Head 7 of "Other Charges" a sum of $2,000 has been provided to cover the travelling expenses of prisoners to their homes. If prisoners on discharge are released in the city they tend to drift back into a life of crime, and it is considered that this expenditure on returning prisoners, who live outside the urban arcas, to their homes will more than justify itself.
The arrangements for the photographing of prisoners have not been altogether satisfactory and full responsibility will in future rost with the Prisons Department.
The "Subsistence of Prisoners" Sub Head shows an incrcase of $450,000 owing to the continued rise both in the number of prisoners and in the prices of certain foodstuffs.
Head 25. Public Debt
Estimate 1948/19
Revised Estimate 1947/48 Approved Estimato 1947/48 Actual Expenditure 1946/47
$5,512,441
1,862,285
7,838,148
6,071,835
The opportunity has been taken to set out clearly in footnotes to this Head the present position in regard to each of the Colony's loans.
The actual expenditure for 1946/47 was high as, during that year, the redemption position, which had fallon into arrears during the Japanese occupation, was brought up to date. Tho difference between the approved estimato for 1947/48 and the revised estimate is due to the fact that when the Estimates were framed the future loan policy had not been decided and the possibility that it might have been necessary to issue loans to the full a uthorised figure of $150,000,000 was allowed for. Actually, owing to the large floating balancos available on the Supplics, Trading & Industry account, it has only been necessary so far to issue bonds to the value of $50,000,000 and, as final approval of the details of the issue was not received until the end of 1947, the first interest payment is not duo until July, 1948.