§ At the close of the financial year 1887–88 the liabilities outstanding on new-construction will be small compared to those of recent years. Careful prevision will, therefore, be necessary as regards the programme of work for 1888–89 and subsequent years, and arrangements will be made to utilize, as far as is possible,
§ the existing dockyard establishment, though the cessation of the building of armoured and protected vessels of large displacement will necessitate some ultimate reductions. Provision in the present Estimates is made for fifty-three instead of fifty-two weekly payments to all employés in receipt of weekly wages, as within the 366 days of the financial year such a number of weekly payments become due.