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Part 111 deals with contributors to the Government Railways Superannuation Fund and provides that, if within six months after the commencement of this Act the sum of £1500 is paid to the fund on behalf of those contributors who joined in the strike of 1890, such contributors shall be entitled to count for purposes of superannuation the period of their service prior to that date. Provision is also made for cases of other broken service. 251. Coal-mines Amendment Act, 1908 : Amending the principal Act in various particulars. 252. Land-tax and Income-tax Act, 1908 : Imposing land-tax and income-tax for the year ending 31st March, 1909. 253. Maori Land Laws Amendment Act, 1908 : Amending the law relating to Maori Lands. 254. Fisheries Amendment Act, 1908 : Authorising the issue to the Maoris of the Arawa District of licenses to fish for trout (not exceeding twenty licenses in any one season) at a rate not exceeding five shillings each for the whole season. 255. Stamp Duties Amendment Act, 1908 : Exempting declarations made for the purposes and under the authority of the Public Health Act, from the payment of stamp duty. 256. Validation Court Empowering Act, 1908 : Validating certain orders made by the Native Land Court with respect to the partition of lands, it being alleged that in the making of those orders the Court has exceeded its jurisdiction. 257. Mental Hospitals Reserves Act, 1908 : Authorising the disposal by lease of certain mental hospital reserves at Nelson ; and also authorising an exchange between the Wellington Hospital Contributors and the Crown of certain lands in the Wellington District. The land so to be conveyed to the said contributors is to be used by them as a site for a hospital for infectious diseases ; that conveyed to the Crown to be an endowment for mental hospitals. 258. Appropriation Act, 1908 : Being the annual grant to His Majesty of the sums mentioned in the Act for the service of the year. Local and Personal Acts. 1. Meikle Acquittal Act, 1908 : Reversing the judgment of the Supreme Court whereby John James Meikle was, in the year 1887, convicted of sheep-stealing and sentenced to imprisonment for seven years, This is for the purpose of giving effect to the report of the Commissioners appointed by the Governor, on the fifteenth day of March, 1906, for the purpose of inquiring into the truth of a petition presented \o Parliament alleging that the said John James Meikle was wrongly convicted of the said offence. 2. Oamaru Reserves Act, 1908 : Giving power to the Corporation of the Borough of Oamaru to lease certain land vested in it to the Oamaru Fire Board ; and exempting the said land and certain other land vested in the said Corporation for purposes of public utility from the provisions of section 140' (2) of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908. 3. Oamaru Harbour Board Loan Act, 1908 : Authorising and empowering the Oamaru Harbour Board to borrow Fifty thousand pounds for the purchase of a dredge, and otherwise for improving the port of Oamaru. The said shall not be raised except with the consent of the ratepayers of the district; and the Board shall levy a special rate for the payment of the expenses of raising the loan and for providing for the annual charges and the establishment of a sinking fund. 4. Westport Harbour Board Loan Act, 1908 : Authorising and empowering the Westport Harbour Board to raise a further loan of £200.000 at a rate not exceeding five per centum per annum for the completion of harbour works, and for the improvement of the Westport Harbour. 5. Roman Catholic Archbishop of Wellington Empowering Act, 1908 : Authorising and empowering the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Wellington to dispose by sale of certain lands in the City of Wellington, and with the proceeds to purchase other land and to erect school buildings thereon ; also to lease certain other land and with the proceeds to keep in order the Roman Catholic Cemetery in the said City. 6. Lincoln Road Board Empowering Act, 1908 : Enabling the Lincoln Road Board to close a certain road along the northern bank of the River Halswell, which is not required for purposes of public convenience, and to construct and open a new road over certain land described in the Schedule. 7. Christchurch City Betterment Act', 1908 : Providing that where the Christchurch City Council in future widens any street or part of a street, the owner of land having a frontage to the opposite side of the street shall be liable to pay compensation to the Corporation, representing the amount of increased value to such land held by them. Also giving power to the said Council to improve streets under its control, and for that purpose to acquire lands, borrow money, and sell or lease surplus lands. 8. Inangahua County Empowering Act, 1908 : Repealing section 3 of the Inangahua County Council Empowering Act, 1894, and authorising the said Council to levy a rate not exceeding one half penny in the pound upon the capital value of rateable property in the Reefton District as described in the Schedule to the Act. 9. New Plymouth Harbour Board Empowering Act, 1908 : Auth.ori.sing and empowering the New Plymouth Harbour Board to raise a loan of £300.000 for the purposes of paying off part of a former loan, and also for the construction of harbour works and the further improvement of the said harbour. The Act also provides for the taking of a poll of the ratepayers, the levying of a special rate, the establishment of a sinking fund, &c.,.' 10. Auckland Harbour Board Loan and Empowering Act, 1908 : Authorising the Auckland Harbour Board to raise a loan of One million pounds for the purpose of constructing harbour works as specified in the Schedule to the Act. The Act also empowers the Board to acquire lands having a water frontage to the Harbour of Auckland, and to cancel or determine any leases or licenses by virtue of which the holders thereof are entitled to access by water to the foreshore or to adjacent lands,

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