15

H.—33

officer attends at the Hostel, and proceeds with the party to the steamer, where queries often crop up which necessitates the officer having a wide knowledge of all matters to enable him to overcome the. many difficulties which may arise. On many occasions the Board of Trade or shipping companies desire to know whether a certain passenger will be permitted to land in the Dominion, and it is necessary that the official in attendance should have a knowledge of the New Zealand regulations to enable him to deal with such questions. Applications for appointments as Matrons in charge of domestic servants are invited, and the inquiries, interviews, &c, entail a considerable amount of correspondence and time. Passages are also arranged for those who are selected to fill certain positions in New Zealand, such as Imperial Army officers proceeding to the Dominion to take up appointments, and this entails a large amount of correspondence during the year. Also, New-Zealanders visiting this country occasionally request that their return passages may be arranged through this Office, and their requests are complied with. When it was decided to send permanently unfit members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force back to the Dominion by the ordinary passenger-steamers all arrangements were carried out by this Department. This created a great amount of work with the War Office, Admiralty, and other Government Departments, and the shipping companies, as the accommodation had to be obtained, contract tickets issued, train arrangements made, in man}' instances for a special train, to port of embarkation, &c. All accounts for the payment of passages are made out here and sent to the shipping companies for certification. A number of cinematograph-films have from time to time been obtained, and arrangements have been made for these to be as widely shown as possible. Many of these films have been shown at the rest camps and in France. A large stock of lantern-slides and photographs are kept in stock. Even during the war the slides are in great demand for lectures. Requests are continually being made from the various periodicals for photographs for illustrating articles in reference to New Zealand. The photographs are also largely used for illustrating the pamphlets which are published by this and other branches of the, High Commissioner's Office from time to time. Applications are often being received from hospitals, depots, rest clubs, &c, for photographs of New Zealand. Enlargements have to be made and framed before the requests can be complied with. Supplies of New Zealand post-cards are prepared and widely distributed. Persons calling at the office for information regarding the Dominion are interviewed, and requests by post for information dealt with. Supplies of pamphlets are also sent to shipping agents, and detailed information given them of the Dominion. The selection and placing of advertisements, which requires a great deal of correspondence and many interviews, is dealt with ; also designing immigration posters and having them suitably displayed throughout the United Kingdom. In addition to the foregoing there are various other matters dealt with by the branch which require a good deal of time and attention. VETERINARY OFFICER'S BRANCH. The scope of the work carried out by this branch having widened considerably since the appointment of a Veterinary Officer was first made from New Zealand, it might be well to give a brief resume of the, work 'originally undertaken and that carried out at the present time. When it was first decided in the Dominion to appoint a Veterinary Officer for service in this country it was intended that, his duties should be almost entirely of a technical nature in connection with the imports of meat, and that his work should, in fact, form an extension of the very complete system of meat-inspection controlled by the Live-stock Division in New Zealand. Originally, therefore, his duties consisted chiefly of a general supervision of New Zealand meat on and after its arrival here, noting its condition upon discharge from the steamers, and keeping as far as possible in touch with the sanitary authorities both of the ports where it was dealt with and of the markets where it was exposed for sale, and keeping himself informed of any condemnations which took place and the reasons for the same. This supervision was, of course, followed up by reports to the. Director of the Live-stock Division, and there is no doubt but that good effects have resulted from the appointment, the reports furnished having been the means of so improving conditions that condemnations of New Zealand meat from various causes have become much less numerous. In addition to the above the Veterinary Officer has attended to, arid furnished reports upon, professional matters generally, such, for example, as the incidence of contagious diseases, dairy-inspection, new methods of milk-sterilization, pure-milk supply, and, in fact, all matters associated with the progress of veterinary science. He has also carried out the examination of all live-stock shipped from London to New Zealand, and has undertaken, by arrangement between the New Zealand and Australian Governments, the examination of live-stock prior to shipment to the Commonwealth. For these services fees averaging almost £100 per annum have, been received and paid to the credit of the. Public Account. Apart from the above duties, the branch has all along made a point of keeping in touch with the facilities for the handling and storage, of our meat at various ports and centres, the Veterinary Officer having made numerous reports upon these matters. Such inquiries, together with the general supervision above referred to, have entailed more or less regular attendance at the London Docks, and in addition a considerable amount of travelling to the various outports. The branch has also