A.—i

16

restricting rent and the recovery of possession of tenements. That legislation is declared not to apply with respect to dwellinghouses that may be first let as such after the passing of this Act. Section 17 empowers Magistrates to increase standard rent to allow net income of 7 per cent, on capital value. Section 18 provides that rent paid in excess of standard rent may be recovered by the tenant. By section 19 the demand or acceptance of a bonus, fine, or premium, either as an addition to rent or as a consideration for obtaining any dwellinghouse for the occupation of any persem, is declared to be an offence punishable by a fine of £100. Section 20 extends the grounds on which an order for possession of a dwellinghouse may be made. Section 21 applies Part I of the War Legislation Amendment Act, 1916, to the subletting of separate rooms in dwellinghouses. Section 22 allows Magistrates in determining "undue hardship" in actions for recovery of possession of tesicments to consider the hardship that may be suffered by applicants in default of orders being made. 1920, No. 50. -The Incorporated Societies Amendment Act, 1920. —This Act makes provision for the incorporation of branches of incorporated societies. The Act provides, inter alia, that the incorporation of the branch of a society does not relieve the members of that, branch from their liabilities or obligations as members of the society itself. 1920, No. 51.—-The Iron and Steel Industries Amendment Act, 1920.- -This Act extends by seven years the various times prescribed by the Iron and Steel Industries Act, 1914, within which bounties on the production of iron and steel in New Zealand may be paid. 1920, No. 52. -The Workers' Compensation Amendment Act, 1920.—This Act amends in various particulars the Workers' Compensation Act, 1920, the most important being an increase to £750 of compensation payable to dependants in respect of the death of a worker, increased compensation in respect of total or partial incapacity, and an increase to £750 of the maximum compensation in actions for negligence. 1920, No. 53. —The Mining Amendment Act, 1920. —This Act makes amendments of the Mining Act, 1908, none; of which arc of oustanding importance. 1920, No. 54.—The Animals Protection Amendment Act, 1920.—This Act makes provisiem for regulating the taking or killing of opossums, and the purchase, sale, import, and export of opossum-skins. 1920, No. 55.—The Nurses Registration Amendment Act, 1920.—This Act amends the Nurses Registration Act, 1908, by prescribing fresh qualifications for persons seeking registration under that Act, and by providing for the issue of nurses' badges only to nurses trained in New Zealand. 1920, No. 56. —The Land Drainage Act, 1920. —This Act amends flu; Land Drainage, Act, 1908, by making provision for representation of subdivisions of drainage districts, by restricting travellingexpenses of members of Drainage Boards, by conferring on those Boards additional powers to make by-laws, by applying the Fencing Act, 1908, as between Drainage Boards and occupiers of lands adjoining public drains, and by making provision for financial adjustments on the merger in boroughs of drainage districts or parts thereof. 1920, No. 57.—The Rotorua Town Lands Act, 1.920. —This Act confers on Crown temants in the Town of Rotorua the right to acquire the freehold, subject to existing encumbrances. Sublessees or underlessccs may in certain cases acquire the freehold. The freehold of reserves and of land known to contain, mineral springs, &c, may not be; disposed of, and the right is reserved to the Crown to reserve any land on which mineral springs, &c, appear after the freehold has been acquired. 1920, No. 58. —The Bank of New Zealand Act, 1920. —This Act empowers the directors to transfer £1,125,000 from the bank's Reserve Fund to its Capital Account, to cancel the existing capital, and issue 3,375,000 shares of £1 each credited as fully paid up, and divided into three classes, namely : (a) Preference A shares (500,000) ; (6) preference B shares (625,000) ; (c) ordinary shares (2,250,000). Preference A and B are the new shares to be issued to the Crown in lieu of the A and B preference shares issued to the Crown under the Bank of New Zealand Acts of 1903 and 1913 respectively. Preference A shares are henceforth entitled to a fixed preferential dividend of 10 per cent. ; preference B shares to dividend as provided by section 13 of the Act. The general effect of the provisions of this Act is to confer considerable benefits on the Crown. 1920, No. 59. —The Orchard and Garden Diseases Amendment Act, 1920.—This Act enables the Governor-General to authorize! the sale in New Zealand of fruit affected by apple-scab or pear-scab. 1920, No. 60. —The District Railways Amendment Act, 1920. —This Act amends the District Railways Act, 1908, by repealing section 35 thereof, fixing the gauge of district railways at 3 ft. 6 in., and providing that the gauge of every such railway shall be fixed by the Governor-General in Council. 1920, No. 61.—The Local Railways Amendment Act, 1920. —This Act amends the Local Railways Act, 1914, by providing for the alteration of districts constituted under that Act for the fixing by the Governor-General in Council of the gauge of every local railway. 1921, No. 62. —The Stone-quarries Amendment Act, 1920. —This Act amends the Stone-quarries Act, 1910, in various particulars, and makes further provision for securing the safety of persons working in quarries. 1920, No. 63. —The Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1910.—This Act amends in various particulars the law relating to Native land, and confers upon the Native Land Court and the Native Appellate Court respectively jurisdiction to hear and determine certain claims and disputes in relation to Native lands.