D. —2

CONCLUSION. It was with much regret that I had to accept during the year the resignation of Mr. H. H. Sterling, member of the Board of Management, and I wish to record my appreciation of the excellent work he rendered to the service. His position on the Board was filled by the appointment of Mr. A. W. Mouat. Another regrettable loss to the service, due to a fatal accident which occurred early in the year, was the late Mr. W. 0. Ennis, who held the position of Staff Superintendent. Mr. Ennis's breadth of vision and foresight, enlarged by his long and distinguished service with the Forces during the late war, enabled him to fulfil the essential requirements of Staff Superintendent with the utmost satisfaction to the staff and to the Department. I wish also to express to the Board of Management and to all ranks of the service my fullest appreciation of their devoted zeal and attention to the needs of the public and the requirements of the administration. Particularly do I wish to mention and at the same time to thank all concerned for the excellent manner in which they responded to the heavy demand made upon them during the period the recent Dunedin and South Seas Exhibition was open. In conclusion, I wish to say that I have every reason to believe that the administration can look forward to the hearty co-operation of every member of the service in its efforts to cater for the convenience and comfort of its customers ; and holding that view I see no cause for pessimism in the future.

XXVII