H.—22

Framed diagrams illustrative of the statistics compiled in the Office and of important features of the Dominion's activities were prepared and displayed at the stand, where samples of Office publications were also set out for inspection. Census of 1926. —Yery complete arrangements are being made for the taking of the quinquennial population census, the date of which has been fixed for the night of Tuesday, 20th April, 1926. As in 1916 and in 1921 the services of the officers of the Post and Telegraph Department will be largely utilized for the organization. The advantage of having trained and responsible officers in charge of the field-work of the census cannot be valued too highly. The interest and zeal of these officers in the census work is very much appreciated, and it is mainly due to their efforts that the census is carried out so efficiently and economically, considering the enormous amount of work entailed. On this occasion certain new inquiries, which have been referred to above, will be incorporated in the census schedule, whilst, as already stated, the enumeration of the Maori population will be carried out by the same organization and in many cases on the same schedules as the European population. Other important innovations made at this census will be —(1) The substitution of a week-night in place of Sunday for the enumeration; (2) the division of the Householders' Schedule into two forms—the Dwelling Schedule and the Family Schedule ; and (3) the enumeration of all persons other than actual members of the family on Personal Schedules. Publications. —Notwithstanding pressure of work in the Government Printing Office the Year-book again appeared well up to time ; it contains nearly one hundred pages more than the previous year's issue and two hundred more than the 1924 number. The 1926 number contains three new sections, several new short articles, and an exhaustive special article on the subject of cancer in New Zealand, written by Mr. J. W. Butcher, Chief Compiler in the Census and Statistics Office. The biennial Municipal Handbook, which was due to appear this year, is being amalgamated with the Annual Statistical Report on Local Government to form the Local Authorities Handbook. By this means duplication of the statistical matter which appeared in the Municipal Handbook will be avoided, and local authorities and others interested in the subject will have one comprehensive volume on local government matters. It is hoped to make this Handbook as useful and informative to those interested in the progress and development of local government in New Zealand as the Year-book is to those interested in the affairs of the Dominion. New Offices. —The transfer of the Census and Statistics Office to new premises in Hood's Buildings was carried out last August. The new offices are more compact than the former premises, and are so arranged as to permit of a better utilization of space, and a better grouping of staff and equipment. Dominion Museum. Board of Science and Art.- 4 -A meeting of the Board was held on the 12th March, 1926. Various matters relating to the Museum and Turnbull Library, publications, volcanology, hydrographic survey of the New Zealand coasts, Pan-Pacific Congress, and Kaingaroa rock-carvings were dealt with. Museum Accommodation. —In order to safeguard from damp and fire the perishable insect collections and herbarium, further rooms were taken on the seventh floor of the Dominion Farmers' Institute Building, and the collections and a part of the library transferred there. The collections, besides being safeguarded, are now more accessible to the public. Collecting Expeditions. —Owing to the lack of time available for the purpose, no extensive collecting and exploring expeditions were undertaken by the staff, but collecting was pursued wherever possible. A moa-bone find at Lake Waikaremoana was explored in August, and some material of scientific interest secured. In October the Kaingaroa rock-carvings were inspected and photographs taken. As a result of three short trips with the trawler " Futurist," in Cook Strait, some new mollusca and echinoderms of great interest were secured near Cape Campbell. Eels were collected in the Foxton neighbourhood in July for the Paris Museum, marine fish around Picton in October, and fresh-water fish in Canterbury in January and February. Plants and shells were obtained from Stewart Island and Auckland during February and March. New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition, Dunedin, 1925-26.—The Museum was represented by an exhibit of Maori art and manufacture arranged by the Assistant Director. The educational aspect was emphasized, and the exhibit contained series showing the preparation, dying, plaiting, and wearing of flax garments in all stages, with examples of the finished products, and the manufacture of stone adzes by flaking, bruising, and polishing. In addition a representative series of weapons of wood, stone, and bone was displayed, with some typical, examples of house-carvings, including a panel of patterns. A comprehensive series of photographs taken on Museum ethnographical expeditions were shown by enlarged transparencies, and created much interest amongst visitors to the court. Ethnology. —The display of the Maori collection in the Dominion Farmers' Institute Building has been increased by the addition of. numerous articles previously held in store. Additions to the collection by purchase include two carvings from Mabia Peninsula, and several mats. Donations include an adze and fastener found near Wellington, presented by Mr. W. Taylor, and an adze of special interest presented by Mr. R. A. Lett. The additions in foreign ethnology include twelve Fijian articles presented by Mr. A. C. O'Connor, two " devil-devil " sticks from South. -Australia, presented by Mr. W. A. Traill, two Australian aboriginal. adzes . and. spinifex-.gum, and. a. large-collection of New Hebrides articles received by exchange. In addition, two fine models of warships have been presented and placed on exhibition —viz., those of the Japanese warship " Ibuki," which convoyed the New Zealand Main Body to Egypt in 1914, presented by the Imperial Japanese Government, and that of H.M.S. " Sentinel," presented by the Navy League. The collection of casts of prehistoric skulls has been increased by a fine representation of the Broken Hill (Rhodesia) fossil man. Bird Collections. —The principal accession was a donation of fifty sea-birds from the outlying islands of New Zealand, presented by the " France " expedition. The cases of New Zealand birds

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