C.—lo,

freehold agreed to the exchange, which will be of advantage to himself and in the best interests of the domain. Certain payments made by the Christclrurch Domain Board in connection with a display of plants and flowers at the National Show in Dunedin, and to cover the expenses of an officer of the Board incurred in attending the annual conference of Superintendents and Curators of Public Parks and Gardens held at Dunedin at the time of the show, were validated, as there was no statutory authority for such payments. In the circumstances it was considered desirable that the Board's action should be validated. Authority was provided for the application of moneys received in respect of the Onairo Domain for the purposes of the Pukemiro and Onairo River Scenic Reserves. PART lI.—NATIONAL PARKS. No new parks were constituted during the year, nor were any extensive additions made to any of the existing parks. An area of 57 acres 2 roods 10 perches near Ohakune was, however, added to the Tongaririo National Park. The area, which is all in heavy bush, lay between two existing portions of the Park, and its inclusion in the national reserve was very desirable. A fire-break has been formed' on the eastern boundary to safeguard the bush. The goat menace in the Egmont National Park was thoroughly investigated by Captain Yerex, of the Internal Affairs Department, who submitted a valuable and informative report on the whole matter. Following on this report a grant of £500 was made to the Park Board to enable goat-destruction operations to be undertaken, and satisfactory results are anticipated. The new road through the Eglinton and the Upper Hollyford Valleys again attracted large numbers of visitors, and the various camping-grounds were well patronized. The Department maintained a motor-cycle patrol throughout the season. Extracts from the annual reports of the Tongariro and Arthur Pass National Park Boards are appended hereto. The financial position of all the Park Boards is most unsatisfactory, and some way of providing sufficient funds must be found. The Department is hopeful that the great value to the Dominion of these national reserves will be recognized by a much more generous allocation of State funds in the future.

4