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renewal, and subject to such rents and conditions and in such manner and form as he may think fit, and it is anticipated that under these powers it will be possible to arrange a suitable lease in the public interest. Section 27 made special provision for the management and administration of the Mount Smart Domain. The domain comprises a volcanic cone which originally rose to a height of some 286 ft. The reserve was constituted in 1877 by the Onehunga Endowments Act, which vested the management of the area in the Onehunga Borough Council subject to the rights of the Government and certain local authorities to take metal therefrom. By special legislation in 1925 power to dispose of quarrying-rights was granted to the Borough Council. Quarrying operations have been carried out somewhat indiscriminately, and in order that the area may eventually be made suitable for recreation purposes it has been decided to fix a definite level of 115 ft. below which no quarrying may take place. In 1921 special legislation was passed providing that the funds of the Mount Smart Domain and of the Onehunga Domain (also controlled by the Borough Council) should form a common fund. It has now been decided that all moneys received in respect of the Mount Smart Domain should be held in trust for the ultimate improvement of the land for recreation purposes, and also that control of the domain should be vested in a Board representative of the Crown and of the local authorities directly interested. The special legislation therefore repealed all former legislation affecting the domain, cancelled the rights thereover vested in the Onehunga Borough Council, and made the domain subject to the provisions of Part II of the Public Reserves, Domains, and National Parks Act, 1928. A fully representative Board will now be appointed, and in future all moneys received will be retained solely for the management, administration, and improvement of the domain. It also fixed a level of 115 ft. below which quarrying may not be carried out, and made the granting of any quarrying rights subject to the prioc approval of the Minister. The right of the Railways Department to extract scoria above the level of 115 ft. has been protected. The public domains of the Dominion are now playing a very considerable part in the daily life of the people, and the various Domain Boards are in general carrying out their duties in a commendable manner. The members of these Boards give their services gratuitously, and in many cases the amount of time and work involved is very considerable. The Department is grateful to the Boards for their good work, and on its part is always willing to give any assistance in its power to assist the Boards in every possible way. The policy of the Department has always been to make ample provision for recreation reserves when land is being subdivided, and the results of this policy may be seen in the hundreds of splendid domains that exist throughout the country. Ample powers are contained in the Land Act, 1924, for the reservation of areas of Crown lands for the use and recreation of the general public, and in the great majority of cases these areas, after reservation, are created public domains and placed under the control of local authorities or special Boards constituted pursuant to the provisions of Part II of the Public Reserves, Domains, and National Parks Act, 1928. Difficulties arise, however, in the case of those districts where no reserves have been set aside for public recreation and where no Crown land is available. In such cases the Department always endeavours, within the limits of its financial resources, to assist in the acquisition of suitable land, and in this way a number of recreation areas have been provided for districts which previously possessed no available sports grounds. A great deal more could be done in this direction if the Department could receive a more generous allocation of funds for general domain purposes. PART lI.—NATIONAL PARKS. The national parks of the Dominion at present comprise the following areas : —

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Name of Park. Approximate Reference to Constitution. Area in Acres. North Island. 1. Tongariro.. .. .. 150,000 I The Tongariro National Park Act, 1922. 2. Egmont .. .. .. 79,000 j The Egmont National Park Act, 1924. South Island. 3. Arthur Pass .. .. 117,000 Part III of the Public Reserves, Domains, and National Parks Act, 1928. 4. National Park in Minchin, 94,060 Reserved under the Land Act, 1892. Bealey, Davie, and Hawdon Survey Districts 5. Sounds (Fiordland) .. 2,407,000 Reserved under the Land Acts and special legislation. In addition to the above, the following areas are also commonly regarded as national parks : — 6. Peel Forest Park .. .. 1,305 The Peel Forest Act, 1926. 7. Hooker Glacier .. .. 28,000 Reserved for recreation purposes under the Land Act, 1885. 8. Tasman Park .. .. 97,800 Reserved for recreation purposes under the Land Acts, 1885 and 1908. 9. Godley Glacier .. .. 18.900 Reserved for recreation purposes under the Land Act, 1924. Note. —The original area of No. 4 was 150,000 acres, but approximately 56,000 acres are now included in No. 3.