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necessary to the Counties Act, 1920, to meet the administrative difficulties of County Councils in relation to their electoral procedure. The Committee also decided to refer to the General Committee for consideration a proposal to set up a Standing Committee to conduct further investigations into the possibility of consolidating into one Act all the provisions of the various local government Acts relating to local elections. The Committee also decided that the title of each Working Committee was sufficient to indicate a general order of reference. These committees have now been set up and the initial meetings will shortly be held. B. Legislation (1) Counties Amendment Act, 1949 This Act gave legislative effect to certain proposals of the New Zealand Counties Association in regard to county townships, and to a number of remits passed at recent Conferences of the Association and approved by the Government. The provisions relating to county townships represent an attempt to deal with the problem of providing services and facilities to urban areas in counties without constituting such areas as separate units of local government. This is a new experiment in county government in New Zealand which will be watched with great interest. The Act is divided into two Parts — Part I authorizes County Councils, on a petition of a majority of ratepayers within a defined area, to constitute that area a county township for the purpose of constructing and maintaining public works for the improvement and development of the area. Provision is also made for areas to be added to or excluded from constituted townships. County Councils may also on the petition of a majority of ratepayers within a county township, make and levy a separate improvement rate on all rateable property within the township for the purpose of meeting the cost of the works to be carried out. A majority of ratepayers within a county township may petition the County Council to appoint a committee of the ratepayers to act in an advisory and consultative capacity. Part II contains a number of miscellaneous provisions which cover the following range of subjects : Extraordinary vacancies ; duration of office of Councillor ; when triennial election not necessary ; appointment of deputy chairman ; annual allowance to chairman; making of special orders ; travelling-allowances of officers ; penalty for breach of by-laws ; signing of cheques ; balance-sheets ; public recreation ; private works ; land for afforestation ; fire-prevention by-laws ; and renewal funds. (2) New Zealand Counties Association Act, 1949 This Act provided for the incorporation of the New Zealand Counties Association and authorized the Association to engage in trading activities on behalf of County Councils. (3) Patriotic and Canteen Funds Amendment Act, 1949 The purpose of this Act, which is more fully discussed under the heading patriotic purposes, was to provide for the amalgamation of all patriotic and war funds. The Act contained five major provisions. First, provision was made for the vesting of the funds of the National War Funds Council in the New Zealand Patriotic Fund Board ; secondly, the trustees of war funds were authorized to transfer their funds to the New Zealand Patriotic Fund Board ; provision was also made for the vesting in the New Zealand Patriotic Fund Board of the war funds of the Joint Council of the Order of St. John and the New Zealand Red Cross Society ; the definition of " serviceman " contained in the

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