A.—l

20

(2.) Section 3 authorizes the administrator of the estate of a deceased person to cull upon a claimant to take legal proceedings to determine a disputed claim within three months of the rejection of that claim. .(3.) Section 4 provides for the furnishing of certain particulars to the Public Trustee on the filing of applications for administration by persons other than the Public Trustee. -No. 9. The Death Duties Amendment Act, 191] : Amends in various particulars the Death Duties Act, 1909. In particular— (1.) Section 7 provides that the local situation in the United Kingdom of any property shall be determined in accordance with the law of England. (I.) Section 8 exempts from the payment of duty any gift which (together with all other gifts made within twelve months by the same donor to the same beneficiary) does not exceed £1,000. The former exemption was in respect of gifts not exceeding £500 and made within a period of six months. (3.) Section 10 exempts from the payment of succession duty successions not exceeding £200 in value. No. 10. The Land-tax and Income-tax Act, 191 ! : Imposes a land-tax and an income-tax for the year ending the 31st March, 1912, at the several rates specified therein. No. 11. The Rating Amendment Act, 1911 : Extends to water rates, gas rates, electric-light rates, sewage rates, and hospital and charitable-aid rates the system of rating on the unimproved value in districts where that system is in force. Under the principal Act that system did not apply to the rates herein specified. No. 12. The University of Otago Council Act, 1911 : Makes new provision for the election or appointment of the members of the Council of the Otago University. No. 13. The New Zealand State-guaranteed Advances Amendment Act, 1911: Authorizes an amount of £750,000 (instead of £500,000) per annum to be expended by way of advances to workers; and makes other amendments of minor importance in the New Zealand State-guaranteed Advances Act, 1909. No. 14. The Old-age Pensions Amendment Act, 1911: Amends in various particulars the Old-age Pensions Act, 1908. An important extension of the principal Act is made by section 4. which provides for a pension at the age of sixtj' years (in the case of a male) or fifty-five years (in the case of a female) if the applicant for the pension has dependent on him or her two or more children under the age of fourteen years. In such cases the amount of the pension may (in the discretion of the Magistrate hearing the application) exceed an ordinary pension by a sum not exceeding £13 (that is, may amount to £39 per annum). Other amendments are made to remove hardships that have arisen in the course of administration —chiefly with reference to the computation of income in respect of which a deduction from the pension is made. No. 15. The Aid to Public Works and Land Settlement Act. 1911 : Authorizes the raising of £1.500,000, to be expended as follows: — (a.) For construction of railways, £500,000. (b.) For rolling-stock, &c, £300,000. (n.j For construction of roads, tracks, and bridges for opening up backblocks, developing goldfields, &c, £500,000. (d.) For other public works, £200,000. No. 16. The Widows' Pensions Act, 1911 : Authorizes the payment of pensions to widows in indigent circumstances, having dependent upon them a child or children under the age of fourteen years. The rates of pension are as follows: — (a.) To a widow with one such child, £12 per annum. (b.) To a widow with two such children, £18 per annum. (c.) To a widow with three such children, £24 per annum. (d.) To a widow with four or more such children, £30 per annum. The rates above specified are subject to a deduction of £1 for every £1 of the annual income of the widow in excess of £30. Personal earnings, however, are not deemed to be income unless (and only to the extent to which) they exceed (together with a pension under the Act) the sum of £100.' The right to receive a pension is not absolute, but is subject to the good moral character and sober habits of the pensioner. Section 18 permits payments to be made to a person other than the pensioner, in trust for her and her children, if the Commissioner, for any reason (e.g., the age, infirmity, or improvidence of the pensioner), thinks it advisable that personal pa}nzients should not be made. A pension under the Act is declared by section 27 to be inalienable by way of assignment, charge, execution, bankruptcy, or otherwise howsoever. No. 17. The Patents, Designs, and Trade-marks Act, 1911 : This Act repeals the Patents, Designs, and Trade-marks Act, 1908 (with tTie exception of certain sections relating to offences in respect of trade-marks), and adopts with certain modifications the Imperial Acts relating to the same matter. The following are the most important of the material alterations of the law effected by the new Act: — Patents. —Section 29 enables the Supreme Court to make an order permitting the manufacture or carrying-on in New Zealand of a patented article or process on being satisfied that the patentee is not causing that article or process to be manufactured or carried on to an adequate extent in New Zealand. No such order is to be made within four years of the date of the patent, nor does it authorize the importation into New Zealand of a patented article in breach of the provisions of the patent.