H.—3l. General. 1. Hospital and charitable-aid expenditure has increased in the ten years ended 31st March, 1914, from 6s. Id. per head of population to 10s. 9-J-d. For the year ended 31st March, 1915, it was 10s. 6fd. per head. 2. In 1914-15, 28-6 per 1,000 of the population availed themselves of hospital treatment, as against 18-5 in 1905-6. 3. And the average number of occupied beds per diem rose from 1,354 to 2,364, or from 1-54 to 2-16 per 1,000 of the population. 4. The resulting capital expenditure necessitated thereby has provided 3,531 beds, as against 2,186, or 3*22 per 1,000 of the population, as against 2-49 in 1905-6. 5. Capital expenditure on general hospitals was £20,379 in 1904-5, £113,353 in 1913-14, and £80,485 in 1914-15. 6. In addition to the necessity for providing additional wards, many of the old wooden hospitals have had to be rebuilt. 7. The cost per occupied bed in the general hospitals during the last five years has been, — £ s. d. 1910-11 .. .. .. .. .. .. 96 19 0 1911-12 .. .. .. .. .. .. 106 6 0 1912-13 .. .. .. .. .. .. 100 6 0 1913-14 .. .. .. .. .. .. 105 2 0 1914-15 .. .. .. .. .. .. 106 4 0 8. Patients' payments have averaged, per occupied bed, — 1910-11 .. .. .. .. .. .. 20 17 8 1911-12 .. .. .. .. .. .. 21 12 0 1912-13 .. .. .. .. .. .. 22 8 0 1913-14 .. .. .. .. .. .. 23 10 0 1914-15 .. .. .. .. .. .. 25 12 0 T. H. A. Valintine, Inspector-General of Hospitals and Chief Health Officer. THE NURSES REGISTRATION ACT, MIDWIVES ACT, AND PART 111 OF THE HOSPITALS AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS ACT, 1909. The Nurses Registration Act. During the year two examinations were held by the State. There were 146 candidates, of whom 128 passed, and their names were placed on the register of trained nurses. The receipts of fees for examination and registration amounted to £177, and the expenses in connection with the examination £176 17s. 4d. The nurses registered on certificates from overseas hospitals were thirty-seven. During the latter six months of the year very few nurses from overseas applied for registration, the war undoubtedly keeping them in their own countries. There have not been many developments or changes in the administration of this Act since last report. The regulations passed last year are now being carried out. Many of the training-schools have added to their accommodation for patients, and thus are able to train a larger number of pupils. The New Zealand Army Nursing Service has at last been formed. A body of 110 nurses has been enrolled, and although until an amendment of the Defence Act is passed this body cannot be actually incorporated in the Defence Forces of the Dominion, it is recognized by the Government as a part of the defence scheme and the conditions of service have been authorized. The acceptance by the Army Council of an offer made by the Government of fifty nurses for service during the war had given a stimulus to the formation of a Nursing Service. These fifty nurses were selected from all over the Dominion, and despatched to England under the the charge of the Matron-in-Chief. At the commencement of the war six nurses were sent with the troops to Samoa, where they have rendered excellent service. They were stationed at the hospital at Apia formerly owned by the Germans. Maori Nurses and Native-health Work. The training of Maori nurses has been somewhat disappointing. Of several who started their preliminary one-year training, only two remained in the hospital to complete the three-years course. There are now three in training. During the year two Maori nurses were appointed assistant nurses for the Native-health work ■ —Nurses Rena Te Au and Ngapori Naera. Nurses Ellen Taere and Maud Matairo resigned. Both had done very good work, but tired of the conditions of working in typhoid camps. District Nurses. There are now working in different parts of the country fourteen district nurses. This branch of work might well be extended, but one great difficulty in the way is that of getting nurses with all needed qualifications to take it up. The conditions of work in some of the country parts are very hard, and the people expect, besides the anxious nursing of the sick, too much from the nurses in work for the well. Plunhel Nurses. The number of branches of this society now mamtaining nurses, with an assistance from the Government amounting to considerably more than half the expenses of each nurse, has increased to