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1919, No. 26.—The National Provident Fund Amendment Act, 1919.—This Act extends the benefits conferred by the National Provident Fund Act, 1910, and its amendments. In particular it permits of persons between the ages of forty-five and fifty years becoming contributors to the fund. The other amendments are principally of an administrative character. 1919, No. 27. —The Marriage Amendment Act, 1919.—This Act provides for the giving in New Zealand of notices of marriages proposed to be solemnized in the United Kingdom in cases where one of the parties is resident in New Zealand at the giving of the notice. 1919, No. 28. —The Public Health Amendment Act, 1919. —This Act makes various amendments of the Public Health Act, 1908. Section 2 extends the power of the Governor-General to make regulations for the conservation and promotion of the public health. Sections 3, 4, and 5 extend the powers of District Health Officers for the purpose of preventing and checking infectious diseases, and for coping with an outbreak of any such disease. Section 6 enables local authorities to make by-laws for the proper cleansing, ventilation, and disinfection of theatres and other public places of amusement or resort. It repeals section 23 of the Public Health Amendment Act, 1918, which limited the hours during which picture-shows were allowed to be open to the public. Section 7 amends the provisions of the Public Health Amendment Act, 1918, relating to ruinous or insanitary dwellinghouses and other buildings. Section 10 enables local authorities to make by-laws with respect to hotels, lodginghouses, and boardinghouses. Such by-laws may prescribe the minimum floor-space, the minimum height of the walls and ceiling, and the minimum air-space to be provided for every occupant. They may also require an adequate supply of water to be provided, together with proper sanitary conveniences, and appliances for adequate lighting and heating. 1919, No. 29. —The Education Amendment Act, 1919. —This Act amends in various particulars the provisions of the Education Act, 1914. In particular it makes provision with respect to — (1.) The election of School Committees : (2.) Grants to Education Boards from the Consolidated Fund for general purposes and in assistance of School Committees : (3.) Accounts to be kept and returns to be furnished by Education Boards: (4.) Grants in aid of technical high schools : (5.) Appointment of Inspectors of Schools : (6.) Regulations for the grading and staffing of schools, and prescribing rates of salaries, allowances, and increments for teachers, pupil-teachers, probationers, and trainingcollege students; and prescribing conditions with respect to grants of financial assistance to secondary schools on account of free pupils. 1919, No. 30. —The Counties Amendment Act, 1919.—Section 2 of this Act empowers the GovernorGeneral by Order in Council to authorize County Councils to make by-laws with respect to the licensing of vehicles. Section 3 authorizes County Councils to provide residences for medical practitioners engaged in the practice of their profession within the county. 1919, No. 31. —The Companies Amendment Act, 1919.—This Act amends the Companies Act, 1908, with respect to reserve capital. It renders effective securities upon the uncalled capital of a company, and provides that in the event of the winding-up of the company such securities will have priority. Subsection (2) of section 2 excludes private companies from the operation of section 37 of the principal Act (relating to reserve capital). 1919, No. 32.—The Housing Act, 1919.—This Act is divided into Parts as follows :— Part I. Workers' Dwellings. Part 11. Special Settlements for Public Servants. Part 111. Loans to Employers for Workers' Dwellings. Part IV. Erection of Workers' Dwellings by Harbour Boards. Part V. Erection of Workers' Dwellings by other Local Authorities. Part VI. Advances to Workers under State Advances Act. Part VII. Restrictions on Increase of Rent. Part VIII. Erection of Staff Residences by Banks. Part I (Workers' Dwellings) : This Part is in substitution for the Workers' Dwellings Act, 1910, and its amendments. It provides for the building of houses by the Workers' Dwellings Board on behalf of the Crown, and for the sale or lease of those dwellings to workers • as defined in the Act. No person is qualified to acquire a dwelling under this Part of the Act if his annual income exceeds £300 (in the case of a person with not more than two children dependent on him), or £300 increased by £20 in respect of each child or other dependant in excess.of two (in the cases of other applicants). The maximum price of a wooden building is fixed at £750, and of a concrete or brick building at £850. Buildings may be purchased on a system of time payment, extending over not more than thirty years in the case of a wooden building, and not more than thirty-six years and a half in the cases of other buildings. Interest is payable by the purchaser on unpaid purchase-money at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum, reducible to 4£ per cent, per annum on punctual payment. Buildings disposed of under the Act are for all time subject to certain restrictions on alienation, and attempted dispositions in contravention of the Act are void. For the purposes of the acquisition of land and buildings and for the erection of dwellings the Minister of Finance is empowered to borrow annually the sum of £750,000. ™- • P . art J 1 ( S P ecial Settlements for Public Servants) : This Part of the Act enables the Minister of Finance to borrow annually the sum of £250,000 to be advanced by way of loan to public servants, or to societies of public servants, for the purpose of carrying out approved schemes for the establishment of village settlements or garden suburbs fL Jr^V 11 anS t0 Em P lo y ers for Workers' Dwellings) : This Part of the Act enables the Minister of finance to borrow annually the sum of £250,000 to be advanced to employers for the purpose of the erection of dwellinghouses to be disposed of to their employees on conditions to be apprcred by the Minister. F '