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provide that benzine shall not be exposed to trie air except under approved conditions contained in the license. A license is required for all premises where more than 3 gallons of benzine are kept for use in such work. Conveyance. —These regulations refer mostly to the conveyance of dangerous goods in town areas, and are intended to be enforced where benzine, &c, is'handled in large quantities, and where, as at ports of import, it is found necessary to convey leaky packages of dangerous goods. Provision is made that vehicles loaded with dangerous goods shall not be allowed to remain stationary during meal-hours or while waiting shipment, except at "parking-places" approved by the local inspector. Marking. —These regulations provide that every package containing dangerous goods shall have attached a label which is separate from any advertising-matter, and is of definite size, colour, and shape. The object is to familiarize the public with a distinctive " dangerous goods." label which will be recognized at once, irrespective of the size and shape of the package, and even though defaced to some extent. The wording prescribed contains a concise statement of the particular dangers of the goods and the precautions to be observed in handling. •''■'■ J. S. MaclauriN. The Under-Secretary, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington.

IV. REPORT OF THE ACTING-DIRECTOR, DOMINION MUSEUM. 30th June, 1921. Owing to the absence of the Director, Dr. J. Allan Thomson, through illness, the duty devolves on me of submitting the report on the operations and activities of the Museum for the past year. General. , , Routine activities have been carried on as usual, but, apart from these, much important work bearing on the future has been accomplished by the Director and his staff. The Director attended the first pan-Pacific scientific conference in Honolulu last year, and on the return journey visited Samoa and other islands. Following his return to the Dominion he visited and inspected the volcanic areas of the North Island. Since then a breakdown in his health has necessitated a complete rest from official duties. He has furnished the following statement on his visit to Honolulu and Samoa, and on the proposed volcanic observatory for New Zealand : — " Pan-Pacific Science Congress. —In August, 1920, I attended the meetings of the first panPacific Congress in Honolulu, as representative of the Government. This congress was initiated by the pan-Pacific Union, an association with headquarters in Honolulu, for developing the common interests of countries lying in or on the shores of the Pacific. The majority of the delegates came from the United States and the Hawaiian Islands, but there were representatives of Canada, Japan, Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand,, so that, except for the absence of delegates from South America, the name of ' pan-Pacific ' was well justified. , , " The subjects discussed covered most branches of science having any regional aspect, and a large number of resolutions setting forth the needs for further research in the Pacific region were passed. These have already been issued in printed form in the preliminary report of the congress, and copies have been supplied to all the Government Departments in New Zealand interested, and to the principal scientific libraries. The full report of the congress will be somewhat in the,nature of a gazetteer of scientific work in the Pacific, as for many sciences it will set forth what.agencies haye been at work, what progress "has'been accomplished, and what remains to be. done. It should'therefore prove a useful work of reference, and help to guide future work in the Pacific region into the most desirable channels. " It was resolved that future congresses should be held at intervals not exceeding three years, and a committee, on which Professor C. Chilton, of Canterbury College, is the New Zealand member, was set up to arrange for future congresses. The first congress necessarily dealt with Pacific problems in a o-eneral manner, in the attempt to cover the whole ground. Future congresses may be expected to devote themselves more to particular problems affecting the country or part of the Pacific in which the congress is held. It is desirable that New Zealand'should, for its own sake, take a prominent part in future congresses. _ ..-.,',■■. " Volcano Observatory, Kilauea, Hawaii. —Opportunity was taken during my presence in the Hawaiian Islands to visit the Volcano Observatory situated near the volcano of Kilauea, and to study the volcano problems presented by the Hawaiian system, and the methods adopted by the Obsorvatorv for their solution. This institution was commenced by a private association, but. during the war came under the control of the United States Weather Bureau. The scientific staff consists of the Director, Dr. T. A. Jaggar, who is well known in New Zealand owing to his recent visit, "and Mr. R. H. Finch, Physicist. "Besides meteorological observations, the regular routine of the Observatory .comprises the continuous recording of earthquake shocks and tremors, and measurement of the tilt of. the ground, and periodical theodolite measurements of the height of the lava lake in the crater, together with/the description of any unusual volcanic activity, and any changes in the ground. Besides throwing a flood of light on the nature of volcanic phenomena in general, the work of the Observatory has made the prediction of local eruptions possible, and the success of the predictions has, already been established. . ~

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