17

A.—2

of Lords) have inquired in which parts of His Majesty's Dominions the principle of the joint guardianship of father and mother over infant children is practised, and have asked that they may be supplied with copies of any legislation on the subject. 2. I should be glad to learn what answer may be made to the Committee so far as New Zealand is concerned. The Committee would be particularly grateful to receive a memorandum as to the working of any legislation that may exist dealing with this matter, and they have also asked whether any officers are likely to be in London in November next who would be competent to supplement such information. I have, &c, WINSTON S. CHURCHILL. Governor-General His Excellency the Right Hon. Viscount Jellicoe, G.C.8., 0.M., G.C.V.0., &c.

No. 2:3. New Zealand, No. 201. My Lord, — Downing Street, 4th October, 1922. ' I have the honour to request Your Excellency to inform your Ministers that the managing committee of the Tropical Diseases Bureau have approached me with a request that the Government of New Zealand may be invited to make an annual contribution to the Bureau. 2. The Tropical Diseases Bureau came into existence in July, 1912, as an expansion of the Sleeping Sickness Bureau, which was founded in 1908. The main purpose of the Bureau is to collect information relating to the prevalence, recognition, prevention, and treatment of diseases met with in tropical and subtropical regions, and to make this information available to all interested persons. This has been done by means of the Tropical Diseases Bulletin, which used to be published twice monthly, but is now published monthly. The Bulletin contains classified summaries of papers on diseases prevalent in the tropics and sub-tropical countries generally, taken from some two hundred journals published in various languages. Bach subject is under the charge of an expert, who is responsible for the accuracy of his summaries, and whose duty it is to point out errors when in bis belief statements made by the author are not correct. Thus the Bulletin does what no individual could do for himself, even if all the literature were at his disposal and his knowledge of languages were sufficient to enable him to follow the articles published in foreign journals, as it places on record with the minimum of delay every advance in knowledge of tropical medicine and hygiene throughout the world. 3. Every year three numbers of the Bulletin are published called " Sanitation Supplement of the Tropical Diseases Bullet in." These are obtainable separately, and will form an annual volume of about 150 pages entirely given up to applied hygiene or preventive medicine in the tropics ; in these supplements medical and sanitary reports from all parts of the British Empire, and from foreign countries outside Europe and North America, receive notice, and suggestions and criticisms are added. 4. Besides the Tropical Diseases Bulletin the Bureau publishes quarterly the Tropical Veterinary Bulletin, of which the object is to deal with diseases of domestic animals in tropical and subtropical regions in the same way that the Tropical Diseases Bulletin deals with human diseases. 5. Apart from the publications, the Bureau has built up a valuable library containing most of the journals and reports of which the contents are summarized, and these are available for consultation by medical men and others who come to this country from the Dominions, colonies, and other parts of the Empire. The Bureau library has now been amalgamated with the library of the London School of Tropical Medicine. 6. The Bureau is under the general management of a committee of which Sir H. Read, K.C.M.G., C.8., is Chairman and on which some of the most distinguished scientific men connected with tropical medicine are good enough to serve. It is maintained by grant in aid from the Imperial Treasury and contributions from

3—A. 2.