5

8.—2

Ranging. —The whole of the district has been well ranged during the year, and every portion has been visited. Owing to repeated reports of dynamiting in the Whakatane rivers, a ranger has been temporarily appointed for that district, at the instance of the local rod and gun club, by which action it is hoped this objectionable practice will be stopped, or materially checked. Proceedings were taken by the ranger against several offenders for breaches of the fishing and game laws, the offenders being convicted and fined in each instance. In consequence of the improvement in the game and fishing obtainable in the district, the practice has grown up among the landowners, mostly Natives, in the Taupo and Tokaanu localities, of charging anglers a fee for the right to go on their property to fish. At Ruatoki, in the Urewera country, the Natives have formed an anglers' club of their own. and any outsider wishing to fish in this locality is compelled to join the club, and to pay a ss. membership fee, before he is allowed to fish. These practices are a source of great annoyance and irritation to anglers, especially those from overseas, who complain very strongly of the imposition. In consequence of receiving numerous complaints, a conference will be held between the Natives and the Departments interested, and it is hoped some settlement of this very irritating question will be arrived at before next fishing season. Marking Trout. —For some time past the lack of definite information regarding the life habits of the trout has become very apparent, particularly as regards the actual age, spawning-periods, rate of growth, range of travel, tho effects of the parasite, and other details. The present knowledge of these matters is largely assumption, and the advisability of marking trout has often been urged by scientists and scientific bodies. The Department intends to make a commencement with this work, and has consequently ordered 500 oxydized-silver tags with which to mark the trout. A commencement will be made on receipt of the tags from England, and the work will be carried out by tho departmental Ranger (W. Cobeldick), who has had previous experience in this branch, of ichthyology, and who has already collected over one hundred different sets of trout-scales of the rainbow and brown varieties of trout. 'Bath Buildings : Balneologist's Report. As shown by the following statement, the general receipts for the year present a marked increase, and our financial returns are more satisfactory than they have been for the last ten years ; particularly is this noticeable in the receipts from tho Sanatorium and massage departments. No doubt the Empire Exhibition has drawn away many of our habitual visitors, and this will account for the falling-off in other respects. During the year the Sanatorium has ably maintained its sphere of usefulness, and the percentage of cures has been well above the average. The time is more than ripe for the expansion of our treatments, as the accommodation in the present main bathhouse is quite inadequate for our hydrotherapeutic work. In the beginning of March last, following upon the meeting of the New Zealand Medical Conference in Auckland, a great number of medical men visited Rotorua. This occasion was, particularly in respect to the overseas medical visitors, an opportune one, and they were greatly surprised to find at our spa such up-to-date facilities for hydro-therapeutic treatments. Moreover, as the subject of arthritis was dealt with exhaustively at the Conference, I was glad of the opportunity to demonstrate the practical side of our work in combating this widespread malady. In connection with the International Society of Medical Hydrology, I am writing a series of articles of the treatments carried out at this spa. The first article was published in The Archives last January, and has been quoted in several of the medical journals. As The Archives is circulated throughout the spa world, these notes should help to familiarize the European and American hydrologists with the value of our unique mineral waters, and the importance of Rotorua as an active hydro-therapeutic centre. In the course of the year 25,000 treatments —exclusive of baths—were given, and the statistics of our cures are indicative of the value of our spa work. The main line of criticism levelled by the overseas visitors to our spa is that we do not; make enough of our wonderful assets, and in certain respects one must admit that such criticism is just. Our natural assets are without parallel, but we do not present them in an attractive form. Our treatments arc as up-to-date as circumstances will permit, but there are serious defects in the conditions governing our work. Many of the baths require modernizing, and the appointments of some of our most important treatments leave a wide field for improvement. In conclusion, I should like to place on record my deep indebtedness to my staff who, by loyal service 'to myself and the Department, have so materially assisted mo in carrying out my duties as Government Balneologist.

Statement of Receipts.

Particulars. 1928-24. Increase. 1922-23. Decrease. Bath fees Treasury credit Players' fees Out-patients' fees Sanatorium fees Treasury credit Massage foes Te Aroha water Radium water Miscellaneous £ s. d. 2,799 8 3\ 96 6 0/ 853 4 4 538 13 0 4,649 4 8\ 77 10 0/ 1,698 7 (i 219 14 I £ s. d. £ a. d. 3,384 4 1\ 54 9 0/ 810 7 3 548 5 6 2,794 11 10\ 313 5 11/ I,259 8 9 270 0 3 0 l> 9 1 3 0 £ s. d. 542 18 10 42 17 1 1,618 16 II 1) 12 0 438 18 Ii 50 (i 2 0 6 9 1 3 0 Totals 10,932 7 10 2,100 12 9 9,436 2 4 604 7 3 Slet increase, £1,4! 16 5s. 6d.