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increases in rent were considered to be justified, 78 partly justified, and 174 unjustified. Sixty-eight complaints were withdrawn, 47 because the increase was justified and 21 because the owners reduced the rent demanded. Ninety-two cases were found to be outside the scope of the Act, and no action was taken in 92 other cases for miscellaneous reasons, such as tenants having left, owners having sold to new owners for latters' own occupation, &c. ; the remaining 42 cases were not completed at the close of the year. The rent-restriction provisions were continued by the Rent Restriction Act, 1924, until the 31st August, 1925. This A°t a ls° amended the law on the lines recommended in last year's report, as follows : (1) That an agreement between the landlord and tenant as to the capital value of a dwellinghouse will not exclude the application of the rent-restriction provisions. It was pointed out last year that cases had been found where landlords had obtained agreements from their tenants as to such a capital value as would entitle the landlords to an unreasonable rent, even exceeding £2 per week, and so taking the houses beyond the scope of the Act. The amendment provides that the capital values shall be fixed by Magistrates. (2) That where the rent, payable on 3rd August, 1914, cannot be ascertained (as is now generally the case after such a long lapse of time) the capital value as at that date may be fixed by a Magistrate, and the rent shall thereupon be determined in accordance with that value. (3) For penalties against a landlord obtaining possession of a dwellinghouse by a misrepresentation that he requires the dwellinghouse for his own occupation. Previously no offence was committed unless an order of a Magistrate for possession of the dwellinghouse had been obtained. Inspectors report that the 1924 amendment has had the several effects intended, and it is noticed particularly that owners and agents do not now require tenants to sign agreements as to the capital value. Three complaints were received regarding owners obtaining possession of dwellinghouses on the ground that they required them for their own occupation and immediately reletting them. Action under the amendment above mentioned was taken in one case, and a fine was imposed. In the second case proceedings were dropped as both parties had left the district, and no offence was disclosed in the third case. Although it has been urged from time to time that this legislation should be allowed to expire, as it has the effect of discouraging the building of houses for letting purposes, a number of the Inspectors recommend its extension for a further twelve months, for the reason that considerable hardship would still be caused to many tenants ; there is still an undoubted shortage of houses, particularly of those within the means of the workers. It might be repeated that in any event the existing legislation does not apply to houses erected or first let after the 9th November, 1920. FOOTWEAR REGULATION ACT. There were 1,252 general inspections made throughout the Dominion under this Act, and stocks of footwear were carefully examined. As most if not all of the footwear that requires to be branded under the Act is imported, the arrangements made with the Customs Department have been continued by which all imported footwear is examined in the Customs sheds before being released ; this method has resulted in a considerable saving of time and in more complete inspections. There were twenty-seven prosecutions, and convictions were obtained in twenty-two cases ; fines totalling £52 lis. were imposed. After consideration at the conferences referred to last year between Inspectors of Footwear and representatives of the manufacturers, importers, retailers, and workers interested, a Bill was introduced during the parliamentary session designed to strengthen the existing provisions of the Act. The present Act does not prohibit the use of cardboard and other substitutes for leather in the soles, heels, &c., of footwear, but requires that all such substitutes shall be indicated on the soles by a legible brand. At the conferences the manufacturers and their employees, who make all-leather footwear, strongly urged the prohibition of substitutes, whether in imported wear or in New Zealand made goods ; the other representatives disagreed. As the result of the diversity of opinion the Bill was not proceeded with. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ACT. There is, no doubt, a great improvement in the type of weighing-appliances used for the purposes of trade throughout the Dominion to-day as compared with three or four years ago. This may be said to be due (1) to the system of annual reverification of weighing-appliances which came into force two years ago in the sixteen chief towns, and which has resulted in the rejection of a number of appliances that were found to be unreliable or of faulty construction and therefore unsuitable for trade : (2) to the fact that traders now more fully recognize the advantage of having efficient and reliable appliances; cheap and crudely constructed weighing - instruments are as likely to weigh against the seller as against the purchaser; the modern self-indicating machine gives quicker weighings, and is generally more efficient than the old type of scale; the appliances now on the market generally are of an improved type : (3) That the regulations of 1923 are now better known and understood by shopkeepers and scale-makers, and consequently there is a better observance of the provisions. The number of appliances examined by the Inspectors during the year again shows a considerable increase over previous years—namely, 83,105, as compared with 63,018 for the year 1923-24, and 53.298 in 1922-23. The number of premises visited during the year was 8,439, as against 6,661 during 1923-24, and 4,074 during 1922-23,