H.—22.

10

such as the eight fine volumes of Ireland's Memorial Records, 1914-18 ; " Work of the Royal Engineers in the European War " ; " History of the Norfolk Regiment " ; &c. These, numbering over a hundred volumes, are kept separately for the time, to be incorporated later on, together with several hundreds of volumes dealing with the Great War, in the British History Section. Incunabula. — The great list of the world's incunabula, for which the New Zealand list was prepared here, is now ready for publication, the first volume, one of twelve, having been announced. They will be published, volume by volume, at intervals. Readers and Students.—Fifty-two new permits were issued during the year. In addition to these, permits were issued to a hundred and fifty students at Kelburn Training College, and the results of their reading in the library were seen in an exhibition held afterwards in the college. There were essays and short treatises on history, ethnology, and natural history ; also maps illustrating early voyages to New Zealand, and showing in graphic form the vegetable and mineral products, &c. ; also exhibits of books, pictures, artifacts, clothing, collections of insects, shells, &c. This exhibition showed of what practical use the library can be. Several classes from the primary and secondary schools again visited the library. Visitors.—There were seven hundred visitors during the year, and it is gratifying to hear from many of those coming from abroad that the library is well known outside New Zealand. Census and Statistics Office. Steady progress in all branches of work has been made during the year, and extensions of activities have been made in several directions. Two entirely new branches of statistical inquiry, so far as New Zealand is concerned, have been inaugurated. Land-tax Statistics. —The system of annual statistics of incomes and income-tax, instituted in 1923, has proved eminently satisfactory, and valuable information is contained in the statistics now published. Equally valuable material is contained in the annual returns of land supplied to the Commissioner of Taxes for the purpose of the land-tax assessment, and arrangements were made during the year whereby annual statistics will be compiled from, the land-tax returns on a system similar to that used for the income statistics. The compilation of the statistics for the first year is now under way, the mechanical plant of the office being utilized. A card is punched in the Tax Department by members of the staff of this office, and the tabulation from the cards, which contain only the statistical items, is done in the Census and Statistics Office. Statistics of Industrial Accidents. —The other new branch of statistical inquiry referred to above covers the collection and compilation of statistics of industrial accidents. This is a subject which has come into considerable prominence during the last two or three years, principally through the activities of the International Labour Office of the League of Nations. Fairly valuable data was found to exist in the reports of accidents filled in by Inspectors of Factories under section 41 of the Factories Act, 1921-22, and, with a little necessary modification in the form, these reports now give sufficient detail to enable statistics to be compiled for New Zealand in conformity with the scheme drawn up by the International Labour Office. The work is being done by the Census and Statistics Office in co-operation with the Labour Department. Life Tables. —From the results of the last three quinquennial censuses, in combination with the records of death, life tables are now being prepared by this Office under the supervision of the actuaries of the Government Life Insurance Department. A special difficulty has been presented by the temporary and permanent loss of men on account of overseas service during the war. To enable the requisite allowance to be made for this factor, cards showing dates of birth, of embarkation and of debarkation, have had to be written in respect of a hundred thousand soldiers who left our shores, and then brought together and summarized to show the effect on the population at risk in New Zealand. Census. —The tabulation of the 1921 census results is now nearing completion, only three of the fifteen Parts —viz., Part X, Fertility ; Part XIII, Life Insurance ; and Part XIV", Households—not yet having been published. These, and the General Report on the whole of the census results, are in the press, and their publication will not long be delayed. Another census is due to be taken early next, year, and preliminary work in connection with this is already under way. Insurance Statistics. —The immense amount of detail work involved in the compilation of statistics of fire risks is being handled smoothly and expeditiously as the returns come in from month to month. The tabulating plant is invaluable for work of this nature. The compilation of the annual statistical tables of life and accident insurance, formerly carried out by the Government Life Insurance Department, has now been transferred to this office. Statistics of Venereal Disease. —For some years special statistics of venereal disease among in-patients of public hospitals have been compiled, and have furnished very useful information as to the prevalence of this disease. It has now been decided to extend the scope of the statistics to cover out-patients also, and the necessary preliminary steps towards this end have been taken in conjunction with the Health Department. Sports Statistics. —The results obtained from the collection of these statistics last year proved of considerable interest generally. It was found that owing to the excellent organization obtaining in most sports very little work is involved in the collection of the statistics, and it has therefore been decided to make the collection annually, but at separate appropriate times, for the summer and winter sports. Adelaide Statistical Conference. —A conference of the Commonwealth and State Statisticians of Australia was convened for August, 1924, with a view to co-ordinating the statistics of the various States of the Commonwealth. - In keeping with the policy of co-operation in statistical matters between