H.—22

last year. Mrs. Balcombe Brown : W. Hodge's drawings of New Zealand plants. This is a veritable Cook relic. Hodge was a landscape painter, engaged by the British Admiralty, who accompanied Captain Cook on his second voyage, 1772-75. Hon. W. H. Triggs, M.L.C.: Several hundreds of books, periodicals, and pamphlets relating principally to New Zealand, some dating back to the earliest days of settlement. Hon. G. Fowlds : Thirty-eight volumes of " The Statesman's Year-book," and over a hundred pamphlets and periodicals. H. Hamilton : Twenty-five autograph letters from noted British scientists, and a dozen engraved portraits ; also a Persian manuscript foolscap volume, an 1800 copy of the Iskander-namah, a long poem on the legendary career of Alexander the Great. Sir Joseph J. Kinsey: A copy of the rare Canterbury Punch, 1865. J. McDonald: A number of black-and-white (wash) portraits, and an etching, of New Zealand notable historical personages. D. McLean : A fine enlarged framed portrait of his father, the late Sir Donald McLean. H. Andersen: A set (18 volumes) of the works of George Brandes, Danish critic, in the original. H. Lundius : Seven volumes of Swedish writers (in the original), including Tegner, author of the famous Frithiof Saga. F. B. Butler : W. Crane, " Floral Fantasy," and autograph letter of Sir Joseph Banks. E. G. Pilcher : Set of charts of New Zealand coast formerly belonging to the boat "Prince of Wales," also many pamphlets and miscellaneous publications, and photos of ships. Besides these were—Dr. H. M. Prins, many volumes of stamp journals, six volumes of " The Call of the Light" (privately printed poems by Miss K. Gerard); old Bibles, by E. Hampden Cook (Manchester, England), C. W. Smith (Christehurch), Miss A. H. Cole (Wanganui); W. H. Hodson, a Hindu reed book ; M. Crompton Smith, Maori newspapers, including a large number of the Maori Recor d \ W. Mantel], atlas, charts, and illustrations, voyage of " Lion " and " Hindostan " to China, 1792-93; R. J. Barnes, Text of Staunton, 1796, to accompany the last-mentioned and other books; J. A. Ferguson (Sydney), " Seven Poems by D. E. Wilcox " ; Mr. Moorhouse (nephew of the late W. S.Moorhouse), " Ambergate Railway Act and Reference," used in connection with opening of the Lyttelton-Christchurch Railway, the first in New Zealand; Miss Turner, "E. Waller's Poetical Works," and Scott's " Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border " ; Mrs. Bradney Williams, D'Annunzio's " Cabiria," and various music periodicals; A. J. Bennett, pencil drawing by C. D. Barraud. Donations for the war section are still being received of histories of the various regiments that took part in the Great War; three arriving during the year. Incunabula. —The printing of the great list of the world's incunabula (books printed before the year 1500) has been begun, and the first volume " Gesamtkatalon der Wiegendrucke," a large quarto of 680 pages, authors Ato Al, and printed in Leipzig, has been received. The New Zealand public libraries containing incunabula are included in the list. Philatelic Library.—The Philatelic Society of New Zealand lodged its excellent philatelic library in the library during the year. In consideration of the books being permanently added to the Turnbull collection the Department undertakes to have the periodicals bound, and to allow members of the society as free access to the volumes as they have enjoyed whilst they were in their own possession. By this addition the library secures the best collection of the kind in the Dominion, and the society secures permanent and safe housing for its library, and easy accessibility to the volumes. Library Conference, —A conference of public libraries was held in Dunedin on the 13th and 14th January, 1926, when matters concerning the general working of public libraries were discussed. Qook's Third Voyage.—ln March the rarity of one of the books in the library, Zimmerman's account of his experiences with Cook during the third voyage, was made known, and as great interest was evinced, portions of the book were translated and published in the Press. The book reveals a good deal more of the characteristics of Cook than was hitherto known. Readers and Students.—Fifty-two new readers' permits were issued during the year, and students have been working in the library regularly through the year, day and evening, the principal subjects being journalism in New Zealand, Maori land laws, Maori religion before contact with the European, history of particular districts and particular people. Visits were paid to the library by large parties from public primary schools, a large number from private and secondary schools, and several parties of students from Kelburn Training College. Visitors. —There were 750 visitors during the year, in addition to the parties of students and scholars already referred to. List of Books.—With a view to lessening the general lack of information that was found to prevail abroad on the subject of literature relating to the Dominion, a list of 100 representative New Zealand books was prepared by the librarian and printed during the year, as Bulletin No. 1 of the library. Copies of the bulletin have since been forwarded to all the principal libraries in Great Britain, the United States, and Australia. Census and Statistics Office. During the last twelve months the Census and Statistics Office has continued its policy of gradually expanding its activities by entering new fields of statistical investigation and at the same time extending the scope of existing branches of inquiry. Employment and Unemployment. —A commencement has been made in this important branch of inquiry by the institution of a system of quarterly collection of statistics from secretaries of labour unions, showing the number of members unemployed during a specified week. Advantage is being taken of the advent of the quinquennial census to obtain not only the usual information as to the number of wage-earners who have been out of employment for more than a week immediately preceding the census date, but also particulars of working-days lost during the preceding twelve months. Weekly statistics of the activities of the employment bureaux of the Labour Department have been instituted, the returns supplied by these bureaux to the Labour Department being utilized.

2—H. 22.

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