H.—22

(3) Other important provisions in the Act include the payment of compensation to persons injuriously affected by a town-planning or a regional-planning scheme ; the payment by property-owners to local authorities in respect of the betterment increase in the value of property caused through the operation of a town-planning scheme, and the application of moneys received by a local authority by way of betterment; and a provision whereby all plans for the subdivision of any land to which section 16 or section 17 of the Land Act, 1924, relates shall be submitted for the consideration of the Director of Town-planning before submission to the Minister of Lands for his approval. As the main provisions of the Act did not come into operation until the Ist January, 1927, it is not possible to give in this report a statement as to how the provisions are working. This will be more fully explained in my next report. Maori Arts and Crafts Act. The object of the Maori Arts and Crafts Act, 1926, is to encourage the dissemination of knowledge of Maori arts and crafts. It provides for the setting-up of a Board of Maori Art and the establishment under the control of the Board of one or more schools for the study and practice of these arts and crafts. The Board was set up on the 2nd December, 1926, and held its first meeting in Rotorua on the sth January, 1927. At this meeting the Board decided that its primary function was to collect together all the materials which would be useful for teaching purposes when the School of Art was definitely established. With this end in view T Mr. H. Hamilton, late of the Dominion Museum staff, was appointed Director of the School of Art, and given instructions to assemble this necessary material. Temporary accommodation at Ohinemutu was secured by the Board, and the Director established there in connection with his duties. The Board considered that this preliminary work would occupy at least one year, and no active teaching would be contemplated until the foundations of the School of Art were laid by this assembly of the teaching-materials. Much information and some material has been collected by the Director up to the 31st March. Taupo Fisheries. Section 14 of the Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1926, gave effect to an. agreement entered into with the Maoris under the provisions of the legislation passed in 1924. The primary object of the new legislation is to facilitate the use of a license to fish for trout in the Taupo waters. Regulations were subsequently passed, entitled " The Taupo Trout-fishing Regulations, 1926." These regulations were framed with a view to meeting, as far as possible, all classes of the community. It is at the same time fully realized that, with so many conflicting interests, it will take more than one season to make adequate provision for regulating fishing without imposing any undue hardship on anglers. Land Agents Act. During the year 1,085 licenses were issued and 16 transfers granted, as compared with 1,136 licenses and 13 transfers last year. There were again, cases of defalcation under consideration. Animals Protection and Game Act. As usual, open seasons for game-shooting and deer-stalking were provided in a number of acclimatization districts. The Government continued to assist, by way of bonus for each deer-tail submitted, in the thinning-out of deer in the South Island, bonuses being paid in respect of 7,302 deer killed. Protection on deer was removed in additional areas, both in the North Island and South Island. An open season was again fixed for opossums in a number of districts. 1,051 licenses were issued to trappers, and 157,480 skins were taken. Additional regulations were made respecting opossums, and the whole question continues to receive very close attention by the Department. Motor-vehicles Act. The following report has been received from the Secretary of the General Post Office, as Registrar of Motor-vehicles : — " The relicensing of motor-vehicles for the year 1927-28 was commenced on the Ist February, 1927. The number of owners who took advantage of the opportunity to relicense their vehicles prior to the rush towards the end of March was, however, disappointing. " The registration-plates were received from the manufacturers within the time specified in the contract, and were on sale by Deputy Registrars during the months of February and March, but the appeal to register early did not meet with the response anticipated by the Registrar. During the motor-registration year, which ended on the 31st March, 1927, the Registrar collected from owners of motor-vehicles the sum of £497,163. This amount, less working-expenses, has been credited to the funds of the Main Highways Board. It is pointed out that the amount

5