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consisting of paraffin wax and petrol was being used to dress tarpaulins. Whilst the mixture was being poured into a jar some of it splashed over the operator's clothing and the fumes ignited from an adjacent copper fire. The man received burns which proved fatal. Six persons received grave injuries as the result of accidents arising from the use of dangerous goods, and a number of persons sustained injuries of a minor nature in similar accidents. The causes of the accidents were various, embracing such operations as the use of petrol for home dry-cleaning, lighting fires with benzine, and generally the bringing of naked lights into contact with highly inflammable vapours. Accidents arising from the use of petrol for home dry-cleaning, however, are the greatest single cause of injury. Despite the publicity given per medium both of the press and of these reports, many persons still persist in carrying out home dry-cleaning with petrol with complete disregard of the risks they run. If dry-cleaning must be done at home it should certainly be done in the open, well away from all fires or naked lights. There are obtainable dry-cleaning liquids, such as the mineral turpentine substitutes, which are relatively non-hazardous, and which are practically as convenient for use as petrol. Many of the dry-cleaning concerns are now using these liquids for their business in preference to petrol. Cinematograph Films Act. Licenses. —During the year ended 30th September, 1933, licenses were issued as- follows (corresponding figures for the previous year in parentheses) : Exhibitors, 378 (436); circuit exhibitors, 29 (25); renters, 13 (13); storage, 4 (5). Accidents. —The number of fires occurring in theatres during the projection of film was five, as compared with seven during the previous year. In only one case was more than one spool of film destroyed. The circumstances of this fire were investigated immediately after, and it was ascertained that f;he film in the programme-box was fired by a spool of film burning on the floor close by. Had the operator obeyed the instructions circulated by the Department and removed the programme-box from the projection-room immediately the fire reached the film in the spool-magazine, the fire loss would have been confined to the two spools exposed at the time. It is satisfactory, however, to note that the fire was confined to the projection-room, and as the safety shutters operated immediately the fire occurred the audience was not alarmed and left the theatre quietly. Motion-picture Industry Inquiry. —As a result of representations which were made to the Government during the year by persons interested, a Committee of inquiry was set up at the beginning of the present year to make a general investigation into the conditions existing in the motion-picture industry. This Committee, after hearing evidence, issued a report recommending that amendments should be made in the Cinematograph Films Act, and it is expected that these will be considered by Parliament during the coming session. Film Censorship. During the year 2,010 films of all classes, of a total length of 5,280,360 ft., were examined by the Censors. Of this number 32 were rejected in the first instance and 166 were passed subject to excisions, while 194 were passed with recommendations that they were more suitable for adult audiences. Ten appeals were lodged against the Censor's decisions. In three cases the Censor's decisions were reversed and in seven cases upheld. An analysis of the work shows : —

Quota Films. —The countries of origin of the 508 quota films were as follows : Great Britain 144, Australia 2, United States of America 359, Germany 1, Russia 2. Rejections.—Of the 32 films which were rejected 28 were " quota " and 4 " non-quota." One of the " quota " films was of British origin, 2 were Russian, and 25 American, while the 4 " non-quota " films were of American origin. Posters and Press-sheets.—Censorship of posters and press-sheets is being maintained. In some cases considerable amendments were necessary in the more lurid types of posters and objectionable words and views eliminated from press advertisements. Dominion Museum. Preparations for New Museum.—Whan not engaged in routine work such as attending to the preservation and classification of the collections and answering inquiries, the work of the staff has been directed to preparing exhibits and labels suitable for the new Museum... As far as possible,.'attention is being paid to exhibits of direct educational value —that is, those explanatory, of biological, ethnological, or geological processes. Work is proceeding with the two Maori patakas, there still being several missing parts to be replaced by new carvings. Collections.—Collecting expeditions have been made by the Director to the Three Kings and other islands to the north of Auckland, and by Miss Heine to the Garvie Mountains in Otago. A considerable range of specimens was brought back from the northern trip including plants, rocks, mollusca,

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Quota or Long Films. ! Non-Quota or Short Films. Origin. Number. Length. Number. Length. Ft. Ft. British .. .. .. 146 1,001,360 ■ 534 544,350 Foreign .. .. .. 362 2,733,940 968 1,000,710 508 3,735,300 1,502 1,545,060