C.—lo.

Bllesmere County Council. The area is very suitable for picnics, and its reservation as a public domain should be of considerable benefit to the district, where practically all the land adjoining the lake is privately owned. A suitable area has been left as a landing-reserve to meet, the needs of the local fishermen. Arrangements were made with the Ot.ago Education Board to have an area of about 9 acres at Tuapeka Mouth made available as a public domain. The local school possessed ample ground without the 9 acres, which the Board therefore agreed to transfer to the Crown so that it could be set aside for public use. A road exchange was carried out whereby an area of 2 acres 1 rood 11 perches of the Hamilton Domain was taken for street purposes, and a road area of 16 acres lying wholly between various portions of the domain and the Hamilton Lake was closed and added to the domain. Small portions of the Devonport, Rotoiti, Thorpe, and Coe's Ford domains were also taken for road purposes during the year. An unused road area of some 12 acres at Pounawea was closed, and, together with a small section of Crown land and a small island at the junction of the Catlins and Owaka Rivers, was reserved for recreation purposes and added to the local domain. A closed road area of 8§- acres was also added to the Tuatapere Domain. For the purpose of providing a permanent water-supply for the Te Teko Domain it was necessary to compulsorily acquire an area of 10 acres from an adjoining owner. Every effort was made to arrive at a voluntary arrangement, but without success, and finally it was decided to take the land under the Public Works Act. An area of 5 acres 3 roods 9 perches of the Parahaki Domain was, with the consent of the controlling authority —the Whangarei County Council —set apart under the Public Works Act for the purposes _of a rifle range. The reservation over the Paremoremo Domain, Waitemata County, was cancelled during the year. This reserve of 6 acres 1 rood 1 perch was placed under the control of the Waitemata County Council in 1907, and since 1913 the whole area has been held under lease, as it has not been required for recreation purposes. The land proved to be most unsuitable for a domain, and the reservation was cancelled on the recommendation of the County Council. The greater part will be sold, and the remainder will probably be added to an adjoining cemetery. The reservation over a small portion of 3 roods 32-1 perches of the Oliura Domain was also cancelled, and the land declared to be Crown land available for sale under the Land Act. This area had been in use as a bowling-green, for which purpose, however, it was not altogether suitable. The Domain Board desired to obtain a further area of flat land for the purpose of constructing a first-class green of tournament standard, and to enable this to be done the Department arranged to revoke the reservation over the 3 roods 32-1 perches and to reserve a more suitable area to take its place. The appointments of the Otoko and Waipuku Domain Boards were revoked owing to lack of interest on the part of the local people in the reserves. Both the domains have been leased by the Department for grazing. Orders in Council were issued appointing sixty-five Domain Boards to control domains for further terms, while fifty-nine vacancies on various Boards were filled by the appointment of suitable persons nominated by the residents of the various districts concerned. Additional members were appointed to the Dunrobin Domain Board, and three Government nominees were appointed to the Christchurch Domains Board under section 4 of the Christchurch Domains Amendment Act, 1913. Other documents issued included warrants authorizing the erection of public halls on the Retaruke and Makaka Domains, while an area of 1. rood 35 perches was taken out of the Eaiwera Domain and set apart as a public-hall site. Permission was also granted to several Domain Boards to increase the charges for admission to their domains on special occasions during the year. Eight sets of new by-laws were approved. Under the provisions of section 13 of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1932, rental concessions were granted in fifty-seven cases during the year, and further progress was made in the work of placing the leasing of domain lands throughout the Dominion on a uniform basis. The Reserves and other Lands Disposal Act, 1934, dealt with several matters affecting public domains and requiring special legislation. A certain payment made by the Taieri Lake Domain Board was validated after full inquiry had been made into all the circumstances of the case. Authority was provided for the Minister of Lands to approve from time to time of the diversion of moneys from the Westport No. 2 Domain towards the establishment of an aerodrome at Westport. The circumstances of this case are that a considerable area on the beach at Westport is under process of reservation as an aerodrome. site, and is being placed under the control of the Westport Borough Council. The land concerned is Crown land which is being made available for aviation purposes on the condition that if at any time it is required for harbour or industrial purposes it will revert to the Crown free of any encumbrance. The Borough Council, which constitutes the Board having control of the Westport No. 2 Domain, desired that portion of the funds standing to the credit of the Domain Account should be made available for the establishment and improvement of the aerodrome. The domain has not been used for recreation, and has been leased for a term of twenty-one years, the credit balance in the Domain Account amounting to approximately £400. This money cannot be expended to any advantage on the domain, and under the circumstances it was considered reasonable to authorize the diversion of portion to aerodrome purposes. Notice of the intention to use the domain funds for aerodrome purposes was advertised in the Westport papers without any objections being received. There are situated in the Fendalton Riding of the Waimairi County a number of small reserves which were vested in the Crown on the subdivision of private properties. Certain of these reserves will be required for public use in the future, but there are six which could be sold without detriment

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