C.—lo.

Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Act, 1919, the Board of Trustees was abolished and the land vested in the Town Board for the purposes of the 1879 Act. Under the trust ail revenue from the land had to be used in cultivating and improving it. The land has been leased for grazing at an annual rental of £85, and a considerable sum of money has accumulated in the reserve account. The revenue cannot be all spent to advantage on the reserve itself, and the Town Board therefore applied for authority to expend portion on the Massey Park Domain, which it controls in the capacity of a Domain Board, and on other land owned or controlled by the Board. It is proposed to carry out extensive improvements to the Massey Park Domain, the revenue from which is not sufficient to cover all the expenditure required, and also to erect further dressing-sheds and other improvements on the Sandspit Swimming Reserve, a small area purchased by the Board and much used by the public. Under the circumstances, it was considered reasonable to permit the Board to spend part of the revenue from the recreation and drill-ground reserve on the domain and on other land owned or controlled by the Board and used for public recreation and cognate purposes. Section 35 made special provision for the application of the proceeds from the sale of certain trees on the Okotuku Domain. This domain comprises an area of some 164 acres, of which 160 acres is leased to the Waverley Racing Club for a term of twenty-one years from the Ist April, 1938, at an annual rental of £125. The domain has been used for racing for many years, and the extensive improvements on the leased area belong to the Crown. It was desired to construct some more horse-boxes, but the racing club was not in a position to finance the cost. There were, however, a number of pines on the domain which were becoming overmature and which it was felt should be felled. Some of the trees were overhanging the course, while others were liable to be blown down, at any time. The Domain Board proposed to dispose of the trees, and asked to be allowed to use the proceeds in the construction of the additional horse-boxes required. Under the circumstances, it was considered that the request should be granted, but as there was no authority to use proceeds from the sale of trees on domain land in such a manner special legislation had to be provided to meet the position. The Domain Board proposes to carry out a certain amount of replanting. Sections 23, 25, 30, and 40 validated certain payments made by the Waikawa, Woodend, Brighton, and Papanui Domain Boards respectively, while section 28 validated the borrowing of certain moneys by the Westshore Domain Board and also interest payments and repayment of principal made by the Board. These special sections were all introduced with the approval of the Audit Department. General legislation amending and extending some of the provisions of the Public Reserves, Domains, and National Parks Act, 1928, dealing with certain phases of the administration of recreation reserves and public domains was passed during the year as sections 49, 50, 51, and 52 of the Statutes Amendment Act, 1938. Section 49 deals with the making of by-laws, and provides that by-laws for the control of recreation reserves shall be made in a manner as closely as possible approximating the manner in which by-laws are made by local authorities. It is considered that uniformity in that respect is most desirable. Section 51 deals with the making and publication of by-laws by Domain Boards, and simplifies the procedure required. In particular it does away with the requirement that domain by-laws must be published by being painted on boards, or printed on paper or linen and affixed to boards, and displayed and kept displayed at one or more of the principal entrances to the domain concerned. Section 50 provides that the trustees of a recreation reserve may lease the reserve, or any part thereof, to tennis clubs, bowling clubs, croquet clubs, &c., for terms of up to twenty-one years on terms and conditions to be approved or prescribed by the Minister of Lands. Section 52 provides that a trustee of a public reserve or a member of a Domain Board or of a National Park Board may be employed by the trustees or the Board provided that the amount paid does not exceed £15 in any financial year. Past payments of that nature are validated by the section, which will permit of reasonable payments being made in future for secretarial duties. PART II. —NATIONAL PARKS. The following additions were made to national-park areas during the year :—

The total area of the Egmont National Park is now 79,469 acres, and that of the Arthur Pass National Park 146,400 acres. The sections added to the Egmont National Park were at one time held under leases in perpetuity. The leases were forfeited in 1928, and no attempt was made to reopen the sections for settlement as it was considered that the land is unsuitable for farming and that the bush should be preserved. The sections lie just outside the radius line of the park, and as the Park Board was prepared to administer them the Department was pleased to arrange for the issue of a Proclamation under section 4 of the Egmont National Park Act, 1924, altering the boundaries of the park by including Sections 1 and 2 therein.

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Park. j Description of Land added. j Area. Addition A. K. p. Egmonfc .. Sections 1 and 2, Block Y, Egmont Survey District .. 469 0 30 3/11/38. Arthur Pass Part Reserve 1095 (5,190 acres), Reserve 1577 (1,7,00 acres), 29,400 0 0 4/4/38. part Reserve 1727 (11,400 acres), and Crown land (11,110 acres), situated in P>looks VII, VIII, XI, XII, XV, and XVI, Otira Survey District, and II, III, V, VI, VII, IX, X, and Xlll, Taramakau Survey District