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REPORT. I. NEW ZEALAND CENTENNIAL, 1940. A. General Organization. During the past financial year there has been a gratifying response to the Government's expressed desire that every part of the Dominion should organize for the purpose of celebrating in 1940 the one-hundredth anniversary of organized settlement and government in New Zealand. The Centennial Branch of this Department has been actively functioning during the year, and it is able to report that in practically all districts the Centennial organization, is sufficiently complete and the Centennial sense sufficiently developed to ensure that the occasion will be appropriately marked and enthusiastically celebrated in all parts of the Dominion. (1) New Zealand Centennial Act, 1938. This Act was passed on 16th September, 1938. It gives statutory confirmation to the Centennial organization which was recommended by the National Centennial Committee at its first meeting in June, 1936, and makes provision for— (a) The setting-up of a National Centennial Council and of national Centennial committees. (b) The appointment for the purposes of the Act of the National Historical Committee and committees thereof, and enumerates the functions of the former. (c) Provincial Centennial districts and the Centennial organizations therein. (d) Local authorities to expend moneys out of their general funds or accounts in connection with the observance of the Centennial. (e) The Minister of Internal Affairs, out of moneys appropriated by Parliament, to make grants by way of a subsidy of £1 for £3 to any provincial organization or controlling committee towards the cost of approved Centennial celebrations and memorials. (/) Certain authorizations and concessions in respect of the conduct of the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition. In regard to the matter of local authorities contributing to the cost of Centennial memorials, it has been found that a continuing authority will also be required to enable such bodies to contribute towards the cost of maintaining such memorials. The provision of the necessary legislative authority is at present under consideration. (2) National Centennial Council. A meeting of the National Centennial Council was held on Bth December, 1938, when it made, inter alia, the following recommendations which have since been approved by the Government (1) That the anniversary of certain dates of historical events in the early history of New Zealand (enumerated below) be observed in 1940 as national Centennial celebrations. (2) That the boundaries of the several provincial Centennial districts be gazetted in pursuance of section 11 of the New Zealand Centennial Act, 1938. (3) That a design as reproduced hereunder, conceived and executed by Mr. M. Matthews, commercial artist, Wellington, be adopted as the national Centennial emblem—

(4) That the song " God Defend New Zealand," by Thomas Bracken, be adopted as New Zealand's national song. (5) That the Government undertake the marking in appropriate form of such national historical spots as the landing-places of Captain Cook. (6) That, apart from the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition which opens in November, 1939, the official period of the Centennial celebrations shall extend from Ist January to 16th November, 1940, both dates inclusive. (7) That the Centennial subsidy of £150,000 to be made available by the Government by way of a subsidy of £1 for £3 raised locally, as a contribution towards the cost of approved Centennial memorials and celebrations, be apportioned on a population basis among the several Centennial districts, subject to the right of the Government to allocate to any district or districts amounts not lifted as at 30th September, 1939. (3) National Centennial Committees. During the year national Centennial committees were appointed to deal respectively with accommodation and transport in relation to the Centennial celebrations, and also with the part to be taken by the Maori race in such celebrations. Meetings of these committees have been held and have resulted in valuable assistance being given to the national Centennial organization,

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