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Fireworks.-—A number of accidents have occured during the year in the manufacture of firework compositions —mostly containing chlorates —by school-children. These usually occur about the Guy Fawkes and New Year periods, and a circular has been sent to all school-teachers setting out the hazards of amateur attempts at the manufacture of fireworks. Arrangements have been made that lessons will be given in the schools immediately prior to the fireworks seasons, based on the information contained in this circular. Sodium and Potassium Chlorates. —The extensive use of sodium chlorate as a weed-killer has been for some years past productive of a number of accidents every year. During the year under review no fatal accident occurred and the number of minor accidents was less than in previous years. It is to be hoped that the publicity given to the hazards of this material both in these reports and the farming journals is having good effect. One fatal accident occurred with potassium chlorate. The deceased was an employee in a factory where the components of Eruptite, a " Sprengel " type explosive, were being prepared. The circumstances of the accident were fully investigated, and after discussions with the Chief Inspector of Factories certain recommendations were adopted by the management with a view to obviating similar accidents in future. B. Dangekous Goods. Local-authority Administration. —During the year the Glen Eden Town Board was appointed a licensing authority under the Explosive and Dangerous Goods Amendment Act, 1920, whilst owing to its incorporation in the Raglan County Council the Raglan Town Board ceased to function. The number of licensing authorities still stands, therefore, at 163. Visits of inspection were paid during the year to practically every licensing authority, and inspections under the Explosive and Dangerous Goods Amendment Act, 1920, were combined with those arising out of the administration of the regulations under the Industrial Efficiency Act for the licensing of resellers of motor-spirits. Industrial Efficiency Act. —As mentioned in the previous annual report, arrangements were made for this Branch to take control of the licensing of resellers of motor-spirit under the Industrial Efficiency Act. The issue of licenses in most towns is done by the local authority in conjunction with the issue of licenses under the Explosive and Dangerous Goods Amendment Act, 1920, but the procedure is controlled from this office. It was recognized by the Bureau of Industry that the issue of licenses to the petrol industry by two Government Departments would greatly increase the difficulties of administration of both, and the experience during the year has fully justified the arrangements made. The additional work involved has, however, placed a considerable strain on the staff of the Branch and has necessitated the holding-up of a large amount of the ordinary routine work. At the beginning of the year a circular was sent to all local authorities affected giving instructions concerning the issue of licenses under the Industrial Efficiency Act, and the work of the Inspectors during the year has of necessity been largely confined to local-authority districts. With the exception of the principal cities, detailed reports have been prepared with respect to all reselling outlets, and these have been of considerable value to the Bureau of Industry in making decisions as to the issue of new licenses or the amendment of those existing. Owing to the limited time available after the issue of the regulations it was not possible to extend the licensing of resellers to sales made otherwise than through petrol-pumps, but it is intended to do this during the coming year. Accidents. —As far as can be ascertained, accidents in the handling of inflammable liquids resulted in only one fatality this year. Several cases of injuries serious enough to necessitate the removal of the patient to hospital were reported. The outstanding feature of all these accidents is, however, that they emphasize a fact which is not very generally realized by the public —namely, that the domestic and industrial use of inflammable liquids is the cause of by far the greatest proportion of accidents, and that the hazards and seriousness of the consequence have no relation to the quantity of liquid involved. XXVII. TURNBULL LIBRARY. Holdings and Acquisitions. The year has seen notable additions to the resources of the library in the sections of both Pacific history and English literature. The state of the holdings is at present as follows : — Number of volumes accessioned, 55,500. Number of volumes catalogued during the year, 3,500 (comprising, apart from newly acquired books, items from the Kinsey collection, mainly in the realm of arts). Number recatalogued, 1,500 (these include Australian and New Zealand war books, and English literature, which sections needed treating somewhat differently and in greater detail). An addition of interest to the shipping section as well as Pacific history was a complete set of " The Mariner's Mirror," the organ of the Royal Society for Nautical Research. This contains many studies of importance to the student of early voyages, especially those of Captain Cook. Among the multifarious activities of John White, author of " The Ancient History of the Maori," was the compilation of a dictionary. This was never completed or published, but it has a certain interest from a philological viewpoint. This compilation on the Maori language was secured for the library, which has probably by far the largest group of John White manuscript in the country.

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