H.—22

The Shakespeare collection continued to grow. The year saw further considerable groups come from the Bacon Society of London and from Mr. Harold Large, of Napier. As a result of the Librarian's secondment to the Fiji Government to formulate plans for the postwar institution of a library system, it was possible to add to the resources relating to the Fiji Islands as well as to other island groups of the Pacific. Independently there came from Mrs. H. R. B. Parham, of Fiji, a collection of cuttings representing her considerable and extremely well-informed contributions to the press over many years. A chronicle of Norfolk Island upon the turn of the century came from Mr. McEldowney, of Christchurch, in the form of a copy of a diary kept by W. H. A. Quintal, presumably a descendant of the Bounty mutineers. Mr. Johannes Andersen, ex-Librarian, was responsible for a steady influx of useful books and pamphlets. Mr. P. Nordman, of Tahiti, presented some early manuscript letters and pamphlets on the Society Islands. Of printed material, the most notable were two handsome volumes from Mr. Carl Pforfzheimer, of Purchase, New York, of the complete letters of Mary W. Shelley ; from the Mariners' Museum at Newport News came an astonishingly comprehensive and excellently illustrated volume on knots. From the estate of the late Mrs. R. M. Algie, of Auckland, Professor Algie sent a superbly printed copy of the first limited edition of T. E. Lawrence's translation of the Odyssey of Homer, with certain relevant letters from Mrs. Algie's agents. XXIII. ELECTORAL OFFICE In this first complete year since the Electoral Oflice was transferred on the Ist August, 1943, from the Department of Justice to the Department of Internal Affairs the activities of this branch were confined mainly to normal post-election procedure. General Election Returns Detailed returns of results of the general election and licensing polls held on the 25th September, 1943, were assembled and presented, by command, to both Houses of Parliament on the 11th August, 1944, as parliamentary papers H.-33, H.-33a, and H.-33b. Compulsory Registration op Electors Under the Electoral Act, 1927, which provides for compulsory registration and notification of change of address, new enrolments, removals, and changes of address maintained a steady volume, the following being recorded. Total for Seventy- Average per six Electorates. Electorate. New enrolments .. .. .. .. •• 19,382 255 Removals by death, transfer, &c. .. .. .. .. 34,148 449 Changes of address within electorates .. .. 4, 648 61 Members op Forces' Rolls To these rolls, compiled in the Chief Electoral Office under the authority of the Electoral (Members of Forces) Regulations 1941, were added the names, addresses, and electorates of all Service personnel proceeding overseas during the year. The cards supporting entries in these rolls are sorted into their various electorates, and at byelections, lists of eligible voters are prepared therefrom and supplied to the Special Returning Officers to assist in obtaining the fullest possible coverage in the taking of votes of known eligible personnel. By-elections Two by-elections we:e held in the period, that for Awarua on the 28th October, 1944, and the Western Maori By-election on the 10th February, 1945. At these elections, arrangements for the taking of votes of members of the Forces in Italy, Egypt, India, Australia, and the Pacific were attended to by Special Returning Officers appointed from the Services, and in the United Kingdom by Mr. T. F. Sandford, of the New Zealand High Commissioner's Office, London.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (500 copies), £22 109.

By Authority: E. V. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington.—l94s.

Price 6d."\

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