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Masterton Special Licensing Polls As the Masterton Licensing District had voted, at the last elections, in favour of the restoration of licences, special licensing polls under the Masterton Licensing Emergency Regulations 1947 were held 011 the 28th May, 1947, to obtain an indication of the desire of the electors of the district in respect of the future method of conducting the licensed trade. Following the carrying of a trust proposal in the southern portion of the district, under the Masterton Licensing Trust Act, 1947, the first, election of members of the Masterton Licensing Trust was held on the 10th December. Maori Rolls Preliminary work has been carried out on the preparation of Maori rolls for use at future elections of Maori members. XIII. EXPLOSIVES AND DANGEROUS GOODS The following licences were issued : Importation of Explosives.—Polar gelignite, 1,129,8501b.; polar gelatine dynamite, 65,750 lb. ; polar ajax, 74,900 lb. ; polar quarry monobel, 175,1001b.; polar A2 monobel, 507,1001b.; polar geobel, 1,7501b.; blasting-powder, 75,000 lb.; sporting-powder, 40,000 lb.; detonators (plain), 920,000 ; E.D. fuses, 990,000 ; safety-fuse, 15,864 lb.; fireworks, 62,534 lb. Other licences issued during the year were : conveyance, 177 ; sale, 531 ; storage, 480. Dangerous Goods.—During the year 2,287 licences were issued, as against 2,210 for the previous year. Reorganization of Branch Of necessity, much of the work performed by the Branch prior to the war had to be abandoned or severely curtailed. With the cessation of hostilities, steps were taken to place the Branch back on a full technical footing, and in pursuance of this policy arrangements have been made to secure certain equipment from England for testing of explosives and inflammable liquids. When this is received the explosives laboratory and field testing-station will be re-established, but on a more modern basis. Fire-testing Station The lack of any means of carrying out practical tests on the fire resistance of building-materials against exposure to fires of abnormal intensity such as occur with inflammable liquids has been keenly felt. As a further step in strengthening the technical side of the Branch, plans are in hand for the erection of a small building in which the fire resistance of building-materials, particularly those of local manufacture, can be tested in a practical manner against the exposures to which they would be subjected in the event of their being used, for example, in workrooms and other situations where inflammable liquids are used industrially. The scheme is being developed in conjunction with the Dominion Physical Laboratory, which will be able to assist this Branch materially in the acquisition of the necessary data. The proposed building will serve further important purposes in that it will be available for fire-resistance tests of buildingmaterials generally against fires of normal intensity and also for trials on the efficiency of various fire-extinguishing agents.

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