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In anticipation of the Royal visit, provision was made authorizing local authorities to incur expenditure in connection with the reception, welcome, or entertainment of Their Majesties the King and Queen and Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret, the ■officers and men of H.M.S. " Vanguard," and the King's Flight. Provision was also made for local authorities to contribute to the Hamilton Tornado' Relief Fund. The powers of mutual fire-insurance associations were extended by a further section to ■enable them to undertake the personal accident insurance of their members. ,(3) Local Legislation Act, 1948 As finally passed, this Act contained thirty-seven clauses covering a wide field of local-government activity. '(4) Local Acts Fifteen local Bills were submitted to the Department for examination and report. In accordance with the usual practice, the Department was represented at the meetings •of the Local Bills Committee when these Bills were under consideration. One of these Bills amended the general powers of the Auckland Metropolitan Drainage Board, and made certain of the Board's actions liable to claims for compensation. •Consequent on an increase in the number of subdivisions in the Christchurch Drainage District, a Bill was passed increasing the number of members of the Christchurch Drainage Board. An amendment to the New Plymouth Borough Council and the New Plymouth Harbour Board Empowering Act, 1933, brought an additional area of reclaimed land under the provisions of that Act, thus enabling it to be developed for recreation purposes. The Auckland Community Centre Welfare Board was authorized to take land under the Public Works Act, 1928, for the purpose of carrying out its functions. The Auckland City Council was authorized to acquire and develop land suitable for housing purposes, and to sell or lease building allotments. This measure was subsequently repealed consequent on the passing of the Municipal Corporations Amendment Act, 1948. Power was conferred on the Invercargill City Council to amalgamate its gasworks and electricity undertakings, and the separate accounts previously kept for each undertaking. A further measure repealed the Christchurch City Empowering Act, 1946. Another Bill extended the leasing powers of the Greymouth Harbour Board. An area of land held by the Corporation of the Borough of Levin under the will of the late Henry Playford was constituted a public domain by another measure, which also vested the residuary estate in the Corporation and varied the terms of the trust. A further Bill validated the reclamation by the Auckland City Council of tidal lands of the Manukau Harbour and empowered the Auckland Harbour Board to transfer these lands to the Corporation of the City of Auckland. The Nelson Harbour Board was empowered to reclaim tidal lands in the Nelson Harbour and to borrow moneys for the purpose of carrying out the reclamation of land and other extensive harbour-works. Another measure transferred the Canterbury Public Library from the Canterbury University College to the Corporation of the City of Christchurch. A measure of some importance provided for the constitution of the Hutt Valley Drainage District comprising the City of Lower Hutt, the Boroughs of Petone, Upper Hutt, and Eastbourne, and parts of the Hutt County, and set up the Hutt Valley Drainage Board, comprising representatives of the constituent local authorities, to administer the district. The Board is responsible for the disposal of sewage from the district, and for the adequate and efficient provision and maintenance of all main drains, main sewers, pumping-stations, storage tanks, outfalls, and treatment works vested in the Board.

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