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XVII. COMMUNITY CENTRES Following a Government decision in May, 1949, to subsidize community centres not being established as war memorials, consideration was given to a number of schemes submitted. Three schemes were approved, the subsidy involved being approximately £38,000, and others were under review at the close of the year. XVIII. ADVERTISING BRANCH Casual Government newspaper advertising-costs recorded for the year ended 31st March, 1950, totalled £47,778 4s. Bd., an increase of £6,339 14s. Id. over the total listed for the previous twelve months. Approximately half of this increase was due to advertising in the general election. The Press Section maintained the supply of newspaper clippings to Ministers of the Crown, Government Departments, and the nine overseas posts. Counts taken at intervals indicate that approximately 4,500 clippings are despatched weekly. XIX. WAR FUNDS ACT, 1915 As a result of proposals made by the National War Funds Council, and agreed to by the New Zealand Patriotic Fund Board and the New Zealand Returned Services' Association, the amalgamation of 1914-19 war funds with 1939-45 patriotic funds was authorized by the Patriotic and Canteen Funds Amendment Act, 1949 (further details appear under " Section 11, Local Government, E. Patriotic Purposes "). The purpose of the amalgamation, as authorized by this legislation, is that the funds concerned should be available for welfare assistance to those who served the Crown in any war the same as provided for those who served in the Second World War and thereby to avoid all differentiation in benefits. Under this provision, the number of war funds operating under the War Funds Act, 1915, was, at 31st March, 1950, reduced to 38, holding assets valued in the latest balance-sheets received at £385,581 9s. sd. This is a reduction of 10 organizations and of £25,136 15s. 4d. as compared with the figures shown in the last annual report. The great bulk of the funds of the remaining societies will be transferred to the New Zealand Patriotic Fund Board during the ensuing twelve months. XX. GENERAL A. Historical Branch The Historical Atlas continues to be dogged by lack of draughtsmen and the nomadic nature of its own staff. This latter handicap is reflected mainly in the economic geography section, where progress has been slower than anticipated. Improvement here seems rather remote unless the attenuated staff can be strengthened. Research for the rest of the work is much more advanced, and the next step is dependent on the good offices of the Lands and Survey Department. During the year the Branch assisted the Maori Purposes Fund Board in publishing "Sir Peter Buck's " The Coming of the Maori," and completed the publication of Mr. Roger Duff's " The Moa-hunter Period of Maori Culture." It continues, in a minor key, to act as a clearing-house for inquiries of an historical nature. B. " Moturau Mo an a," Stewart Island During the year plans were completed for Moturau Moana—a large two-storied house set in 2 acres of native garden, donated to the Government by Miss N. I. Baker—to be used in accordance with the donor's request, A permanent caretaker was

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