7

H.—2

Pamphlets and illustrated newspapers to the number of 88,692 have been circulated during the year in New Zealand and abroad, also 30,X00 post-cards. • 9,136 photographs have been issued during the year for the purpose of illustrating newspaper articles published abroad, and for exhibiting in shipping offices, steamer-saloons, and other places where travellers are congregated. 3,857 lantern-slides have also been issued by the Department for lecturing purposes in different parts of the world. Esperanto. A number of officers of the Department have now made themselves familiar with this new international language, and advertisements in Esperanto have been placed in the Department's "Itinerary of Travel " by several New Zealand firms. Although we have not yet advertised in any Esperanto journals, a considerable number of letters and post-cards have been received from oversea countries as widely apart as Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Malta, and Bulgaria, asking for particulars of the Dominion's land system, agricultural facilities, labour laws, tourist resorts, <fee. Sport. The number of oversea visitors in search of angling, deer-stalking, and shooting have been well maintained, particularly those in search of trout-fishing, which are ever on the increase. The sport which is now afforded by the number and size of trout which oocupj our lakes and streams has become well known abroad, and I look to angling attractions with confidence as a means of largely increasing our tourist traffic. I append hereto B schedule showing (he big game imported and distributed by this Department since it came into operation : —

As far as I have been able to ascertain, practically the whole of the game imported and liberated is doing well, and it is only a matter of a few years when much of the country which may now be regarded as absolutely waste lands will provide great attractions for oversea visitors and also a healthy means of recreation for residents of the Dominion. Rotorua Acclimatisation District. The control of the Rotorua Acclimatisation District was taken over by this Department on the Ist February, 1907, and since that date the Whakatane and Wairoa (Hawke's Bay) Districts have also been taken over by the Department on petition from the residents of those districts interested in acclimatisation matters. The area of the district now under control is about six thousand square miles. With the establishment of a controlling officer at Rotorua it has been possible to range the district very much more efficiently for the prevention of poaching than was the case in

Year. Number and Description of Game. Prom. Where liberated. 1901 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 4 red deer 3 „ 7 8 „ 6 thar 6 Japanese deer 5 blacktail deer 10 elk 8 „ 19 Virginian deer 8 red deer 4 „ 5 „ 9 , 8 chamois Wairarapa herds ... ... Lake Waikaremoana. a ... ... Stewart Island. ... Presented by Miss Audrey Cbirn- Tuhua, West Coast, side, Werribee Park, Victoria Ditto ... ... ... ... Lake Wakatipu. ... Presented by the Duke of Bedford. Mount Cook. England Ditto ... ... ... ... Kaimanawa Ranges, near Taupo. ... Purchased in the United States ... Tarawera, Hawke's Bay. ... Presented by President Roosevelt, Fiordland National Park. United States ... Purchased in the United States ... ; 18 in Stewart Island, 1 in Nelson. Presented by Miss Audrey Chirnside, Lake Kanieri, West Coast. Werribee Park, Victoria Ditto ... ... ... ... Tuhua, West Coast. Wairarapa herds ... ... Tongariro National Park. ... Presented by G. W. Chirnside, Wer- Lake Rotoiti, Rotorua. ribee Park, Victoria ... Presented by H.I.M. the Emperor Mount Cook, of Austria 1908 2 sambur ... 6 axis 4 red deer Purchased in Noumea ... ... j Galatea, Rotorua District. ... Purchased in England ... ... fi liberated at Mount Tongariro; 1, which was blind, presented to Wellington Zoo. ... Presented by Mr. Lucas, Warnham Paraparaumu Deer-park Court, England