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special correspondents, as I think it more economical to use existing Government organizations, which, when there is cordial co-operation, are quite satisfactory. I have obtained sets of their forms and notes of their procedure for consideration in the further development of this branch of our New Zealand work. I had several interviews with Mr. Greene, of Ihe British Tabulating (Hollerith) Machine Com pany, and endeavoured to obtain quotations for the purchase of a Hollerith machine installation for the New Zealand census, but was unsuccessful. These machines are only rented, and I received particulars as to the rents which would be chargeable in New Zealand if we decided to install their machines. While in London 1 also visited the offices of the Comptometer adding-niachines and the Gainameter duplicating-machines and obtained particulars. 1 reached New York on the morning of the 15th May, and immediately made arrangements lo meet Mr. lmpey (then in New York), of Messrs. Morland and Impey, Birmingham, owners of the Australasian rights for the Powers tabulating-machines. I made representations to him to give the New Zealand Government terms for the purchase outright of the machines for their own use rather than the usual renting conditions, which he subsequently did, forwarding the quotations from Birmingham, England. In New York I visited the Statistical Division of the Customs, where the import and export statistics for the whole of the United States are centralized. The Statistical Division, which is quite separate from the rest of the Customs Department, is for administrative purposes under Ihe control of the Collector of Customs for the Port of New York, but so far as the work carried on in the division is concerned il is under the direction of Ihe Department of Trade and Commerce at Washington. All reports prepared in the division are sent io the latter, and there, with other matters, incorporated in the publications of the Department. The work was all handled on Powers machines, and I was very much impressed by the efficiency and economy of the plant and the methods used. The Customs entries —imports and exports-were forwarded daily from each port. Immediately on receipt the entries were coded, then handed out; to the card-punchers, who, averaging over three thousand per day per operator, transferred Ihe particulars on each entry to a card. When the cards were punched they were immediately, in the chronological order received from each port, put through ihe tabulator, which listed fliein in full detail in duplicate. The lists were called back with the entry schedules and any necessary corrections made. The original of the list was then despatched to the Collector for the district concerned to bind and keep as the record of entries passed in his district; the carbon copy of the list was handed to a clerk, whose duty it was to have fresh cards punched for the corrected entries on list, and see these were inserted in place of the incorrect cards. It was this clerk who was charged with keeping the records of ihe punch-operators, whose individual weekly results. with number of errors, &C, were exhibited on the staff not ice-board in (he punch-room. The correct cards were then passed into the next room, where they were sorted and (affiliated as required for the production of the statistical tables. The demonstration shown here convinced me that the Powers machines, on account of their automatic printing of details, are preferable I'm- trade statistics to the Hollerith, the Powers slide punch being particularly economical and effective on this class of work. When the Immigration Officers came on board the "Columbia" I got into touch with one of them, and discussed and noted their methods of dealing with immigrants. Later on I spent a day at the Immigration Offices on Ellis Island, and had thoroughly explained In me their method and procedure in dealing with the immigrant, The Canadian immigration authorities were. T found, provided with free office accommodation there to enable them to deal with immigrants for Canada arriving at New York, similar provision being made by the Canadian authorities for United States Immigration Officers (at Quebec) dealing with immigrants for America arriving via the St. Lawrence. The inquiries made anil method of procedure of both the American and Canadian officers, which are almost identical, are extremely exhaustive and thorough. Not only are these exhaustive inquiries made in regard to the immigrants and emigrants, but ihe same exhaustive questionnaire has to be furnished by the shipping companies in regard to each member of the crew of every vessel entering or leaving a port of tin- United States. Fairly comprehensive and exhaustive statistics of the immigration and emigration to and from the United Stales are prepared, the tabulation work being carried out in America on ihe electric tabulating-machines of the United States Census Bureau, and in the case of Canada in Ihe Bureau of Statistics at Ottawa. The greatest importance is attached tp these, and I think rightly so; it is, 1 submit, essential for the study of the general drift of the nation to know and keep track of the character and growth of the population from migration — the complement of which would be the statistics of births and deaths similarly analysed, while, following the same uniformity in analysis, Ihe position at each census is reviewed and studied. As' I have previously said. I do not think enough attention has been paid to these statistics in New Zealand in the past, and 1 have already recommended ihe South African card system for adoption in New Zealand. The South African card system is merely a modified edition of the system in force in the United States and Canada. In the United States the ship is required to furnish a manifest on which the full detailed particulars (some thirty-nine questions) in regard to each passenger and member of crew are entered. These are bound into volumes, and form a splendid permanent record in the Immigration Office, forming the foundation on which all letters of naturalization are subsequently Issued. 1 visited the offices of the Superintendent of Insurance for ihe State of New York, and ascertained the extent to which statistics of insurance (life, accident, fire. &c.) were obtained and published there. 1 found that insurance offices were required to furnish most detailed particulars in regard to their status, and operations. 1 obtained forms and took notes of their work for consideration and guidance in the development of this branch of statistics in New Zealand. I also visited the offices of the Moon-Hopkins computing-machine and the Dalton addingmachine, where the capabilities and various uses of these machines were demonstrated for me. Several visits were made to the offices of the Hollerith and Powers machines, and different points in regard to the machines discussed with them. Following their advice as to where the best railway installations of their machines could be seen, I subsequently visited the offices of