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Housing-conditions. Supplementing my previous remarks under " General Health." regarding housing-conditions being a large factor in the improvement of health conditions, I give for your information the approximate number and class of dwelling which house the Native people : — -i Percentage of INlimber. gpecifled To ta]. Private dwellings .. .. .. .. .. 7,347 68-70 Huts and whares .. .. .. .. .. 1,800 16-83 Other dwellings .. .. . . . . . . 277 2-59 Tents and camps .. .. .. .. .. 1,270 11-88 Not specified .. .. .. .. .. .. 77 Total .. .. .. .. 10,771 100-00 Class of Building. Private houses of three, four, or more rooms .. .. .. .. 7,347 Whares of one, two, or more rooms .. .. .. .. .. 1,702 Station hands' quarters .. .. .. .. .. .. 29 Meeting-houses .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 119 Boarding-houses .. .. . . .. .. .. .. 30 Rooms attached to shops .. .. .. .. .. .. 28 Educational beds .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Miscellaneous .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 66 Bush camps .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 398 Slab huts of two rooms .. .. . . .. .. .. 98 Other temporary structures . . . . . . .. .. .. 566 Tents .. " .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 383 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. 10,771 It will be observed that the dwellings with three rooms or more are by far in excess of any other, and many of these are up to date in every respect; others, again, are of the crude variety, but they are constantly undergoing improvement. The number of tents occupied may appear large, but it is to be remembered that the Natives are a migratory people, and this aspect to a marked degree explains this type of housing. It is, nevertheless, healthy, and will ever remain as part of the housing of the people. Conclusion. I wish to express my appreciation to the officers under my control, who have at all times assisted to further the work of the Division. To the Directors of other Divisions, Medical Officers of Health, and their staffs, I am also indebted for the valuable assistance rendered in the co-ordination of their services with those of my Division. E. P. Ellison, Director, Division of Maori Hygiene. PART VII.—MATERNAL WELFARE. SECTION I.—REPORT OF THE CONSULTING OBSTETRICIAN, HENRY JELLETT, M.D. (DUBL.). The work with which I have been entrusted as Consulting Obstetrician to the Department has continued in a systematic and satisfactory manner throughout the past year. So far as it is specially concerned, there is, I think, only one matter which calls for comment. This matter is my efforts to get into touch with medical practitioners in all obstetrical cases which come to my knowledge in which either the nature of the case or the ultimate result suggest that my personal advice or criticism might be of assistance. I have had occasion to deal with a number of such cases. The majority of these were noted in the monthly returns from maternity hospitals or in the reports from general hospitals on maternity patients admitted to their wards. A smaller number were cases directly reported to me by the medical practitioners concerned. As such reports constitute the only means of getting into touch with cases which occur in private houses, I hope their number may be increased. There have been some sporadic objections to my action in this respect, practically all of which were founded on the idea that the Department was trying to interfere with the rights of private practitioners, and that in some mysterious way some record was kept which might be opposed to their legitimate interests. With the object of getting rid of these wholly erroneous ideas, I have addressed several meetings of medical practitioners during the current year, and tried to explain the objects of my action. So far I have addressed on this subject the Obstetrical Section of

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