H.—22.

Maori Antiquities Act, 1908. Nine warrants were granted authorizing the export of genuine Maori antiquities made according to ancient Maori methods. Authority was also granted in four oases authorizing the export of various articles of modern make and of the souvenir type which, therefore, did not come within the scope of the Act. Advertising Office. The work in this branch of the Department has been fairly heavy during the year, and it was found necessary to make an addition to the staff to meet the increasing pressure. Details are as follows : — Accounts. —Advertising accounts recorded, checked, and certified in the office during the year approximated 13,281, an increase on the vouchers handled for the previous year. Yearly Expenditure.—The total expenditure for Government advertising for all Departments during the year under review amounted to £32,518 3s. 3d., as compared with £28,105 3s. sd. for the financial year ended 31st March, 1937. Cuttings. —Press clippings supplied to Ministers and Departments approximated 2,000 to 2,300 weekly. Distinguished Visitors. Many distinguished people are continuing to visit New Zealand from all parts of the workL There arrived here during the year a cruiser from America, the " Louisville " ; two French sloops, the " Jeanne d'Arc " and the " Rigault de Genouilly " ; and the Royal Australian Squadron. The smaller vessels visited in some cases Auckland, and in other cases Wellington, but units of the Australian Squadron visited all the principal ports. Amongst those who discussed official matters with the Government were the members of an Australian Trade and Customs Delegation, several Ministers from the Commonwealth and States of Australia, including the Hon. R. G. Casey, Commonwealth Treasurer; Senator the Hon. A. J. McLachla'n, Commonwealth Postmaster-General; Hon. A. G. Ogilvie, Premier of Tasmania, and the Hon. J. F. Gaha, Minister of Health, Tasmania ; Hon. A. A. Dunstan, Premier of Victoria, and the Hon. F. E. Old, Deputy Premier ; Hon. E. J. Mackrell, Minister of Labour, Victoria ; Hon. H. J. T. Hyland, Minister of Agriculture, Victoria ; Hon. H. S. Bailey, Victoria ; and Hon. H. Millington, Minister of Works and Water-supply, Western Australia. Several Ministers and also members'of both Houses of the Australian Parliament spent some time here in a more or less private capacity. Other prominent people who paid us a visit were : Sir Henry Brackenbury, a member of the Advisory Committee of the British Ministry of Health ; The Right Hon. Sir Basil Brooke, Minister of Agriculture in Northern Ireland ; Brigadier-General Sir Joseph Byrne, Governor of Kenya ; Mr. J. B. Clarke, Director of the Empire Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation ; Dr. Hugh Dalton, Member of the House of Commons, England; Sir Howard d'Egville, Secretary of the Empire Parliamentary Association, England ; Mr. L. de Gielgud, Representative of the League of Red Cross Societies, Paris ; Lieut.-Colonel A. R. Gordon, Financial Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Northern Ireland ;' The Countess Haig ; Mr. Arthur Henderson, Member of the British House of Commons ; Mr. G. P. Steyn, member of Parliament, South Africa. The departure from, or return to New Zealand, of sporting representatives was marked by the Government in the form of official receptions at Parliament House. Under this heading came the New Zealand Hockey Team, the New Zealand Surf Life-saving Team, and the Empire Games athletes, all of which visited Australia, and the New Zealand Cricket Team which visited England, whilst sporting representatives from overseas who visited us included the English Association Football Team and the Trinidad representatives to the Empire Games. ;j At Christmas-time the captain and crew of the Imperial Airways Flying Boat Centaurus were accepted by the Government as distinguished guests. As formerly, local authorities co-operated whole-heartedly with the Department in carrying out the Government's policy of entertaining distinguished people, and the various organizations who concerned themselves with the reception of naval visitors left nothing undone in their attempt to make the stay of both officers and ratings as enjoyable as possible. War Graves. New Zealand.—The number of notifications of deaths of returned soldiers received by the Department was 682, of which 142 were accepted as war graves —i.e., the cause of death in these cases was attributable to disabilities sustained on or aggravated by war service. The total number of war graves in New Zealand at the close of the year was 3,350. ° Temporary crosses to mark the graves until such time as the soldiers' headstones are erected were placed on 341 graves, and headstones to the number of 144 were ordered. Additional constructional work was carried out in the soldiers' cemeteries at Bromley (Christchurch), Taruheru (Gisborne), Kelvin Grove (Palmerston North), Hokitika, and Rotorua. All'soldiers' cemeteries continue to be suitably maintained under arrangements made through the local controlling authorities. Veterans' graves have continued to be attended to, and during the year extensive renovations were carried out in the following cemeteries containing the graves of Old Settlers and Veterans of the Maori Wars : Otahuhu, Ngaruawahia, Orakau, St. John's churchyard (Te Awamutu), St. Stephen's Zealand graves and memorials overseas have been maintained by the Imperial War Graves Commission out of the income derived from the Endowment Fund of £5,000,000, established for that purpose, and to which the Imperial and Dominion Governments contributed in proportion to the number of graves of their dead.

3—H. 22.

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