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common knowledge that there are numbers of New Zealand engineers and scientists employed in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the Dominions. This is to the advantage of the United Kingdom and the other Dominions, but it is necessary to ensure that New Zealand can secure and retain the services of the technical personnel which she needs, and that New Zealand technical personnel whose early career has been abroad are not discouraged from giving New Zealand the benefit of the experience thereby gained by the terms of appointment and the salaries of vacancies in New Zealand. We have noted in this connection the recommendation of the Public Service Commission in their thirty-sixth annual report, that legislation should be amended to diminish the present weighting of the scales in favour of officers already employed in the Public Service, and consider that the Civil Aviation Directorate would benefit by this reform. Civil engineering staff 69. Although not directly the responsibility of the Civil Aviation Directorate, the development of civil aviation depends on there being an adequate staff of civil and electrical engineers available in the Ministry of Works to carry out the programme of surveys, construction, and maintenance which is involved. We understand that the allocation of the available staff of the Ministry of Works for aviation works compares unfavourably with the allocation for other classes of work such as hydroelectric and housing, even after allowing for the priority which is accorded to these works. Moreover, we understand that there is an over-all shortage of qualified engineers in the Ministry of Works, and indeed we are told that the proportion of qualified engineers to the population in New Zealand is low in comparison with other countries. It appears that there is a training problem, which no doubt is receiving attention in the proper quarter. We must, however, call attention to the fact that the progress of civil aviation is conditioned by the provision of aerodromes and other air route organisation involving such works. There is evidence that in many respects operations have progressed as far as the available ground services justify, and the consequence of a retarded construction programme will be increasingly felt in the operation of the air services.