by flooding. This Act was passed to confer on the Governor in Council by proclamation the power of creating areas in which the killing of beavers shall or shall not be lawful, and to make regulations regarding the hunting, killing, etc., and close seasons. No beavers are allowed to be killed except under licence issued by the Minister of Marine and Fisheries to bona fide trappers. Only the Department of Marine and Fisheries may deal in or export beaver-skins. The profits arising from the sale and exportation are to be appropriated to a fund to be named the State Insurance Fund." The Governor in Council is given power to affix penalties for breaches of the Act where none provided.

"

Education.-C. 35 is "An Act to amend 'The Education Act.' This Act creates a Department of Education to be presided over by a Minister appointed by the Governor in Council under the Great Seal. The Governor in Council may also appoint a Deputy Head, and such other officers as are required for the conduct of the business of the Department. S. 3 confers on the Governor in Council power to establish a Normal School, to appoint a Principal of said school, to fix the salaries of the officials of the Department and the staff of the Normal School, and to order an annual census of children between the ages of six and fourteen.

4 defines the powers of the Minister.

S. 6 defines the duties of the different superintendents.

A Board to be known as "The Advisory Board" of the Department of Education is to be constituted, consisting of twelve members, six of whom shall be appointed by the Governor in Council from the six leading denominations, three by the Teachers' Association, and the three Superintendents of Education are to be members of the Board ex officio. The members hold office for three years, but are eligible for reappointment or re-election. S. 13 defines the powers of the Advisory Board.

S. 15 deals with the establishment of the Colleges which are already in existence.

S. 16 deals with the appointment of a Board of Directors for Roman Catholics for male and female colleges.

S. 60 of the Education Act, 1916, dealing with the appointment of Superintendents, is amended by S. 18 of this Act, so that there may be but one Superintendent for Roman Catholic Schools instead of two.

S. 19 gives power to the Governor in Council to appoint an Assistant to the Superintendent of Roman Catholic Schools.

S. 21 confers on the Governor in Council power to appoint eleven supervising Inspectors on denominational lines, whose duties are to visit, supervise, examine, and report upon all schools assigned to them by the proper Superintendent.

S. 23 of the Act defines the duties of the Supervising Inspectors in greater detail.

S. 22 deals with the appointment of Supervising Inspectors, their qualifications, moral character, etc. They are to be appointed on probation for two years, and if their work should prove satisfactory the appointment may be made permanent.

S. 24 deals with the salaries of Superintendents and Assistant Superintendents.

S. 26 makes a slight alteration in the pension to be paid to teachers who have retired through age or ill-health.

S. 27 deals with finance. It increases the general grant to $815,810.23.

This sum to be apportioned, allocated, distributed, and expended on denominational lines in the manner set forth in the various subsections of this section. The Education Act is so amended by S. 28 as to take the Department out of the control of the Colonial Secretary.

S. 30 gives power to the Minister to apportion to any school which shall raise a sum of money for the purpose of providing a library the sum of $20 to be expended in the purchase of books.

Highways.-C. 40 is " An Act respecting the Maintenance of Certain Public Roads.' The Governor in Council under this Act has power to appoint a Road Commission consisting of ten persons. The Commission has power to make, construct, maintain, repair, and improve roads in the Districts of St. John's, Harbor Main, Brigus, Harbor Grace, Carbonear, Trinity, Bay de Verde, and Ferryland, and portions of the District of Placentia; and for this purpose the Commission is entrusted with the functions, powers, rights, etc., of Road Boards. The scale of fees respecting motor-cars and motor-vehicles is increased. These fees are to be paid to the St. John's Municipal Council, and are to be expended by the Commission in road-making machinery, in road repairing, and building. The Governor in Council is authorized to pay to the Commission each year a sum of money equal to one-half of the registration fees paid in that year provided the total amount does not exceed $10,000. The powers of the Commission are limited under s. 7 to any expenditure or indebtedness in excess of its revenue. The Commission has to furnish the Minister of Public Works every year with detailed accounts of receipts and expenditures. The Commission has to pay out of its funds $5,500 annually to the Municipal Council, as well as all amounts received as registration fees on motor-trucks. The fees payable run from $10 on motorcycles to $75 on 30 horse-power motor-cars.

Commemoration Day.-C. 42 is " An Act to provide for the observance of Commemoration Day." This Act sets apart the first Sunday in the month of July as Commemoration Day, so that the deeds and sacrifices of those men and women of this Colony who took an active part in the late war shall be kept in remembrance with honour and respect.

Enemy Aliens.-C. 43 is "An Act concerning Former Enemy Aliens." This is a copy of an Imperial Act, passed for the purpose of prohibiting former enemy aliens from landing in this Colony for three years, and from acquiring property for a similar period, or any interest in any land, or any interest in any industry, or any share or interest in a company registered in this Colony, or share or interest in a British ship registered in this colony. No former enemy alien can be employed as master, officer, or member of the crew of any British ship. A penalty of $500 or imprisonment for six months, or both fine and imprisonment, is imposed for a contravention of the Act.

Women's Patriotic Trust Fund.-C. 45 is "An Act to incorporate the Women's Patriotic Trust Fund." During the War the women of Newfoundland, under the name of "The Patriotic Association of the Women of Newfoundland," collected money to provide comforts for soldiers and sailors on active service, and at the termination of the war held considerable money unexpended. This Act was passed at the request of the members of the Association to enable them to pass over the balance to trustees appointed under this Act. The funds of the Association are now vested in the trustees, and are to be expended in the erection of a Recreation Hut for soldiers and sailors now or hereafter to be accommodated in the

Tuberculosis Hospital at St. John's, or, on the completion of the work of the Association, in assisting children of soldiers and sailors to attend any school, college, or university, or to learn a trade, or to become fitted for the practical work of life. Trustees may expend not only the interest but the capital in their discretion, and may invest the funds in certain specified securities. They may also make by-laws, rules, and regulations respecting the internal government of the trustees and the carrying out of the objects of this Act, and may pay expenses of working the Trust out of the moneys vested in them, and when the purposes for which the Trust is created are fully carried out the Trust is dissolved.

Profiteering.-C. 47 is "An Act to check Profiteering. This is mainly a copy of an English Act passed with the same object in view. It appoints a Food Control Board, and confers on the Board certain powers regarding the investigation of prices which would yield a reasonable profit.

Under s. 3 the Board is required to take proceedings against persons charging a price yielding an unreasonable profit. Penalties are provided for violations of orders of the Board, or giving false information. The chairman and every managing director of a company may be guilty of an offence under this Act, unless he proves that it took place without his knowledge or consent. The Board has power to require evidence on oath. Articles for export are exempt from the operation of this Act. The Governor in Council may appoint local committees which shall have the same powers as the Board appointed under this Act, and the Board may make regulations as to the constitution, powers, and procedure of committees. Members of the Board or of any committee are not qualified to act in any case where they are trade competitors of the person against whom a complaint is under investigation. Penalty is provided against any seller who unreasonably refuses to sell. S. 15 provides that the proceedings before the Board or any committee shall be held in public. An appeal to the Supreme Court is allowed upon giving seven days' notice.

II. BERMUDA.

[Contributed by SIR REGINALD GRAY, K.C., Speaker of the House of Assembly.]

Acts passed-45.

Gaols.-Under No. 10 a prisoner employed on public works is credited with not more than one shilling per day to an amount not exceeding £20, the total sum being paid to him on the termination of his sentence.

Immigration.-No. II materially extends the interpretation of "passenger" in the principal Act of 1902, so as to include, inter alia, prostitutes, persons whose passage has been paid by a society or employer, those who have advocated publicly the overthrow by force of the Government of the United Kingdom, etc.

Aviation.-No 13 incorporates the Bermuda and West Atlantic Aviation Company, Limited, and, subject to certain conditions, grants to the company the sole right for five years to erect and maintain hangars, landing stations, fuel stations, and aerodromes in the colony for the use and accommodation of aircraft for commercial purposes, and the exemption for five years from import duty of all aircraft, machinery, tools, fuel,

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and supplies imported by or for the company for use in connection with its aviation operations in Bermuda.

Police. No. 14 provides for the increase and reorganization of the Police Force, and makes substantial increases to the salaries of its members.

Hospital. No. 15 makes provision for the administration and maintenance of the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital erected in memory of his late Majesty and in commemoration of his illustrious reign.

Scholarships.-No. 20 increases to £200 the annual value of the two Bermuda Scholarships established in 1905 with the object of enabling candidates for the local Rhodes Scholarships to have two years' education out of Bermuda prior to going to Oxford University.

Development of the Colony.-No. 25 confers on the Bermuda Development Company, Limited, a local corporation, power to purchase or acquire compulsorily a tract of land comprising about 500 acres for the purpose of developing the tourist and hotel business in the Colony. Under a previous Act (No. 19) of the same session the company was given extensive powers to carry on the business of hotel-keepers and proprietors of places of amusement, recreation, and sport, including golf-courses, tennis-courts, and out-door sports of every description.

Leave of Absence. No. 28 regulates the granting of leave to public officers, as the Colonial Office Regulations on the subject were not applicable to this Colony. The length of vacation leave varies according to the grade in which the officer is included, there being three grades.

Public Health.-No. 32 is an elaborate Act which consolidates and amends ten previous Acts on the subject, and was the most important Act

of the year.

Currency. No. 40 provides that any British currency note, which has ceased to be legal tender in the United Kingdom, shall cease to be legal tender in Bermuda after a date fixed by the Governor by proclamation.

Foreign Banks.-No. 43 precludes such banks as are defined in the Act from commencing or carrying on business in Bermuda except under a licence to be issued and renewed annually under the authority of the Governor. The expression "foreign bank "includes: (a) any individual banker carrying on business, who is not a natural-born British subject; (b) any banking or trust company incorporated or whose head office is in any foreign country; (c) any banking or trust company incorporated in or whose head office is in the United Kingdom or in any British Dominion or Colony, but of which more than half the shares or stock shall be held by persons other than natural-born British subjects.

III. AUSTRALASIA.

1. COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.

[Contributed by SIR ROBERT GARRAN, K.C.M.G.]

Acts passed-56.

The bulk of the legislation passed in 1920 dealt with matters arising out of the war and the transition from war to peace. Some rather important amending Acts were passed; also new measures dealing with air navigation, aliens, industrial peace, and the establishment of an Institute of Science and Industry.

Air Navigation.-The Air Navigation Act, 1920 (No. 50 of 1920), authorizes the making of regulations to give effect to the Paris Convention for the Regulation of Aerial Navigation and to provide for the control of air navigation in the Commonwealth and the Territories under its control.

Aliens.-The Aliens Registration Act, 1920 (No. 49 of 1920), places on aliens resident in the Commonwealth and aliens entering the Commonwealth the obligation of becoming registered under the Act. Aliens resident in the Commonwealth may effect registration by giving notice in the prescribed form to the nearest aliens registration officer. Aliens entering the Commonwealth on an oversea vessel must attend in person before an aliens registration officer on board the vessel at the first port of call in the Commonwealth. Aliens resident in the Commonwealth must also notify the nearest aliens registration officer in regard to any change of abode or change of name. Foreign Consuls and their staffs and certain other persons are exempt from the Act.

Audit. The Audit Act, 1920 (No. 23 of 1920), makes a number of amendments to the Audit Act, 1901-1917. The main amendment deals with the duties of the Auditor-General in regard to the auditing of returns, cash-sheets, vouchers, etc. The principal Act contained detailed directions in regard to this matter, but this provision has now been superseded by a short general provision which leaves more to the discretion of the Auditor-General. It directs him to audit the documents referred to, and to ascertain two things, namely (1) whether the moneys disbursed were legally available for, and applicable to, the service or purpose to which they have been applied or charged, and (2) whether the provisions of the Constitution and of the Acts and Regulations relating to public moneys have been complied with. The Act also empowers the Auditor-General to admit certain vouchers where he is satisfied that they have been completely checked and examined by departmental officers. The provisions in regard to the giving of receipts have been made less stringent, and the giving of receipts for salaries and allowances is no longer required, a certificate by the officer making the payments being sufficient.

Canteen Funds.-The Australian Imperial Force Canteens Funds Act, 1920 (No. 3 of 1920), provides for the distribution of surplus moneys of canteens established in connection with that Force. These moneys and certain other moneys are to form a fund to be vested in trustees appointed by or under the Act. The trustees are charged with the duty of receiving and considering applications from the widows and orphans, widowed mothers, and other immediate dependents of deceased soldiers, and from disabled soldiers, for assistance and benefits. Advisory Committees must be appointed in each State and an annual report furnished to Parliament.

Customs.-The Customs Act, 1920 (No. 41 of 1920), deals with the problem of assessing the value of goods for duty having regard to fluctuations in the rate of exchange. The Act provides that the Minister may, upon the recommendation of the Commonwealth Board of Trade, direct that the value of goods for duty be calculated according to the Bank rate of exchange or the "Mint par rate of exchange." The "Bank rate of exchange " is defined as "the rate of exchange on London at which commercial transactions are settled between two countries," and the "Mint par rate of exchange " as the standard value of the coins of any country as compared with the pound sterling in gold coin." Direc