Budget. The expenditure was 27,400,000l., the increase compared with the previous year being due to the extra cost of working the State railways and the Post and Telegraph Department. At the date of the Budget, the National Debt was 228,000,000l., a large figure, but one which must be connected with the private wealth of the Dominion. This the Government Statistician estimated at 794,000,000l., being an increase of 500,000,000l. in the last ten years.

With the Budget safely passed, the Ministry was able to appeal to the electorate for a renewal of public confidence, and the General Election was held on November 4. The Government went to the polls holding 38 seats in a Parliament of 80, and returned with 55 seats. The Nationalist Liberals, under Mr. Forbes's leadership, lost 11 seats, and the group was thus reduced to 11. Labour returned with 13 members and became the official Opposition in the new House. Sir Joseph Ward, an ex-Prime Minister, took his seat as an Independent Liberal. At the same time the Dominion was polled on the issue of Prohibition, with a result that the Prohibitionists were defeated by 29,000 votes, an increase of 11,000 votes over the poll of 1922. The following were the main points in the election programme of the victors: (1) sound and prudent finance; (2) thorough examination into the incidence of taxation; (3) closer settlement of occupied and unoccupied lands by purchase and subdivision; (4) extension of scientific agricultural education; (5) investigation into farmers' land banks; (6) well-being of the State and the Empire; (7) support of the League of Nations; (8) encouragement of secondary industries and suppression of trusts; (9) immigration-selective organisation to be strengthened; (10) more houses and fewer slums, increased compensation benefits, investigation of universal pension scheme, and of aid to parents with large families; (11) modernised methods of education; and (12) extension of public health policy.

The policy of the Labour Opposition included the "Socialisation of the means of production, distribution, and exchange," and that where national ownership of an industry is effected, "all labour for such industry and at least half of the board of control in each case, shall be appointed by the trade union, or unions, affected."

Mr. Coates's success at the polls was largely due to the Shipping Strike, which had extended from Australia to New Zealand, and not only stiffened the supporters of the Ministerial Party, but created discontent among professed supporters of Labour. Indeed, the Government's firm handling of the shipping crisis assured the Reform Party of aid from all moderate voters. There had been earlier trouble in February and March which took the form of "irritation strikes" at several ports. They were due to the Waterside Workers Union's dislike of recent awards by the Arbitration Court. At the end of September fifteen vessels

carrying New Zealand produce were idle and fourteen others were laid up in Australian ports, and this at the height of the meat export season. The complete dislocation of produce shipment was threatened. A conference of the shipowners and strikers, at which Mr. Coates was present on October 5, failed owing to the demands of the seamen. These included full wages and allotments to dependents since the strike began, and the payment of the cost of board and lodging for the time spent ashore. The shipowners offered to abstain from prosecution in Great Britain and to pay outstanding allotments so far as the men's balances permitted, but they rejected the other demands of the men, who, for their part, also declined the suggestion of Mr. Coates that they should submit the dispute to arbitration. Under these circumstances, Mr. Coates decided that it was necessary to call for volunteers to supplement the loyal crews and so move the meat, butter, and other produce accumulating at New Zealand ports. He announced that the Government would assure protection to all working crews. Finally, the strike petered out, as it had done in Australia.

Another important industrial dispute became active on March 12, when a strike of State miners commenced against the system of working the State collieries by co-operative contracts. Under this system contracts were let to co-operative parties of miners which enabled them to earn substantially more than the wages prescribed by the industrial agreement. The increased wages were made possible by a team spirit doing away with any go-slow tendency among the miners. The miners' unions, however, refused to countenance the system, and they carried their point.

Two other events New Zealand shared with the sister Dominion, Australia. On August 16 the Overseas delegates attending the Imperial Press Conference in Melbourne reached Wellington, and the speeches of Lord Burnham, Sir Harry Brittain, M.P., and Mr. Bassatt, and Mr. J. H. Woods of Canada, attracted general attention. The delegates visited a number of centres in the North Island, but, unfortunately, Christchurch was the only town visited in South Island. Following upon the visit of the United States squadron to Australia, two divisions of the American Fleet reached New Zealand early in August. The battleships and big cruisers were divided between Wellington and Auckland, and the smaller ships between Dunedin and Lyttleton. Everywhere, the United States visitors met with a rousing reception, and Admiral Coontz, in his speech at Wellington, rightly described his men as 25,000 ambassadors of peace. Mr. Coates, welcoming the Fleet, recalled his experiences fighting side by side with the American troops in France. "We learnt to understand each other then and the cruise in the South Pacific will also bring understanding." On November 17 the New Zealand and South Seas Inter

national Exhibition was opened at Dunedin by the GovernorGeneral, Sir Charles Ferguson. No national exhibition had been held in New Zealand since the beginning of the World War, and a display, one-third the size of the Wembley Exhibition, enabled New Zealanders to gauge their progress in industry since 1914. The exhibition site covered sixty-five acres, the seven major pavilions extending over fifteen acres, the amusement park and sports ground being thirty-one acres. There were ten miles of exhibit stands, including official displays by the Governments of Great Britain, Canada, Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand.

PART II.

CHRONICLE OF EVENTS

IN 1925.

JANUARY.

1. The New Year's Honours included one Earldom-Viscount Jellico (Earl Brocas of Southampton); two Baronies-Sir John Bradbury (Lord Bradbury of Winsford in the County of Chester), and Sir Henry Duke (Lord Merrivale); a Privy Councillorship, three Baronetships, and more than seventy Knighthoods. They also included a G.B.E. for Miss Ellen Terry and Mrs. Fawcett.

Violent rainstorms were experienced over the whole area of the British Isles; the Thames rose still further (see ANNUAL REGISTER, 1924, p. 16), and the Thames Conservancy announced that they could do nothing more to control or relieve the floods.

3. Heavy gales continued over a wide area; the river Severn steadily rose, and many streets in the city of Worcester were flooded.

6. The bi-centenary of Guy's Hospital was celebrated by a service in Southwark Cathedral, which was attended by the Prince of Wales.

8. In response to an appeal of the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's, The Times decided to start the raising of a fund for the restoration of the Cathedral. Contributions on the first day amounted to 16,2161.

10. A fog which developed in the South-East of England was said to have been one of the densest known in London for some years. It lasted three days.

16. The Times announced that Mr. Rockefeller had made a gift of four million yen to the Imperial University Library in Tokio.

23. The third Test Match between England and Australia resulted in a victory for Australia.

24. An eclipse of the sun took place; the cloudy condition of the sky made its observation difficult.

25. The 400th anniversary of Vasco da Gama was celebrated in Lisbon.

A

25. Mr. H. W. C. Davis appointed Regius Professor of Modern History in the University of Oxford.

28. Mr. H. A. L. Fisher, M.P., appointed Warden of New College, Oxford.

FEBRUARY.

1. M. Alexandre Alekhine set up a world's "record " in chess, by playing in Paris 28 simultaneous games without sight of the boards. He won 22, drew 3, and lost 3, playing uninterruptedly for 12 hours 40 minutes.

3. Mr. Edward Cadbury and Mr. George Cadbury presented to the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty 414 acres of the Chadwich Manor Estate.

The Rt. Hon. T. R. Ferens promised to give 250,000l. as the nucleus of a fund for the establishment of a university college for Hull (see also under July 6).

Canon Daniel Davies elected Bishop of Bangor.

6. King George and Queen Mary dined with Mr. Kellogg, the United States Ambassador, and Mrs. Kellogg, at Crewe House. Among the guests were the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Prime Minister.

9. An Earldom was conferred on Mr. H. H. Asquith, K.C., under the style of the Earl of Oxford and Asquith.

11. Mr. George Houston and Mr. Robert Hope were elected members of the Royal Scottish Academy.

17. The Commonwealth Fund of New York announced the establishment of 20 annual fellowships at American universities for British graduate students.

18. The Glasgow Technical College received a gift of 50,000l. from an anonymous donor.

19. Sir John J. Burnet, A.R.A., architect, and Mr. Philip Connard, A.R.A., painter, were elected Royal Academicians.

22. In order to improve the quality of education and the practice of the arts and professions in the United States, to foster research, and to provide for the cause of better international understanding," Mr. and Mrs. Simon Guggenheim made a gift of $3,000,000 for the endowment of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship for advanced study abroad.

24. The Right Rev. Thomas Wulstan Pearson, O.S.B., consecrated first Catholic Bishop of Lancaster.

MARCH.

5. Elections for the new London County Council were held; 83 Municipal Reformers were returned, 35 Labour representatives, and 6 Progressives.