Eves : And whereas the Nelson City Council has certified
that the signatures to such requisition represent a majority
of the occupiers of all the grocers’ shops within the city :
Now, therefore, I, James McGowan, acting for and on
behalf of the Minister of Labour, in pursuance of section 21
of “The Shops and Offices Act, 1904,” and section 5 of
“The Shops and Offices Act Amendment Act, 1905,” do
hereby direct that from and after the 1st day of February,
1906, all grocers’ shops in the City of Nelson shall be closed
in accordance with such requisition.
Dated at Wellington, this 17th day of January, 1906.
JAS. McGoWAN,
For Minister of Labour.
Notice fixing Closing-hours of Retail Grocers’ Shops in the
Borough of Timaru under the Shops and Offices Act.
WHEREAS a requisition in writing, signed by a
majority of the occupiers of all the retail grocers’
shops in the Borough of Timaru, has been forwarded to
me, desiring that all such shops in the borough shall be
closed at 6 o’clock p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednes-
days. and Fridays, at 1 o’clock p.m. on Thursdays (the
weekly half-holiday), and at 9 o’clock p.m. on Saturdays:
And whereas the Timaru Borough Council has certified that
the signatures of such requisition represent a majority of
the occupiers of all the retail grocers’ shops within the
borough:
Now, therefore, I, James McGowan, acting for and on be-
half of the Minister of Labour, in pursuance of section 21 of
“The Shops and Offices Act, 1904,” and section 5 of “The
Shops and Offices Act Amendment Act, 1905,” do hereby
direct that from and after the 1st day of February, 1906,
all retail grocers’ shops in the Borough of Timaru shall be
closed in accordance with such requisition.
Dated at Wellington, this 17th day of January, 1906.
JAS. McGOWAN,
For Minister of Labour.
Subsidies to Public Libraries.
NOTICE is hereby given that the sum of £3,000 has
been voted by Parliament for distribution to public
libraries.
The distribution will take place on the 6th February,
1906, and no claim will be entitled to consideration that
shall not have been sent in in due form and received by the
Secretary for Education, Wellington, on or before the 30th
January, 1906.

1. A library to be entitled to a subsidy must be public in
   the sense of belonging to the public, and of not being under
   the control of an association, society, or club whose member-
   ship is composed of a section of the community only, and if
   within a borough it must be open to the public free of
   charge. The receipts for the year from subscriptions and
   donations must not have been less than £2, exclusive of
   moneys received from endowments, or from Government,
   or from Borough or County Councils, or for special building
   purposes, or as rent, hire, or consideration for the use of
   any room, or building, or land belonging to the institution,
   in respect of none of which will subsidy be allowed. The
   net proceeds of concerts, lectures, or other entertainments
   on behalf of the current expenses of the library will be
   regarded as voluntary contributions. A subsidy will not be
   given to more than one library in the same town.
2. In the division of the vote a nominal addition of £25
   will be made to the amount of the income of each library
   derived from subscriptions, donations, and rates, and the
   vote will be divided according to the amounts thus
   augmented; but no library will receive credit for a larger
   income than £75—that is, in no case will the augmented
   amount on which distribution is based exceed £100.
3. The whole of the subsidy must be expended without
   delay in the purchase of books for the library.
4. Application to share in the distribution must be by
   means of a statutory declaration by the Chairman, or Secre-
   tary, or Treasurer of the institution on behalf of which it
   is made, and must be accompanied by a statement of the
   receipts and expenditure of the institution for the year
   ending on the 31st day of December, 1905 ; and such
   declaration must be on the form provided for the purpose,
   which form shall be as follows:-
   DECLARATION.
   I, [Name], of [Place of abode], [Occupation], do solemnly
   and sincerely declare that I am Chairman [or Secretary, or
   Treasurer] of the [Name of institution]; that during the year
   ending on the 31st day of December, 1905, the receipts of
   the aforesaid institution for the maintenance of the library
   only were as follows : From rates levied by a local governing
   body under “The Public Libraries Act, 1869,” or “The
   Municipal Corporations Act, 1900,” pounds
   shillings and pence; from the subscriptions of
   members, pounds shillings and
   pence; and from voluntary contributions other than mem-
   bers’ subscriptions, pounds shillings and
   pence. And I do solemnly and sincerely declare
   that the information hereinafter furnished by me in the
   appendix hereto is correct in every particular; that the
   abstract of accounts is a true statement of the receipts and
   expenditure of the institution for the year herein specified;
   that the whole of the subsidy received during the year was
   expended in the purchase of books for the library; and that
   by the rules of the library it is open to the public free of charge.
   And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously be-
   lieving the same to be true, and by virtue of an Act of the
   General Assembly of New Zealand intituled “The Justices
   of the Peace Act, 1882.”
   Declared at , this day of , 190 ,
   before me— , Justice of the Peace [or Solicitor, or
   Notary Public].
   [Here affix and cancel a stamp at 2s. 6d.]
   [NOTE.—The words relating to last year’s subsidy and to
   free admission may be struck out if they are not applicable.
   The words in brackets are not part of the form, but indicate
   matter to be inserted or substituted.]
   Copies of the form of application may be obtained from
   the Secretary for Education, Wellington, and from the
   Secretary of any Education Board.
   ALBERT PITT,
   For Minister of Education.
   Commissioner's Decisions under Tariff Acts.
   Department of Trade and Customs,
   Wellington. 16th January, 1906.
   I T is hereby notified for public information that the Hon.
   the Commissioner of Trade and Customs has decided
   to interpret the Customs and Excise Duties Acts in relation
   to the undermentioned articles as follows :—
   NOTE.—“Not otherwise enumerated” appears as n.o.e.; “other
   kinds” as o.k.; “articles and materials suited only for, and to be
   used solely in, the fabrication of goods in the colony” as a. & m.s.
   Articles marked thus are revised decisions.
   | Articles, and how classed. | Rate of Duty. |
   | --- | --- |
   | 05/2272. Sateen printed and striped sleeve- Free. |
   | linings, 39 in. by 40 in., of such colours, patterns, and textures as may be approved by the Commissioner; as a. & m.s. should read |
   | 05/2272. Sateen printed and striped sleeve- Free. |
   | linings, 39 in. to 40 in., of such colours, patterns, and textures as may be approved by the Commissioner; as a. & m.s. |

W. T. GLASGOW,
Secretary and Inspector.
Commissioner's Order No. 794.)
Tenders for Mail Steam Service to Chatham Islands.
General Post Office,
Wellington, 11th January, 1906.
TENDERS will be received at the Chief Post-office,
Christchurch, until noon of Wednesday, the 22nd
February, 1906, for the conveyance of mails once every
month, and also once every two months, by steamer to
and from the Chatham Islands, calling at such places,
inclusive of Pitt Island, in the group as may be determined
upon by the Postmaster-General, for two years from the 1st
April, 1906, with Lyttelton or Wellington as the port of
departure and Lyttelton the port of arrival.
Tenders to be indorsed “Tenders for Chatham Islands
Mail-service,” and addressed to the Chief Postmaster,
Christchurch.
Names, tonnage, and horse-power of steamers proposed to
be used to be stated.
The lowest or any tender will not necessarily be accepted.
W. GRAY,
Secretary.