A Board meeting was held on 1st May, the President, Mr C. H. Long, in the chair. A new member was added to the roll, and applications from two intending members deferred. The President, who attended the late Conference of Master Printers at Dunedin, as the delegate from the Hawke's Bay Branch, read a long report of the business transacted at the Conference, and was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.

I would remind my brother members that the N.Z.T.A. will complete its first decade at the end of July next, and I trust they will seize the occasion to fittingly celebrate the event.

The suicidal competition among the master printers of Hawke's Bay goes on apace. The latest instance comes from Waipawa, the Mail having contracted to insert the County Council advertisements at the rate of one farthing per inch!

Trade dull, and a number of hands out of employment.

The trade has been busier than it usually is at this time of year. Especially has this been the case in the Government Printing Office, the change of Ministry having given rise to a vast quantity of work in anticipation of the meeting of Parliament early next month. The piece-room contains more hands than have been known in recess for a long time. The great bulk of the printing consists of the reports of various commissions. The report of the Public Trust Commission, it is believed, will break the record for length: the Native Land Laws Commission Report, and the full report of the Edwards judgeship case, are also of extraordinary length. All these have been in hand during the month, and are as yet unfinished. The rush has been great, and a large amount of overtime done, to clear the office in readiness for the session. In addition to this special work, the time-hands have been busy with the preparation of bills and other confidential work, and altogether the Government Printer has had a very busy month.

There was some unemployed agitation during the month, and of course there was some « ink » in the various gatherings. About nine printers put their names on the roll of unemployed, and nearly all have since found work a the Government Printing Office.

On the Ball, a football journal, published by Messrs Haggett & Percy, coming from the press on Saturday evening, with a record of the day's play, is now in its second month, and seems to be doing very well.

One of our news comps, Mr J. Kilner, of the Post companionship, has made his appearance in the part of Corporal Willis in lolanthe, and both in his singing and acting he has proved very successful. He has a fine voice and knows how to make use of it, and should he ever think of leaving case would probably achieve success in the operatic world.