⁷⁶New  Zealan d Ga zette Extraord inary (1921) No 86 (Sept 22) pp 2377, 2379–2380. 55 trust that your consideration will result in these compilations being placed on the statute- book of this year. I commend all these matters to your consideration, and pray that Divine Providence may guide your d eliberations.⁷⁶ 109 In a similar speech on 14 June 1923, at the opening of the Second Session of the 21st Parliament of New Zealand, the Governor-General said: Attention has been given during the recess to the important work of co mpilation of statutes, but the process has been somewhat delayed by the necessity for the services of an additional Judge of the Supreme Court, and the temporary appointment of the Compiler of Statutes, the Honourable Sir Frederick Chapman, to that office. Bills consolidating the Companies Acts, the Chattels Transfer Act, the Land and Income Tax Act, the Harbours Ac t, and the  Stamp laws will be laid  before you. The very d ifficult and important work of consolidating the Dominion land laws has also been undertaken. As the result, a lengthy and elaborate measure will be submitted for your consideration. . . . I commend  the subjects to which I have referred to your earnest attention, and I trust that the blessing of Almighty G od may rest upon you r deliberations. 110 James Christie was Compiler of Statutes for 2 periods. The first was from 1 April 1924 to 1 June 1925. The second, much longer (16-year) period, was from 1 June 1929 to 30 June 1945. Christie had been Law Draftsman since 1918 and, on the enactment  of  the  1920  Act,  became  the  first  chief  officer  of  the  Bill  Drafting Department of the Law Drafting Office. The Act does not prevent the same person from  being  chief  officer  of  both  Departments  of  the  Office,  and  it  has  become standard for the Law Draftsman, or Chief Parliamentary Counsel, to also hold the office of Compiler of Statutes. As a 1962 newspaper report states: