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330. But you simply believe the management would not be better?—Y~es; I think so from the results. 331. Would you not consider a public school would bo badly managed if it were managed in that happy-go-lucky style ? —lt would depend upon the masters. 332. Are you familiar with the management of public schools at Eton and Harrow ? —No ; I am not familiar with the management of them. 333. Are you aware that the Boards there meet at the, school ? —No. But I think it is quite possible that they may. I know that some of the endowed schools at Home are managed by Cathedral bodies at a distance, and well managed. 334. What is your experience, Mr. Field, as to the results of the management of the Education Board at Wanganui ? —Well, I do not like the system at all. 335. I suppose you have considered the matter. Do you think the Board has managed better than formerly, when it was in Wellington ? I do not know that it manages better, considering the increased funds. 336. They hold meetings every month, do they not, when grievances are brought up and discussed? —-Tes; I read reports of meetings in the papers. 337. Hon. Mr. Gisborne.] I think you mentioned the case of similarly endowed schools which failed? —There was a school similar to this which was established at the same time at Kai-iwi, under Wesleyan management. It was started by the Government on a similar footing ; but the Wesleyans were wiser than we were. We got a grant of land and expended our own money in making it available. They bought 300 acres of land at 7s. an acre, and got a large money grant from the Government for the purpose of erecting and starting a school on it. 338. Has that school been closed?— For several years there were about a dozen pupils at it, but about 1860 or 1862 it entirely ceased. 339. And was never revived? —The land and buildings have ever since been let as a farm, and no one outside of the Wesleyan body knows what becomes of the money. For many years a school was urgently wanted thereabouts, but they never supplied the want. About three or four years ago, a school was established by the Education Board close to their land. At that school, out of thirty or forty children, fully one-third are children of Wesleyan parentage; yet the Wesleyans do not contribute one farthing directly towards the school. 340. I want to know whether it has been a failure ?—Tes, utterly. 341. Is there a Wesleyan school here? —I do not know about that. 342. Tou mentioned one elsewhere?— There was one at Putiki. They have all gone to the ground because the Natives will not send their children to the schools. 343. Tou say the only title to enter the endowed school is that the child's parents should be subject to the Queen, and that it is uot a matter of paying fees ? —I understand it so. 344. What is your reading of the grant? Is it open to all creeds?—lt simply provides religious instruction shall be given, but does not specif}' according to any particular creed, and there has been no attempt to give distinctive Church teaching. The grant has been complied with by prayers and a few verses of Scripture at the opening of the school. 345. That is your reading of the grant?— That is the way it has been worked. It has never been worked as a Church school. It has never been attempted to make it an engine of proselytism. 346. Tou imply that it is open to all creeds ? —-Tes; children of all denominations have always attended it. 347. Then do you not think that Natives should be taught in this school according to the Trust ?— Tes ; if they will go there. 348. And also that there should be a certain portion that can be called a free foundation from the word 3 " other poor and destitute persons " ? —Tes, when required. 349. Do you not consider there should be an attempt made to teach some children without charging fees ? —lf any parents were to ask to have their children taught without fees, I think the question should be entertained. 350. Are you aware that there is a free foundation belonging to those schools you talked about ? —Tes. 351 Is not industrial training another condition ? —Tes ; but the term is a vague one. 352. And religious education is another condition ?—Tes. 353. So far as I understand your evidence, no Natives have been taught for the last fifteen years, no industrial training has been given, and there is no free foundation ?—lt is less than fifteen years. The Natives within a very few years were educated in Wellington out of the funds. That has been up to a very recent period. 354. But I understand that, as a general rule, no Natives have been educated at the school—that is quite an optional thing ? —For some years Natives were educated out of the school fees down here in Wellington. They were sent down here because there was no way of keeping them in the school at Wanganui, and partly because the buildings were burnt down. 355. Then, in fact, it is a high school without foundation?—At the present time there is no free foundation. 356. And it is a school in which Latin, Greek, and mathematics are taught ? —Tes. 357. And I suppose the English language ? —Tes. 358. Mr. Wright.] Tou say this school was kept when there was very little money ? —ln the first instance the Bishop of New Zealand found the money out of Church funds in his possession. In the early days the rents were so small, you could not have kept a master there or anything else ; and in order to enable tho school to have a more highly-educated master than the school revenues could afford, an arrangement was made by which the same gentleman acted as master of the school and minister of the parochial district. He received £150 a year from the school, and wc made up his stipend to £300 or more. 359. Tou say the present income is £600 to £700 per annum ? —Tes; I believe so. 360. And the attendance tiventr-five ?—I think that is about the number,