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361. Do you think that is a satisfactory result of such expenditure j do you think the education given, to these twenty-five children is of such a nature as would justify such a large expenditure upon it?— Well, hardly. At the same time it is from temporary circumstances that the attendance is so small. There were more children there some time back; and no doubt there will be more there shortly, as their numbers are increasing again. 362. Mr. Montgomery.] In point of fact it gives £25 to £30 per scholar as the cost of education ?— Very possibly. I have never gone into the calculation. 363. Do you not think the funds could be better employed by extending the system of education and getting more scholars? —If they could get more scholars. I think the number is increasing now, and will increase. 364. Tou say it is in the nature of a high school now ?—Tes. 365. Was that the intention of the grant, do you think?— According to Sir George Grey's account it was. We always understood it in that sense. 366. Do you mean, in consequence of the report of the Commissioners in 1858, European boys were excluded from the school ?—Tes; and then, in consequence of what Sir George Grey said, arrangements were made for reopening the school to them. When this was closed we made arrangements to open the Church school again, and for some years they had no other English school in Wanganui until the Provincial Government started the common school. When Sir George Grey expressed himself in that way, arrangements were made for closing the Church school and sending the boys back to the endowed school, but the burning of the school buildings prevented this being done. 367. Tou still adhere to your statement that local management is not necessary ?—I think that the local management as it is at present is better ; I think it is better than a local committee would be. 368. But I think you said there is no local management whatever ? —Tes ; there are Messrs. Churton, Jackson, and Jones. 369. Tou said they had only to deal with the estate ? —All matters connected with the school would be sent to the Trustees through those gentlemen. 370. Is there any person to supervise the school ? —No ; there is no local supervision so far as I know. I never heard of any one visiting the school itself officially, except the Bishop. When he goes round the diocese, he goes to see how things are getting on. 371. Do you know whether any periodical reports are sent in ?—I know accounts are regularly laid before the Synod, and published in the Church almanacs. I have often thought it would be a good thing if they were published in the local papers, because they would be more generally seen. 372. Mr. Bain.] Do you consider, Mr. Field, that every reasonable attempt has been made to comply with the original terms of the grant?—l do. 373. Tou say that, of course, after due consideration ?—Tes ; after due consideration. 374. Tou think that everything has been done in the matter of free education ?—I have never known a single person in that part of the country who could claim free education under a poverty and destitution qualification. 375. Has any application for free education ever been refused? —I do not know of any being made. The only case I have known of any one being refused, or sent away under any circumstances, was in the case of Mr. Peat, who took it into his head to send two daughters, though it was a boys' school up to that time. So long as the school was under a married schoolmaster, and the girls were boarding in his house and in care of his wife, their attendance at the school would not perhaps have mattered; but when the teachers were two young single men I think it would not have been proper, and would have rendered them liable to scandal for two girls of fourteen or fifteen years of age to go there, and that the Trustees were right in declining to receive them any longer. 376. Have there been any attempts made to give industrial education ? —Not that I know of, except that in the early days pupils were taught to grow crops, &c. 377. Did they do farm work ? —They were taught to do farm work. 378. But nothing in connection with trade ? —They used to assist in fencing, and in putting up a windmill. 379. Was that many years ago?—Tes; but I do not know that any wish has since then been expressed by people sending children there to have them taught industrial matters. 380. Mr. Macandrew.] Are there any boarders at the school at present ?—Not at present. There were some in Mr. Godwin's time, but not now. 381. Tou state that you consider the management satisfactory. I presume the extent to which it would be satisfactory would be measured by results ?—Tes ; and by the feeling of those who know the facts of the case. I never knew any one who understood the truth of the matter to express dissatisfaction. There is a little sectarian jealousy of the institution, and certain persons who are opposed to anything that could be twisted into religious or denominational education dislike the institution. 382. Do you consider that a management is satisfactory which, with an income of £700 a year, produces only an attendance of twenty-five pupils, paying fees of £7 to £8 a year ?—lf that small number is only temporary I should consider it so. 383. But it is nearly a quarter of a century old, I understand ? —But, on the other hand, it has been only for a short time past that the funds have been so large, or the attendance has been so small. There were forty or fifty scholars about a year ago. 384. Mr. Hislop.] Does the feeling that it is a religious school operate against it?— There is no doubt that it does with some people. 385. Can you give us any good reason why it should continue to be under a religious body ?—Only this : I consider it would be a sort of slur on that religious body to take it out of their hands, unless it could be shown that they had grossly mismanaged the institution. 386. Do you think it would be a good thing to convert this school into a purely religious school ? —I think it might be a legitimate thing to do, but I should be sorry to see it done. 387. Do you think it would be a legitimate thing, seeing that the school was set up for all the inhabitants ?—Well, hardly.