81

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establishment as part of its functions. It is of very questionable legality, and cannot be brought within the 43rd section of the Act. I desire to remind the Board that the same plan was tried by the Provincial Government of Canterbury, and was abandoned after several years' trial with considerable loss. I also object to the payment of salaries of school-teachers in local schools by the Board. Except in a few cases, I have no direct evidence afforded me of the payment of these moneys to the persons entitled to receive them, and it is an imposition of labour upon the central office which (while they exist) belongs especially to the local Committees, as may reasonably be inferred from the Act. I equally object to the mode of payment of scholarships. They should be paid directly to the persons entitled to receive them, or to their own order.—J. Ollivier, Provincial District Auditor. 12th April, 1883.

Statement of Assets and Liabilities on 31st December, 1882. A. Exclusive of Building Fund. Assets. £ s. d. Liabilities. £ s. d. Cash in bank on this account, 31st December, Due to teachers ... ... ... 54 1 0 1882 ... ... ... ... 1,155 17 6 Due to outstanding cheques ... ... 80 17 2 Due from depot ... ... ... 302 10 11 Due to G-eneral Grorernment on account Due from Building Account ... ... 257 14 11 Education Commissioners'payments ... 581 15 6 Balance of assets ... ... ... 999 9 8 £1,716 3 4 £1,716 3 4 : I, r , '-. -.~ ■ . ■ ■ ,',,"!TrT B. Building Fund only. £ s. d. £ s. d. Due from purchasers of Waimate old school Balance of account, 31st December, 1882 ... 257 14 11 site, by bills due April, 1883 ... ... 292 19 8 Balance of amounts due or to fall due under Due from current year's building rote ... 3,567 15 6 contracts ... ... ... 1,496 8 0 Balance of assets ... ... ... 2,106 12 3 £3,860 15 2 £3,860 15 2

WESTLAND. Sir,— Education Office, Greymouth, 19th March, 1883. I have the honour to forward the report of the Board for the year 1882. Board.—At the commencement of the year the Board consisted of the following gentlemen : Messrs. Duncan, Grimmbnd, Hamilton, Parfitt, Perkins, Petrie, Reid, and Warner; there being one seat vacant owing to the resignation of Mr. E. I. Lord. At a special meeting held on the sth January Mr. Rudkin was elected to fill this vacancy. At the annual election of members, held on the 9th March, Messrs. J. Grimmond, C. L. Morice, and J. McWhirter were elected to fill the ordinary vacancies caused by the retirement of Messrs. Grimmond, Duncan, and Parfitt. At the meeting of the Board held on the 13th April Mr. J. Taylor was elected to fill the extraordinary vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. F. Hamilton; and Mr. W. H. Perkins was re-elected Chairman. The Board held fifteen meetings during the year—twelve ordinary and three special meetings. The average attendance of members was seven. School Districts.—At the commencement of the year there were twenty-four school districts in the Westland Education District. Early in January petitions were received from the inhabitants of Totara Fiat and of Woodstock, asking that those places might be separated from the Ahaura and Kanieri Districts respectively, and constituted separate districts. This was accordingly done; though by clause 36 of the Act their constitution could not take effect until the Ist January, 1883. The separation of the Arahura lload from the Hokitika School District, and its formation into a separate district, was also agreed to at a later period of the year. Teachers and Schools. —The number of schools at the end of the year was 36, being an increase of one upon the previous year, the Rangiriri School having been reopened. Of this number, 18 were carried on under the 88th clause. The school at Callaghan's was reopened for a short period during the year, but the Board were compelled to close it again, not being able to obtain a teacher for the small salary accruing, the school being under the 88th clause. The number of teachers employed at the end of the year was 87 —namely, 32 male adults, 24 female a'dults, 15 male pupil-teachers, and 16 female pupil-teachers. A committee having been appointed early in the year to consider the revision of salaries and staff, so as to reduce the Board's expenditure, they prepared and brought before the Board a report recommending some reductions in staffs and in larger salaries; but the report was not adopted by the Board. At the Board meeting in December they adopted regulations providing for some slight reduction in the staffs of the larger schools, and an alteration in the scale of fixed salaries and capitation allowance, having the effect of making some improvement in the salaries of the more poorly paid teachers. The Board* were enabled to adopt these regulations by the payment by Government of the additional ss. per head on average attendance; but it is absolutely necessary for the remaining ss. per head to be paid before the Board can place the salaries throughout the district upon a really satisfactory footing. The total amount paid in salaries during the year was 11— E. 1,