E.—7

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larities, and in protecting the property of the Board. The necessity of fixing a certain date in each year for closing, stocktaking, and examination of books is apparent, it being impossible, with the ''free access system," to keep anything like a check as to the number of books missing and their general condition. It need not necessitate the books being called in, though it is the practice in large circulating libraries in England and Australia. A full catalogue to the contents of this department was completed in April, and is now obtainable by subscribers, 56 magazines and papers are taken in , 379 volumes have been added since the Ist January , and 108 volumes have been taken off the shelves as being unfit for issue. The total number of volumes in this department is 15,696, made up as follows History and politics, 1,162 biography, 1,259, travels, &c, 1,515; architecture, 301, fiction, 7,536, classics and literature, 941; poetry and drama, 342 , geology natural history, science, and botany, 784 magazines and miscellaneous, 1,856. The subscribers now number 1,340. Beading-room. —The necessity for increased accommodation in this department is apparent. The following papers are taken in English, 6, Irish, 1 Scotch, 1, American, 1, Australian Colonies, 9, New Zealand, about 37, magazines, 15. School of Agriculture. The members of the Board of Advice retiring by rotation are Messrs. H. Overton and W Boag, and they are eligible for re-election to-day The Chairman and members of the Board of Advice have been untiring in their efforts to promote the advancement of the School of Agriculture. A Special Committee has lately brought up a report as to the feasibility of enlarging the scope of the Lincoln College, and widening its sphere of usefulness. During the year the institution has been connected with the Telephone Exchange.

APPENDICES. 1. Bepoet of the Professor in Chabge of the School op Engineering and Technical Science. I have the honour to report on the work of the past year of the department under my charge. The number of students attending has increased from fifty-one to sixty-two, and the number of hour attendances per week from 254 to 308. Six matriculated students sat for the University examination in engineering. Five passed in their respective years, the sixth passing in the technical, but failing in the collateral subjects. Fourteen students obtained the College certificate in freehand mechanical drawing, eight in mechanical drawing, five in descriptive geometry and setting out work, six in steam, and one in applied mechanics. Since the foundation of the department 192 names have been placed on its books, 130 persons having completed courses of varying lengths. Of these, starting in nearly every case from the level of apprentices, two have attained to the position of engineers in charge of undertakings of magnitude, two that of works manager, two are lecturers and one a demonstrator in the service of the Board, nine are draughtsmen, four surveyors and draughtsmen, five shop foremen, eight engineers of sea-going vessels, five engineers of freezingworks, pumping-stations, &c, eight chargemen or leading mechanics, eight are in business on their own account. Fifty-four thus occupy positions of responsibility in England, Australia, and the colony fifty are working at their trades as skilled mechanics, the remaining twenty-six being made up of those whose present whereabouts are unknown, or who have turned to other occupations. Such results form a complete answer to the question which has been raised as to the future employment of engineering students, and account for the steady increase of attendance which has been characteristic of the history of the technical school. I must, however, remind the Board that the department cannot be considered as fully equipped for modern requirements until provision has been made for a section of electrical engineering, the arguments in favour of which, advanced by me in 1890, apply with still greater force to-day The Engineering Laboratory —The erection of the testing machinery is nearly completed. The testers supplied by Messrs. Buckton and Co. are of excellent workmanship, and my special requirements have been faithfully complied with. The capacity of the plant is unexcelled by that of any of similar size. The main tester is capable of dealing with the most delicate test piece, or with full-sized girders, ties, or struts. The value to the country of a plant by which the physical properties of its timbers, stones, other building materials, and manufactured products can be accurately ascertained can hardly be over-estimated, especially in connection with the instruction of those who will hereafter be called on to deal with them in constructive work. I have again to express my thanks for assistance to the officers of the New Zealand Government Eailways and the various engineering firms of Christchurch, also to the members representing Canterbury in the General Government for valuable assistance rendered me in obtaining the remission of the duty on the experimental engine and testing plant. Eobt. J Scott, Memb. Inst. Me. Eng., and Memb. Inst. C.E., Professor of Engineering. 2. Bepoet of the Cueatoe of the Museum. I have the honour to submit my report on the work done in the Museum during the past year In November last a discovery of moa-bones was made near Waimate, and the Museum secured the right of digging for them. Mr W Sparks, the taxidermist, was sent to superintend the excavations, and the result was one of the largest collections of bones ever obtained. Not only has our collection been much enriched by well-preserved bones, but there are many duplicates for disposal. Exchanges have been made during the year with the Museums of La Plata, Sydney and Auckland, and also with Dr F Krantz, of Bonn, Professor H. Ward, of New York, Dr. Koehler, of Lyons, and Dr Thomas, of Paris. Others are in course of arrangement. The additions to the geological