E.—l

added a sum of £803 7s. 10d., due from Building Fund, making a total of £3,743 19s. lid. at credit of General Account at the end of the year. The statutory capitation-grant of £3 15s. a head was applied as follows : Teachers' salaries, £3 3s. 2d.; grants to Committees and other incidental expenses of schools, 6s. 7d.; inspection and examination, 25.; expenses of Board and departmental management, Is. 9d.; unexpended, Is. 6d.; total, £3 15s. Against the balance at credit of General or Maintenance Account were liabilities reducing the net balance on that account to £1,753 13s. On Building Account the liabilities at the end of the year amounted to £5,435 10s. 5d., and the assets to £7,467; but there were further contingent liabilities for works promised, but not yet begun, amounting in all to £3,405. Buildings.—The grant for school buildings was £9,450; larger than usual, but still quite inadequate to meet the increasing demands, or to cope with the rapid development of settlement at the goldfields and elsewhere. The cost of building was nearly 20 per cent, greater than in 1895. At the present time many works of urgency are necessarily postponed for want of funds. The repair and improvement of existing buildings after twenty years' use continue to absorb a large share of the Building Fund. With a view to greater efficiency and less cost, the Board has employed two foremen carpenters at a fixed wage to undertake the erection of new buildings in remote districts, and to carry out other works of improvement to school properties. The painting of the school buildings has similarly been entrusted to two foremen painters, with most successful results. Miscellaneous. —The Board has lost the services of two of its most capable officers. Mr. Henry Worthington has retired from the headmastership of the Wellesley Street School after thirty-one years of honourable and efficient service, both as a teacher of the largest school and as having personally trained a large proportion of the teaching staff now employed. Mr. W. H. Airey, 8.A., was removed by death, after a few days' illness, in the midst of his work as Inspector of Schools. His connection with the Board as teacher and Inspector extended over fourteen years, during which period his duties were performed with the utmost diligence and ability. The Board has striven to meet the wishes and requests of School Committees as far as possible ; and it is satisfactory to report that the cordial relations existing in previous years have been maintained. While acknowledging the valuable help afforded by Committees in the past, the Board would take this opportunity of asking for the exercise of greater vigilance in the supervision of the school property under their care. James Muir, Chairman.

Geneeal Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1896. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. To Balance— By Office stafi—Salaries .. .. 1,123 0 0 On Building Account .. .. 4,429 G 6 Clerical assistance .. .. 30 3 0 On General Account .. .. 2,580 3 6 Departmental contingencies .. 707 7 1 Government grant for buildings .. 2,000 0 0 Inspectors' salaries .. .. 2,112 10 0 Forfeited deposit .. .. .. 5 0 0 Inspectors' travelling-expenses .. 727 13 6 Other receipts for buildings— Examination of pupil-teachers .. 47 11 5 Government grant for rebuilding Teachers' salaries and allowances (inPokeno School .. .. 318 0 0 eluding rent, bonus, &c.) .. .. 69,198 14 0 Ponsonby Committee, towards cost Incidental expenses of schools .. 7,092 0 8 of additional site, Richmond Eoad 90 0 0 Scholarships— Rent of Mangere Reserve, &c. .. 17 0 0 Paid to scholars .. .. .. 1,497 10 0 Proceeds sale Plat Bush old site .. 15 0 0 Examination expenses .. .. 60 8 8 Proceeds sale, part of old school, School buildings— Driving Creek .. .. 26 6 0 New buildings .. .. .. 2,092 14 5 Proceeds sale, lead off Wellesley Improvements of buildings .. 3,969 3 4 Street and other schools .. 15 17 3 Furniture and appliances .. 849 10 5 Committees'contributions —Pokeno Sites .. .. .. .. 389 7 0 and Woodhill .. .. .. 4 13 0 Plans, supervision, and fees .. 423 15 5 Government statutory capitation .. 79,796 7 0 Truant officer .. .. .. 130 0 0 Scholarship grant .. .. .. 1,551 18 0 Balance — £ s. d. Inspection subsidy— On General Account .. 3,743 19 11 Ordinary .. .. .. 500 0 0 Less Building Fund, Dr. 803 710 For Native schools .... 150 0 0 . 2,940 12 1 Payments by School Commissioners, for primary education .. .. 1,877 6 6 Remuera contribution to repairs .. 14 3 3 Refund—Overpayment on voucher .. 10 0 £93,392 1 0 £93,392 1 0 Vincent E. Eice, Secretary. Examined and found correct. — J. K. Waebueton, Controller and Auditor-General.

TARANAKI. Sic, — Taranaki Education Board, New Plymouth, 6th March, 1897. In accordance with the provisions of section 102 of " The Education Act, 1877," I have the honour to forward the following report of the Board's proceedings for the year ending 31st December, 1896 :— The Board.— The members who retired by effluxion of time were all re-elected, and Mr. B. G. Bauchope was re-elected Chairman. The Board for the year therefore consisted of the following:— Mr. E. G. Bauchope (Chairman), Miss Heywood, Messrs. G. A. Adlam, E. G. Allsworth, W. Ambury, H. Faull, S. Hill, J. Mackay, and J. Wade. The duties of the Board, owing to the development of the district and various other causes, have been unusually arduous during the past

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