E.—l

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the cadet corps are connected with the Hokitika and Kumara Schools, and one is composed of pupils from the Woodstock and Kanieri Schools, which are within easy distance of each other. Finance. —The balance-sheet shows in the General Account a credit balance of £104 7s. 7d. Of this sum, however, £89 14s. 7d. consists of the unexpended portion of the grant for the instruction of teachers. The net credit balance is therefore £14 13s. This is the first occasion for seven years that the. Board's General Account has been in credit. At the end of the year 1900, immediately before the Public-school Teachers' Salaries Act came into force, there existed a debit balance of £166 lis.- 7d., and it is gratifying to find that both an extension of the grants to School Committees and the liquidation of the overdraft have been feasible during the intervening four years. The amount of grants for ordinary building purposes was £1,312. Of this, £795 was for the requirements for the year 1903, and £517 was received just before the close of the year and forms part of the grant for the year 1904. The large balance in hand is accounted for partly by this anticipatioiijof the current financial year's vote, and partly by the postponement until the summer holidays of several contracts. I have, &c, The Right Hon. the Minister of Education, Welllington. Thos. W. Beare, Chairman.

General Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1903. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ a. d. Grants from Government for— j Balance at beginning of year .. .. 53 1 2 Teachers'and pupil-teachers'salaries, and Staff salaries and clerical assistance .. 490 0 0 allowances to pupil-teachers.. .. 3,949 37 I Office contingencies .. .. .. 110 12 1 Capitation at lis. 3d. and grant of £250 774 13 6 Teachers' and pupil-teachers' salaries, and Capitation for relieving-teachers .. 23 6 6 allowances to pupil-teachers .. .. 3,960 411 Special grant to School Committees . , 85 14 0 Relieving-teachers' salaries .. .. 22 3 7 Grants from Government for— Incidental expenses of schools .. .. 191 7 5 Scholarships .. .. .. 94 9 2 Scholarships and expenses of examination 77 4 0 District high schools .. .. 202 10 0 Salaries of staffs of district high schools .. 360 0 0 Subsidy from Hokitika High School Board 200 0 0 i Manual and technical instruction— Grants from Government for manual and School classes .. .. .. 14 12 6 technical instruction— Special classes .. .. .. 145 1 2 Capitation (general and scholarship) .. 123 10 0 Kepairs, repainting, &c., school buildings.. 600 9 4 Instruction of teachers .. .. 150 0 0 ! New school buildings, furniture, &c. .. 44 4 4 Voluntary contributions .. .. 5 0 0 j Buildings, class-rooms, furniture, &c, for Grants from Government for— manual and technical purposes — Maintenance of buildings, rebuilding, &c. 1,262 0 0 School classes .. .. .. 29 14 9 New school buildings, furniture, &c. .. 50 0 0 Special classes .. .. .. 20 16 7 Technical-school furniture, fittings, &c. 33 4 8 Other expenses— Rent of residenoes .. .. .. 21 16 0 Insurance of residences .. .. 4 3 6 Rants refunded to teachers .. .. 18 4 0 Balance at end of year .. .. .. 783 8 1 £6,925 7 5 £6,925 7 5 Thos. W. Beare, Chairman. 31st January, 1905. A. J. Morton, Secretary.

NORTH CANTERBURY. Sir,— Christchurch, 26th April, 1905. I have the honour to present the following report of the proceedings of the Education Board of the District of North Canterbury for the year ending the 31st December, 1904. The Board. —On the 2nd March Mr. D. McMillan resigned his seat on the Board, the vacancy being filled by the election of Mr. James Hight, M.A. The three members whose term of office expired in August were Dr. Charles Chilton, M.A., Mr. M. Dalziel, and Mr. C. A. C. Hardy, all of whom were re-elected unopposed. At a meeting held on the 17th August Mr. T. W. Adams was elected Chairman of the Board. The Board held eighteen meetings during the year, one of which was a special meeting. Mr. W. H. Montgomery was elected member of the Akaroa High School Board, Mr. A. Orr and the Rev. G. B. Inglis members of the Ashburton High School Board, and Mr. H. Boyd member of the Rangiora High School Board. Mr. Buddo continued to represent the Board as a Commissioner of Education Reserves. Buildings.—The total expenditure on buildings during 1904, including repairs, painting, and other renovations was £5,198 10s. lid. As the buildings formerly placed at the Board's disposal at Lower Kaituna (Big Bay) and Upper Kaituna were required by their respective owners, the Board was compelled to replace them so that school-work might continue. Of the expenditure on the firstnamed (which included a contribution towards cost of master's house), £150 had been granted by the Department some years previously, but owing to the difficulty of procuring a site the erection of a school had been unavoidably delayed. In the case of Kaituna (Upper) the residents contributed the sum of £50 towards the cost of the school, besides finding the site and undertaking the necessary fencing. The Birch Hill School and the Hinds (side) School, both closed during the previous year, were removed to Ashley Gorge and Carew (Rangitata) respectively, the Board being able in this way to supply the needs of the two localities in question without calling upon the Government to make the special grants which otherwise would have been required. A master's house was erected at Oxford East, the contract for this work, which for some years had been recognised as urgent, having been let during the previous year. An addition of one room was also made to the master's house at Darfield. During the year a large number of school buildings underwent substantial repairs and renovations. For many years the Board has been free to use its own discretion as regards the use of the buildings grant. The restrictions now placed upon it appear to the Board unnecessary and likely to cause serious embarrassment. There are usually many cases to be dealt with each year, some of which require that prompt attention which