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102

WELLINGTON.

Sir, — Office of School Commissioners, Wellington, 14th February, 1905. I have the honour to forward the report and statement of receipts and expenditure of the School Commissioners for the Provincial District of Wellington for the year ended the 31st December last. The following are the members of the Board of Commissioners : Mr. J. R. Blair (Chairman), Mr. A. W. Hogg, M.H.R., Mr. F. Y. Lethbridge, M.H.R., Mr. F. Pirani, and Mr. John Strauchon, Commissioner of Crown Lands. /"'During the year seventeen reserves, comprising an area of 8,977 acres 1 rood 21 perches, were vested in the Commissioners, making a total area of reserves now registered in the name of the Commissioners of 100,222 acres 1 rood 14 perches, of which 5,502 acres 1 rood (consisting mainly of rough and inferior country) are at present unlet. The sales of leases for the year resulted in twenty tenants taking up an area of 6,855 acres 2 roods 14 perches at an annual rent of £449 13s. 9d., which brings the total number of lessees now on the books up to 465, holding an area of 94,720 acres and 14 perches, and paying therefor an annual rental of £6,058 4s. Bd. The Commissioners still labour under the disability of being unable to subdivide valuable endowments, the leases of which are falling in from time to time, and some of which are eminently suitable for cutting up into smaller lots, and would yield a greatly increased revenue if so dealt with. This is owing to the provisions of section 21 of " The Education Reserves Act, 1877," barring the Commissioners from expending any portion of the funds administered by them on the construction of the subdivisional roads required by " The Public Works Acts Amendment Act, 1900 " ; and the Commissioners wish again to state that in their opinion it is very desirable, in the interests of the educational bodies for whom they act as trustees, that they should be given power to undertake such expenditure in cases where they consider it necessary. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington. J. R. Blair, Chairman.

General Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending the 31st December 1904.

Primary. Seconaary. Total. Receipts. fl ?o Balance on the 1st January, 1904 Rent paid on account of previous years Rent paid on account of year 1904 Rent paid on account of year 1905 Preparation and registration of leases .. . Legal expenses Interest and sinking fund on improvements £ s. d. 340 17 4 83 2 8 4,584 19 0 - 333 7 10 50 0 0 0 3 0 76 7 7 £ s. d. 228 15 11 0 2 2 774 4 9 0 0 1 £ s. d. 569 13 3 83 4 10 5,359 3 9 333 7 11 50 0 0 0 3 0 76 7 7 Total receipts ... 5,468 17 5 1,003 2 11 6,472 0 4 Expenditu\ •e. £ s. a. £ s. d. £ s. a. iy Payments to educational bodies— Wellington Education Board Wanganui Education Board Wellington College Wellington Girls' High School Wanganui Girls' High School Palmerston North High School Salaries of officers ... Printing, stationery, and office expenses Commissioners' travelling-expenses Commission on sales of leases Advertising Preparation and registration of leases ... Crown-grant fees Travelling-expenses of Secretary Arbitration ... Law Survey Bank balance ... ... £407 Cash in hand ... ... 2 0 4 2) 5) 2,953 8 5 1,596 11 7 253 10 0 96 12 3 8 2 4 15 11 2 44 15 0 60 0 0 17 16 2 11 2 1 20 6 11 20 5 6 0 10 0 I - 334 4 3) 208 2 4 166 9 101 191 3 7j 46 10 0 17 14 4 4,550 0 0 900 0 0 300 0 0 114 6 7 8 2 4 15 11 2 44 15 0 60 0 0 17 16 2 11 2 1 20 6 11 20 5 6 0 10 0 370 6 0 38 18 7 409 4 7 Total expenditure 5,468 17 5 1,003 2 11 6,472 0 4