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ing in up-country places, on the football field, and by the sea-shore. School cookery classes were initiated at Fairhall, and others followed at Okaramio and Marlboroughtown. These have been very successful. A grant has been made for the building and equipment of woodwork and cookery rooms at Blenheim. The work of building is delayed through difficulty in obtaining bricks and timber. The nucleus of a library for the assistance of teachers desiring to refer to publications on handwork is formed at the Board's office. This was initiated by setting aside £5 from the grant for the instruction of teachers. An attempt is being made to arrange for an instructor skilled in showing how agriculture may be made a means of education, and in order to obtain some financial assistance the local bodies have been met in conference. Local authoiities in other parts of the world, notably in the United States and in England, have taken a large view of their responsibilities in this matter. The interest taken in handwork is complex : it is due—(l.) To the attempt to cultivate faculties that have hitherto been neglected, but which should, in a complete scheme of education, be considered. Professor Rosenkrantz says : " What appears to be negligence, rudeness, immorality, foolishness, or oddity may arise from some real needs of the youth which, in their development, have taken a wrong direction." Sometimes the scheme of education had, by taking too narrow a view, not given such pupils scope for employing their surplus energy. They had always been called on to understand, but never to act. Professor Robertson, of Canada, referring to rural schools and the effect of manual training on " bad " boys, remarks that " these are simply boys with a form of energy that must find expression, and if not led into good channels will break out into erratic ones that are denominated ' bad.' It (handwork) satisfies the boy." (2.) The other brain tracts may be stimulated by manual training. Sequin began the education of the idiot by training the hand movements, and of these he selected for the first lessons those that were most fundamental—grasping, supporting, letting-go, throwing, catching —and leading up generally by some admirable teaching tact to the accessory ; correlation of eye and hand in natural exercises called forth the pupil's interest. Strangely, after two years' education on this plan, the general mentality of the boy whom he describes had also improved to a degree that was marvelous even to teachers. The stimulation of the evolutionary levels in their natural order, through the hand-training, had strengthened them also for the discharge of mental functions." (3.) By handwork the pupil may be drawn towards employments requiring the use of the hand. A person with little facility in reading avoids reading. If the inclination for handwork is roused, a sympathy will be felt for those pursuits that require use of the hand, and the better class of boy may be retained for the country instead of drifting to the town. As the farming industry is the backbone of a country's wealth, the educationist cannot neglect this aspect. We require, in New Zealand, the correlation of agricultural work through the primary to high schools, thence to agricultural colleges and to the agricultural faculties at the university. The handwork of our schools is, of course, disciplinary, but it leads up to a faculty of fine arts at the University. Chili, in South America, has this faculty represented in its university, but New Zealand has not. A chair of fine arts has a downward influence in developing taste in the production of articles that commend themselves. It has, therefore, a more direct influence on trade than might at first be conceded. Christchurch, with its splendid humanities collection in the Museum, would be a good centre for this chair. The Tone and Discipline of the schools is generally high. Twenty-four schools were accounted " excellent" and only four " unsatisfactory." The effect of the schools in raising the tone of the people is summed up by Dr. Harris from statistics for the United States. The illiterate class sent eight times its quota to gaols and two and a half times its quota to prisons and penitentiaries, as compared with the literate (those able to read and write). According to the Minister's report for 1904, the income accrued under " The University Endowment Act, 1868," and applicable to purposes of higher education yet to be determined by Parliament, amounted to nearly £8,000. Could not some of this be used to provide scholarships for districts like Marlborough, away from university centres 1 The Premier has spoken of further land endowments to education. There would probably be little dissatisfaction with an endowment in aid of free text-books. Increases in salary have lately been given to several branches of the public service. This would be a free gift to the people. In America it is by Act mandatory in twelve States that books be provided free. Throughout the Union ninety-two cities of over 20,000 inhabitants find it possible to provide free books. Philadelphia is a city of 1,293,697 people. It began to supply free books in all grades of the public schools in the year 1818. The total amount of land donated to the several States of the American Union for educational purposes since 1785 is 78,659,439 acres, which is more than the area of New Zealand. Dr. Harris gives the American view of this matter : " We are making the experiment of self-government, government of the people by the people, and it has seemed a logical conclusion to all nations of all times that the rulers of the people should have the best education available. Then it follows that the entire people of a democracy should be educated, for they are the rulers." The argument loses nothing of its force by being transplanted to New Zealand. The regulations in regard to free places have increased the openings to those over fourteen years of age, and increased also the possible length of tenure of the senior free places. The 10 per cent, restriction in regard to junior free places will probably prove vexatious in operation. At least every child who attains his fourteenth biithday during the school year in which he gains his proficiency certificate should have two complete years of free secondary education. The Premier is apparently feeling his way towards thi owing open the high schools to children of any age and ability who have the desire to go forward. During the past year considerable sums have been raised by a number of the schools in aid of apparatus and libraries. The Board subsidises £1 for £1 the net sum raised. Two schools also which