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the point that one effect of creating a new subgrade between Grade 4 and Grade 5 would be to provide a considerable number of better-paid positions. At present there are a large number of teachers who have no hope of getting past Grade 4. A glance at the list of 196 schools in the Dominion makes that obvious. . 18. Have you had anything to do with correspondence schools belonging to proprietaries outside 'the Dominion ? —No. There are some excellent institutions in Auckland, of which teachers take advantage. 19. Should there not be some kind of supervision by the Department or the Education Board over schools of that nature, to guarantee to the students that they get value for their money ? —I think fair competition might be allowed there. Teachers pretty soon distinguish the shadow from the substance. 20. Is it not rather late for a teacher when he finds out that a system is a fraud ? —They do not invest money in that way until after pretty careful inquiries. 21. Mr. Wells.] How are the new regulations as to the obtaining of certificates regarded by the country teachers ?—A good many have expressed to me feelings of dismay. They do not see how they are going to fulfil the requirements. 22. Will their enforcement make country service still more unpopular ?—I think that until facilities are provided by the Department for fulfilling the science course they are impossible. I rather favour the idea of making the teaching of science practical. I have had some experience of labaratory work. 23. Would it be an assistance to uncertificated teachers in the backblocks to be allowed to take their D certificates in three sections ?—Yes, and I see no reason why it should not be done. It would be a distinct help to them. 24. As a country teacher, can you give us any idea of the extent of child-labour in the country districts in the way of milking and dairy-work ? Is any hardship entailed in that way ?—ln 1910 the Country Teachers' Association drew up the headings for a return, which it sent to the country headmasters to be filled in. The headings were : " Age of Pupil at October, 1909 " ; "S. Class " ; " Time of Rising and Time of going to Bed "; " Number of Cows milked —Morn., Night"; " Time occupied in this or other Home Labour " ; " Distance from School" ; " How Child travels to School " ; " Regularity and Punctuality Attendance " ; " Other Remarks — e.g., Mental and Physical Condition 'of the Child." We found that in individual cases there was very great hardship. Some children were doing as much as six and seven hours' home labour and travelling several miles to school, arriving in an altogether jaded condition, which would make them by no means receptive, and would influence their school-work. We recognized that the prosperity of the Dominion was based on its agricultural and pastoral resources, so we approached the question in no spirit of antagonism to the settlers. We simply wanted to know. In some cases there was no hardship at all—simply the milking of two or three cows —but in other instances it was nothing but child-slavery. 25. Has your association any suggestion to offer as to how the difficulty might be grappled with ? —We talked it over a good deal, and thought that the advent of the milking-machine would remove it, A good deal of the home labour, however, consists in cleaning the separators, and work of that kind. Still, the introduction of the milking-machine will remove a good deal of the trouble. 26. Would you advocate the appointment of Inspectors from the teachers' graded list ?—Yes. 27. Might not a man be a very highly qualified teacher, and occupy a high place on the graded list, and yet be quite unsuitable for the inspectorate ?—That is possible, and would have to be taken into account; but still there could be attention to the list too. 28. Mr. Kirk.] Do you go the length of suggesting that secondary education should be compulsory ? —I would. Ido not necessarily mean classical education. I would say that the country boy should oompulsorily attend classes in rural education —follow a rural science course, for instance. 29. Do the School Committees attend to their duties in regard to school buildings satisfactorily ? —They endeavour to do so. 30. But do they succeed ?—There is often a breakdown of the system with regard to sanitation. A teacher often has to wait upon them with an urgent request. I think it would be a very happy thing if we could improve the conditions in that respect. 31. It is a really serious matter, opinion ?—ln some cases. 32. Is proper attention paid to the fumigation of the school itself ?—I do not think fumigation is carried on except after epidemics. No periodical fumigation is undertaken, in my experience. There may be cases, but I do not think it is a general thing. 33. Is the ventilation of the schools satisfactory ?—I think so. I think the character of the schools has improved wonderfully in the last twelve or fifteen yea.rs. 34. Are you of opinion that the teaching of sexual physiology is desirable ?—I am ; but I think it should not be carried on by the teacher, but should be left to some one with a decided sympathy with the child nature. 35. Mr. Poland.] Can you give an instance where, in your opinion, centralization could well be carried out in the Auckland District ? —lt might be well carried out in the Thames centre. The schools there are very close together. 36. How many schools are there in that district ? —The Tararu, Waiokaraka, Baillie Street, and Parawai, all within four or five miles. 37. Should the whole of those schools be combined into one ?—lnto two, possibly. 38. What limit would you place on the number of scholars to get the best results ?—A school of 500 can be very efficiently managed. 39. What is about the attendance at the schools you have named ?—The Baillie Street School will have an attendance of about 400.