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would mean ultimately a great improvement in the capacity and value of the lads in their present and future employment. In default of some such arrangement it would be desirable to drop the work in English and arithmetic and give the lads instead more practical work. This is our present intention for 1915. The Hawera Centre, as usual, has a good record, with thirty classes in operation and 210 individual students. There were two senior free pupils, twenty-five junior free pupils, fifty-six '* compulsory " pupils, and 127 other students. Mr. Jackson has very capably carried on the work here as assistant director. The subjects of instruction were : English and arithmetic, book-keeping, &c, shorthand and typing, drawing and painting, woodwork, cookery, dressmaking, orchard-work, and horticulture. The commercial classes are the most popular, but domestic classes are improving each year. This is only to be expected under such, a capable instructor as Miss Holford, who is responsible for all work under this head. The art classes suffered by the loss of Mr. J. E. Richardson, who left at the end of the second term to take up an appointment at the Napier Technical College. The Hawera Borough Council again assisted the school by a donation of £20, which was of very great assistance, enabling this centre practically to meet expenses. Mr. Lightbourne was responsible for the Eltham centre, where there were seven classes with 175 enrolments. Attendance was good in the earlier part of the year, but fell away later on. The subjects taken were : English and arithmetic, book-keeping, shorthand and typing, drawing and painting, dressmaking, and woodwork. Individual students- numbered sixty-one, including one senior free pupil, fourteen junior free pupils, thirty-tour " compulsory " pupils, and twelve others. This is not an easy centre to organize, and Mr. Lightbourne deserves credit for the results achieved . Donations of £5 each were received from the Borough and County Councils in aid of the classes. The attendance in the smaller'towns and township centres — e.g., Patea, Waverley, Manaia, and Normanby —has not been large in recent years. Such centres are soon worked out as regards ordinary classes, but it is hoped that the development of rural instruction will shortly improve the position. Curiously enough, it is always comparatively easy to get good classes in country districts proper. During 1914 we made no attempt to develop classes in dressmaking and millinery, preferring to wait until a keener demand set in. Classes for agricultural subjects were well attended, and I anticipate a large increase during 1915. Donations have been received from farmers' unions, farmers' clubs and from individuals interested in agricultural development. Extract from the Report of the Supervisor of the Central District. The Marton Technical School has been very successfully managed during the year. Classes were held in shorthand, typewriting, Latin, English, arithmetic, book-keeping, commercial geography and history, accountancy, precis-writing, commercial correspondence, dressmaking, cabinetmaking, ambulance, and hygiene. Most of these classes have been well attended. A few of the classes have been carried on, although the roll numbers were small, to enable the pupils to complete their examination courses. Mr. W. W. Thomas, 8.A., the local director, is satisfied that the grouped courses are making the school popular, and are benefiting the pupils. One pupil sat for the Public Service Senior Examination, others for Matriculation, Public Service Entrance, and Senior Free Place Examinations. One pleasing feature of the year's work is the demand by local offices for the services of students who have passed through the commercial classes. Donations have been received from the Rangitikei County Council, Marton Borough Council, Dr. Scott, Messrs. Abraham and Williams, and the woodwork classes. The receipts for the year were £204, the expenditure £185. Almost all the school-gardens in the district have been visited once at least; a number have been visited several times. Careful work has characterized many schools, but several instances of neglect came under my notice. In some cases the scheme of work was not satisfactory. The scheme should show the extent of both the outdoor and the indoor work for the year. The experimental and observation work, though well done by a few schools, has not been done with the zeal I could wish. The experiments should as far as possible be done by the pupils themselves. The notebooks should have a record of the successes and failures. The garden records are too often omitted. Tree-planting is being taken up by some schools, notably Marton. The School Committee has spent a considerable sum on trees. These have had a very severe test with the long spell of dry weather, but fully 90 per cent, are growing well. The teachers' Saturday class met regularly on Saturday afternoons during the year. Very little oral teaching was done ; most of the time was spent in experimental and other practical work. With a large class there is considerable difficulty in giving individual practical work in the two-hours' lesson. It was found necessary for some weeks to give four hours' work instead of two. On Fridays throughout the year I taught the boys taking the rural course at the Wanganui Technical College, botany, agriculture, and dairy science. Every Tuesday during the first half of the year I taught in the Hunterville District High School. The number of boys in attendance at the Marton school farm at the beginning of the year was forty-five. During the second half of the year I had the assistance of Mr. Banner. Lessons were given on Clydesdales, Horefords, dairy cattle, Romneys, and pigs ; on farm implements, crops, and manures. The outdoor work consisted in ploughing, harrowing, rolling, grubbing, sowing, and planting. The theoretical work was supplemented by camps for the study of farm animals and for sheep-shearing and wool-classing. About If acres were sown in wheat, 1 acre in mangels, 1 1 acres in clover, and -J- acre in potatoes. We have been enabled to get on with this work solely owing to the generosity of SirJames G. Wilson, who supplies us with horses, sometimes four at a time, and with no inconsiderable number of tools, besides the free use of the land. Most of the boys who have been with us two years are able to handle horses intelligently, shear sheep, class wool, put up a fence, and in an elementary way judge horses, sheep, and cattle. The course is a useful one, and most certainly is not devoid of educational and cultural value.