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in charge of the libraries that a due proportion of the books purchased shall be books having a permanent value. There were, of course, no purchases made from Government grants in 1916, but in previous years there was cause for a certain amount of dissatisfaction with the class of book that was obtained for the libraries. A very large proportion of the books purchased appeared to be fiction, having little or no educational or instructive value. There is on the market a plentiful supply of literature which in addition to being entertaining is useful, instructive, and inspiring, and those whose duty it is to ensure that the grant is used to its fullest advantage should take steps to obtain a certain proportion of books of this nature for the libraries aided by the Government. 11. Extract from New Zealand Gazette. Education Department, Wellington, 20th September, 1916. Notice is hereby given that the sum of £2,500 has been voted by Parliament for distribution to public libraries in country districts! The distribution will take place about the Ist March, 1917, and no claim will be entitled to consideration that shall not have been sent in in due form and received by the Secretary, Education Department, Wellington, on or before the 26th January, 1917. 1. A library to be entitled to a subsidy must be public in the sense of belonging to the public, and of not being under the control of an association, society, or club whose membership is composed of a section of the community only ; and if it is within a borough a reading-room where the books may be read, and containing newspapers and periodicals, must be provided for the public free of charge ; in addition, it, must not be situated in a borough, town, or town district the population of which exceeds one thousand. The receipts for the year from subscriptions and donations must not have been less than £2, exclusive of moneys received from endowments, or from Government, or from Borough or County Councils, or for special building purposes, or as rent hire, or consideration for the use of any room, or building, or land belonging to the institution, in respect of none of which will subsidy be allowed. The net proceeds of concerts, lectures, or other entertainments on behalf of the current expenses of the library will be regarded as voluntary contributions. A subsidy will not be given to more than one library in the same town. 2. In the division of the vote a nominal addition of £25 will be made to the amount of the income of each library derived from subscriptions, donations, and rates, and the vote will be divided according to the amounts thus augmented ; but no library will receive credit for a larger income than £25 —that is, in no case will the augmented amount on which distribution is based exceed £50. 3. The whole of the subsidy must be expended without delay in the purchase of books for the 1 brary. 4. It is 'particularlyjenjoined upon the authorities in charge of the public libraries concerned that a due proportion of the books purchased shall be books having a permanent value — that is, on books of more than merely passing interest. 5. Application to share in the distribution must be by means of a statutory declaration by the Chairman, or Secretary, or Treasurer of the institution on behalf of which it is made, and must be accompanied by a statement of the receipts and expenditure of the institution for the year ending on the 31st day of December, 1916, and such declaration must be on the form provided for the purpose., which be as follows : —[ _^ DECLARATION. ~"f,'\Name], of [Place of abode], [Occupation], do solemnly and sincerely declare that I am Chairman [or Secretary, or Treasurer] of the [Name of institu'ion] ; that during the year ending on the 31st day of December .1916, the receipts of the aforesaid institution for the maintenance of the library only were as follows : From rates levied by a local governing body under Part I of the Libraries and Mechanics' Institutes Act, 1908, or the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, pounds shillings and pence ; from the subscriptions of members, pounds shillings and pence ; from voluntary contributions other than members' subscriptions and net proceeds of entertainments, pounds shillings and pence ; that the library is public in the sense of belonging to the public, and is not under the control of an association, society, or club whose membership is composed of a section of the community only ; that the nformation hereinafter furnished by me in the appendix hereto is correct in every particular ; that the abstracts of accounts is a true statement of the receipts and expenditure of the institution for the year herein specified ; that the whole of the subsidy received during the year was expended in the purchase of books for the library; [and that by the rules of the library the reading-room is open to the public free of charge]. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of the Justices of the Peace Act, 1908. [Signature.] Declared at , this day of ,191 , before me — , Justice of the Peace [or Solicitor, or Notary Public]. [Here affix and cancel a stamp for 3s.] [Note. —The words relating to last year's subsidy and to free admission may be struck out if they are not applicable. The words in brackets are not part of the form, but indicate matter to be inserted or substituted.] 6. Copies of the form of application may be obtained from the Secretary, Education Department Wellington, and from the Secretary of any Education Board. J. A. Han an, Minister of Education.