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payment of a Government subsidy. By this means many schools have been enabled tojjcarry out desirable works somewhat beyond their own. unaided, efforts, and the extension of the provision to all public schools by the Act of 1914, instead of its being limited to district high schools as previously, has served as an excellent stimulus to self-help. The " School Journal." The School Journal is published by the Department every month (except in December and January) for use as a supplementary reader in primary schools, and is still regarded as a useful and popular publication. It is issued in three parts suited to the varying capacities of the pupils in Standards I to VI inclusive, and is supplied free to public schools, Native a schools,|;special schools, and other institutions more or less under the Department's control or supervision. To a very large number of private schools it is supplied- at moderate rates, with a. result that approximately 11,000 copies of the School Journal are purchased monthly. Of the last issue of the School Journal for the past year the number of copies printed was —Part I, 63,000 ; Part 11, 58,900; Part 111, 49,000: total, 170,900. in addition to reading-matter of a general character there have appeared in the School Journal during the past year articles dealing with national events, scientific discoveries, and the history and industries of the Dominion, while special numbers have been, largely devoted to topics suitable for Empire Day and Arbor Day. An analysis of the matter appearing in the School Journal shows further that a very considerable amount of reading-matter, both in prose and verse, is calculated to develop in the minds of the children an appreciation of the great and beautiful in literature, an admiration of truth and goodness in dally life, besides a high conception of patriotism, of national service, and of the principles on which may be founded true ideals of worthy manhood and womanhood. Medical Inspection. This sphere of work has for its chief aim the prevention rather than the cure of physical defects in school-children, or at least it aims at- dealing with defects in their very earliest stages, thus enabling the children concerned to develop into healthy men and women. The staff of Medical Inspectors, school muses, and physical instructors has been increased during the year, and the work, in all its phases has been considerably developed. Parents, teachers, the children themselves, and the public generally are becoming more and more impressed with the value of this branch of the Department's activities, and numerous evidences of appreciation have reached the Department. For general information some of the more distinctive features of the work of the past year may here be referred to. The inspection of all children in. schools in Grade ill and upwards|has been systematically carried out, and the reports forwarded to parents have been followed up by the visits of the school nurse. Careful investigation shows that from 70 to 75 per cent, of the cases reported have been attended to by parents, either by their own ministration or through the services of the medical or dental practitioner. Itwill thus be seen that the work of inspection is not merely of formal or statistical value, but that very definite and permanent practical results eventuate in the great majority of cases. It is regretted, that owing to the impossibility of securing larger staffs and means of conveyance in the outlying districts the children in back-country schools have not yet received the benefit of medical inspection. It must be remembered that over one-third of the children of New Zealand are taught in schools containing less than a hundred pupils, and that the children of these schools are out of the reach of ordinary medical or dental services, since these can be obtained only at considerable expense. It is highly necessary, therefore, that the benefits of medical and dental inspection and dental treatment should be provided for that portion of the children of New Zealand who in all probability stand in most need of attention. Some advance in this direction has been made possible by the recent- increase in the number of Medical. Inspectors, and as doctors are being released from war service it should be possible soon to meet all requirements. Early in the year applications were called for the position of school dentists, but owing to the large number of dentists engaged in military service it was found