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the Vocation Officer, Canterbury. At Timaru instruction in wool-classing is given at the Technical School, and special arrangements have been made for the instruction of soldiers. At Dunedin instruction in farming is still awaiting development. The Vocation Officer is arranging with the. Agricultural Department in this connection, but no lectures have yet been given. The City Corporation desired this branch to establish a poultry-farm at Opolo. It was, however, considered that this would be more suitable for discharged soldiers, and the Repatriation Department have now arranged to take this matter up. Commercial Classes. There is not much demand for commercial classes, though the)- receive every encouragement. Much dep'euds on the instructor. Book-keeping is taught in Auckland, Rotorua, Trentham, Christchurch, 1 ! and Hanmer in conned ion with the hospitals, and also in the technical schools. A few of the soldiers learn typewriting but this is considered women's work. The total number attending classes in commercial subjects is 107. Correspondence Classes. Assistance to attend these classes is given where facilities for instruction arc not available to the soldier, as in country hospitals. The usual rule is to contribute £5 if a soldier is desirous of taking them up. There are six attending these classes at present. Technical Schools. It was anticipated at the initiation of the scheme that the technical schools would provide suitable training for soldiers, and that lew special instructors would be required. The results in this respect have been unsatisfactory : few soldiers can be induced to attend classes. The total number attending technical schools is now I 10. The training at the technical schools is intended lor regular instruction, and intensive courses are not given. The instructors are not themselves returned soldiers, and do not- understand them. The classes are held at inconvenient hours, are often crowded, and attended by <n'rls and boys. Lastly, the transport difficulty is a real one. Soldiers will not go to technical schools if it lakes them half an hour to get there and the same time to return. They are not eager for vocational instruction, and require not a, little persuasion before the)- will attend classes at- all. The war seems to have taken away much of (heir initiative. It is necessary to meet them in ovorv way, anil this has been done. In Christchurch and Timaru special instructors have been engaged to teach soldiers at the Technical School. The tendency is to provide instructors to teach technical subjects independently of the technical schools altogether. The Vocation Officer at Christchurch states. " The special soldiers' classes are in all cases successful, and it is recognized that where the kind of instruction soldiers want is provided good attendances can always be obtained." It should, however, be mentioned that the Dunedin Technical School is an exception. The classes there have been attended by over sixty. Educational Training. II was soon found that few soldiers wished to be educated. Compulsory education might have been practicable during demobilization in England, but- it was out of the question in New Zealand among returned soldiers. Nevertheless the attempt to provide educational training was made, and in Auckland a well-qualified officer was appointed lor the purpose. As it was found that there was practically no demand Eor instruction, he was made Assistant Vocation Officer instead of instructor. Economics and dries. At (he Annexe, Auckland, classes wen- started in these subjects by professors of the Auckland University College. Civics soon dropped out, as little interest was shown, but economics still continues with a class of twenty-six. At, Wellington and (hi istchurch no educational instruction is given, but it will lie provided H there is any demand. At Hanmer there is an enthusiastic patient- who has a good knowledge of economics, and succeeds in keeping the attention of large classes in this subject-. If he leaves it is likely that the class will lose interest. At Dunedin lectures on economics are delivered b\ Archdeacon Woodthorpe, but the Vocation Officer says in his report, "The men who arc able to get about will not- attend." It is noted that the teaching of economics was discontinued, in English hospitals, but it will be persevered with in New Zealand as long as soldiers will attend the classes. Other Educational Subjects. Instruction in other educational subjects is not now attempted, except where special application is made in rare instances. University Education. Soldiers who wish to attend university classes have their fees refunded. Few, however, avail themselves of these privileges. A.s Canterbury College is at- present- closed for vacation the figures are not available. It- must, however, be remembered that returned soldiers are not of the age from which university students are generally recruited, and that tin- profession of schoolmaster is not. likely to appeal to them. Administration. The development of a new branch of the Defence Department was not carried out without- administrative difficulties. Its establishment was not determined on until the middle of December, 1918. Buildings, equipment, and staff were required, and these could not be called into existence by a magician's wand. A four of the Dominion had first to be made, occupying several weeks, to ascertain the local requirements. Suitable Vocation Officers were hard to find. Owing to the scarcity of labour, buildings were only completed after exasperating delays. The provision of equipment, especially for splint-shops, was delayed in some cases for months after indents had been sent in. It is right to say that after the conference of Vocation Officers in May the equipment was wonderfully accelerated. Still, as a matter of fact the Vocation Officers now find it quicker to buy nearly all the equipment and material themselves, though it involves a great deal of office-work. The equipment and. material directly purchased by them up to the Ist July, 191.), amounted to Auckland, £366 Us. 3d. ; Wellington, £77 -Is. sd. ; Christchurch. £496 L3s. lOd. ; Dunedin. £408 12s. sd. : total, £1,319 Is. lid. Instructors had to be found for all the military hospitals in the Dominion from the ranks of returned soldiers. They have been provided, but it has taken time and a great deal of office-work. One inevitable result- of the amount of work sudden!) thrown on Vocation Officers was that they found themselves overwhelmed with details relating to buildings, equipment, indents, and Treasury vouchers, and they spent long days and nights in purcl) office-work' when they should have been getting into touch with soldiers. A Vocation Officer in the early months of this scheme required to