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students at Helen Connon Hall. The late Miss M. V. Gibson—A legacy of £100 to be expended in the purchase of books for the College Library. Mr. George Humphreys —£25 for the like purpose. The Carnegie Corporation, New York—Grant of £500 per annum for five years for the purpose of extension work in rural districts; also books on education. New Zealand Society of Accountants — £50. Canterbury Chamber of Commerce — £100. Mrs. A. H. Alabaster, Miss F. Sheard, Miss Ross, Rev. E. E. Maiden, Mr. J. J. Dougall, and Professor Shelley also presented books to the library. Finance.—The gross receipts from all sources were £109,565, including £2,560 from Government grants for expenditure on new buildings. The total payments were £111,908, including capital items amounting to £18,370. The gross revenue receipts of all the institutions under the Board's control were £104,722 and the revenue payments £93,538. The total amount payable by the Government was £55,663. The payments on account of College buildings amounted to £11,131. Salaries (exclusive of hostel wages) amounted to £61,467. College.—The teaching staff for the year consisted of seventy-nine persons, of whom fifteen were professors. There was a small decrease in the number of students attending lectures during 1929, the number being 1,092 in 1928 as against 1,072 this year. The accountancy classes showed a satisfactory increase, the figures being twenty-nine students in 1928 and fifty-three in 1929. The work of the college is very satisfactory, and is fully dealt with in the Rector's report. In July last the Board received advice that the Carnegie Corporation of New York had made a grant to the College of the sum of £500 per annum for five years for the purpose of extension work in rural districts. The benefaction will carry a yearly Government subsidy of £500, which the Minister has agreed shall be treated as income (instead of being capitalized), so as to provide an adequate yearly income to give the experiment a thorough trial. This will be watched with interest, and, if successful, consideration will have to be given to the question of making financial arrangements when the yearly grants expire. Rolleston House (consisting as it does of six separate houses) was again appreciated by students requiring residence near the College, the various houses being fully occupied during the year. The question of its control may have to be considered by the Board, and some change made with a view to affecting improvements in the general management. Helen Connon Hall : This year there were thirty-six students in residence, the building being taxed to its utmost capacity. In my report for 1928 I expressed the hope that the suggestion for the erection of a new hostel in brick would materialize during 1929. lam glad to report that during the year plans were prepared and a tender let for the erection of a building to accommodate between forty and fifty extra students, with dining-room, common room, and other offices. The erection of the building (which is part of a larger plan) is proceeding, and should be ready for occupation at the beginning of the second term of 1930. Applications for admission, covering the total accommodation, have been received, and, in all probability, the Board will, in the near future, have to consider proceeding with the erection of a further portion of the building. School of Forestry. —This School continues to do excellent work, as shown by the report of the Lecturer in Charge. In August a conference was held with the Minister of Education (Hon. Harry Atmore), attended by representatives of the Board of Governors of this College and the Auckland University College, with the object of arranging for one school of forestry for the Dominion, in accordance with the recommendation of the British Empire Forestry Conference. The matter was fully discussed, all the representatives agreeing that it was highly desirable that there should be one school for the Dominion, and after placing their views fully before the Minister, the question of the location of the Dominion School of Forestry was left in his hands for final decision. School of Engineering. —The report of the Dean of Faculty gives full information of the very excellent work which continues to be done by this school. During the year 267 students attended lectures, of these 143 were matriculated, and 124 evening and extra students. "Workers' Educational Association. —The excellent work of this Association has been continued during the year. The annual report of the Canterbury Centre states : " The movement has again recorded an increase in the number of classes, there being nineteen tutorial classes and twenty-six study groups using the box scheme, making a total of forty-five classss. The extension of the box scheme to the West Coast, where four classes have been organized, means that that part of the country has again come under the influence of adult education as organized by this Association. The isolation of the West Coast is a great obstacle to the development of educational facilities, but the box scheme has made it possible for a number of the residents at least to get in contact with the latest ideas of music, art, and literature. The study of these subjects will no doubt assist in improving the cultural standards of the various communities in which the classes are organized. The number of students attending the classes was 1,599, excluding three classes which have not sent in any returns. This means an increase of 158 over last year's figures. If fourteen be allowed for each of these three classes, it reveals an increase of two hundred students. In all there has been an increase of eleven classes and two hundred students." The year closes with a record of continued progress which must be satisfactory to the Board of Governors and the various constituencies we represent, but I would again urge the necessity of following the example of the pioneers of the province in making provision for present and future requirements. Some of these requirements deserve attention now, and, as our population increases, their urgency will be still more manifest. During the year the Students' Union Building has become an accomplished fact, and the Board has arranged to extend the accommodation for women students at Helen Connon Hall, but the demand for accommodation still continues, and more provision is needed both for women and men students, before those desiring to do so can enjoy, at a reasonable cost, the many benefits and advantages of residential college life. We are still without the larger college library building which is such an urgent necessity, and the University playing-fields have yet to be acquired. From the standpoint of college life these are very important matters, which I earnestly commend to the people of Canterbury as being worthy of their consideration and financial support. I had hoped that a movement for the establishment of a Conservatorium of Music might have been initiated during the year, but numerous other activities have prevented the Board from taking any action in this matter. I trust, however, it will not be lost sight of, and that the project will be taken up in the near future.
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