X—l

11

Retrenchment by Boards. Immediately on the announcement of the resolution of the House of Representatives to discontinue payment of the School Committees' allowance of 10s. per annum for every child in. average daily attendance, the Minister issued to the Chairman of every Board a circular telegram intimating the decision, and expressing the hope that the Board would readily co-operate with him in giving full effect to the resolution of the General Assembly in this matter, and so readjust and reduce its expenditure as to meet the necessities of the case in the fairest possible way. In reply to inquiries, Boards Avere further informed that the General Assembly clearly intended that the reduction should be applied proportionally and fairly to all the branches of their service, including the inspection and training departments as well as Board salaries and expenses, and that it should be made to operate as lightly as possible in respect of expenditure necessary for the efficient carrying-on of the schools by the Committees and teachers. The Boards were also requested to report to the Minister on the readjustments made by them in the several divisions of their service. Their reports shoAved that, with one or two exceptions, full effect was given by the Boards to the suggestions made to them. Their annual reports in the Appendix supply, with more or less fulness, information as to the reductions in detail. Table No. 7 of the Appendix contains a nominal return of the Boards' officers and their salaries as at December 31st, 1880, and also a statement of the corresponding salaries as at June 30th, 1880. The return includes the Boards' departmental officers; the Inspectors of Schools; .the teachers of normal schools and some others employed directly by Boards, and not on the staff of any ordinary public school; and also architects and clerks of works who were in receipt of fixed salaries instead of being paid by a commission on the value of the work done. The names and rates of salary of the ordinary public-school teachers are given in Table No. 9 of the Appendix. The following is a summary of Table No. 7, and shows in regard to each Board the total amount of salaries paid to officers and special teachers as at 30th June, and at 31st December, 1880 ; the amount of the reductions effected between the tAvo dates ; and the rates per cent, of saving on the former salaries :—

TABLE K.—Comparative Statement of Salaries of Boards' Officers and Special Teachers.

The above summary does not include the staff of the Wellington Normal School, which was not organised until towards the close of 1880 ; nor the visiting teachers employed by the Auckland Board, whose names, duties, and salaries are stated in Table No. 9 (page 15 of the Appendix), no return having been obtained of the changes effected after the 30th June with regard to their salaries. Table No. 7 shows how the reductions summarised in Table X have been effected. The Auckland Board dispensed with the services of a treasurer at £350 a year; engaged two clerks for £315, instead of £375 ; and deducted 10 per cent, from all the other salaries except the two loAvest, In the Districts of Taranaki,

Education Districts. Ordinary 0 Total Salaries as at Deo. 31, 1880. UTice and Inspect: I Total Salaries as at June 30, 1880. ion Stan. Total Reductions at Dee. 31, 1880. Total Salaries as at Dec. 31, 1880. Normal-School and other Teachers, Architects, &c. I I Total Salaries as at June 30, 1880. Total Reductions at Dec. 31, 1880. Total Reductions shown in preceding columns. 3 m Km =w Li O 4) <L a *<S a 3 » o « m a 3 *3 £ s. d. Auckland ... ... 1,895 0 0 Taranaki ... ... 325 0 0 Wanganui... ... 650 0 0 Wellington ... i 770 0 0 Hawke's Bay ... 750 0 0 Marlborough ... 237 10 0 Nelson ... ... 535 0 0 North Canterbury ... 1,932 10 0 South Canterbury ... 550 0 0 Westland ... ... 666 0 0 Otago ... ... 1,760 0 0 Southland... ... 651 0 0 £ s. d. 2,465 0 0 350 0 0 700 0 0 770 0 0 750 0 0 237 10 0 625 0 0 2,140 0 0 656 0 0 740 0 0 1,895 0 0 700 0 0 £ s. d. 570 0 0 25 0 0 50 0 0 £ s. d. 225 0 0 75 0 0 £ s. d. 250 0 0 80 0 0 £ s. d. 25 0 0 5 0 0 £ s. d. 595 0 0 30 0 0 50 0 0 £ 21-9 7-0 7-1 90 0 0 207 10 0 106 0 0 74 0 0 135 0 0 • 49 0 0 1,773 10 0 1,960 0 0 18610 0 90 0 0 394 0 0 106 0 0 74 0 0 1,033 0 0 49 0 0 14-6 9-6 161 10-0 22-4 7-0 1,795 15 0 2,693 15 0 898 0 0 1,306 10 0 3,869 5 0 4,983 15 0 1,114 10 0 2,421 0 " 0 14-2 Totals ... 10,722 0 0 112,028 10 0