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Geneeal Statement of Eeceipts and Expendituee for the Year ending 31st December, 1884. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ b. d. To Government grant for buildings .. 846 0 0 By Balance of account on 31st December, Government statutory capitation (£3 1883 .. .. .. .. 244 19 3 155.) .. .. .. .. 4,299 7 6 Office staff, salaries .. .. .. 112 10 0 Special capitation (55.) .. .. 286 12 6 Augmentation of Secretary's salary .. 26 0 0 Scholarship grant (Is. 6d.) .. .. 61 310 Departmental contingencies .. .. 46 2 4 Inspection subsidy .. .. .. 200 0 0 Inspector's salary .. .. .. 125 0 0 Inspector's travelling expenses .. 88 15 0 Examination of pupil-teachers .. 3 3 0 Teachers' salaries and allowances (including rent, bonus, &c).. .. 3,900 18 1 Incidental expenses of schools .. 500 9 2 Scholarships— Paid to scholars .. .. .. 80 0 0 Examination expenses .. .. 6 6 0 School buildings— New buildings .. .. .. 113 17 6 Improvements of buildings .. .. 157 19 5 Furniture and appliances .. .. 26 4 5 Plans, supervision, and fees .. .. 16 4 0 Interest to 31st March, 1884 .. .. 210 9 Balance of account on 31st December, 1884—General Account .. .. 242 4 11 £5^693 3 10 £5,693 3 10 A. P. Seymoub, Chairman. John T. Eobinson, Secretary. Examined and passed.—E. Macalistee, Provincial District Auditor.

Statement of Assets and Liabilities on 31st December, 1884. A. Exclusive of Building Fund. Assets. £ s. d. Liabilities. & s. d. Cash in bank on this account, 31st Decem- Due to Committees .. .. .. 115 4 6 ber, 1884 .. .. .. .. 242 411 Due to scholarships .. .. .. 20 0 0 Due from Government for scholarships .. 65 6 8 £307 11 7 £135 i 6 B. Building Fund only. Due from Government .. .. .. 846 0 0 Balance of account, 31st December, 1884 .. 261 211 £840 0 0 £261 2 11

NOBTH CANTEEBUEY. Sie,— Christchurch, 31st March, 1885. I have the honour to present the following report of the proceedings of the Education Board of North Canterbury for the year ended the 31st December, 1884 : — The Boaed.-—The three members who retired by rotation were Mr. John Inglis, Mr. H. W. Peryman, and the Eev. C. Eraser. At an election held on the 6th March, Mr. J. Inglis, Mr. H. W. Peryman, and Mr. W. Chrystall were elected to fill the ordinary vacancies, and Mr. Alfred Saunders to fill the extraordinary vacancy caused at the close of the previous year by the death of Mr. Edward Lee. On the 3rd April Mr. Inglis was re-elected Chairman, but a failure of health obliged him to accept leave of absence, and on the 3rd July he found himself compelled to resign his seat on the Board. The following resolution, which was passed unanimously at a full meeting, shows how greatly the loss of Mr. Inglis's services on the Board were felt by all the members : "The Board accepts Mr. Inglis's resignation of the Chairmanship and of his seat with extreme reluctance, and only on his assurance that the state of his health renders it a matter of necessity. On thus closing for the time an official relation extending over a period of nearly thirteen years, for nine and a half of which he has been Chairman, the Board desires to place on record the high regard and esteem in which Mr. Inglis is held by his colleagues, its acknowledgment of the eminent ability and unremitting attention with which he has discharged the duties of Chairman, and its sense of the inestimable services he has rendered to the cause of education in Canterbury. It earnestly hopes that Mr. Inglis's health will so improve as to allow of his resuming his place on the Board, his retirement from which it feels, and is confident will be felt throughout the district, as a great public loss." Unfortunately the hopes thus expressed were not fulfilled. Shortly afterwards Mr. Inglis went Home for medical advice, and towards the end of October the Board was grieved to receive the melancholy news of his death. It is impossible to speak too highly of the loss sustained by the district through the untimely removal of so indefatigable a worker in the cause of primary education. Mr. Inglis was indeed—to use the words in which the Board expressed its feelings on the occasion— " a consistent, laborious, and unselfish public servant, and a man who habitually discharged with distinguished efficiency and fidelity every public duty that he was ever induced to undertake." Mr. H. E. Webb was elected Chairman, and Mr. T. S. Weston for the seat on the Board vacated by the death of Mr. Inglis. The Board held twenty-three meetings during the year, at which the average attendance of members was 7. New Districts and Buildings.—No new districts were formed in the year 1884, but the preliminary steps were taken for the division of Longbeach into two districts, to be called