E.—l

Post Office Savings Banks. The department is indebted to the Secretary to the Post Office for the following>statement of the number of new accounts opened during 1889 by meansof postage-stamps affixed to cards and deposited in Post Office Savings Banks, the total number of such accounts open, and the amount at credit on the 31st December, 1889. This plan of deposit was designed to promote thrift among the pupils of the public schools : —

Colonial University Besebves. The Secretary to the Treasury has furnished a statement of the accumulated income derived from reserves made, under the authority of an Act of 1868, for the endowment of a colonial university. By an Act of 1874 this money is reserved for the purposes of higher education in the districts in which the reserves are situated, to be applied to those purposes in such manner as the General Assembly shall from time to time determine. The present amount of the accumulated income from such reserves in Canterbury is £971 Is. 4d. ;, from those in Westland, ,£135 7s. 6d. ; and from those in Taranaki, £24 14s. 3d. School Libraries. A very inexpensive method of providing a school with a lending library is described in a letter lately received from the Headmaster of the Christchurch Normal School. An extract from this letter will be sent by circular in a few days to all teachers of public schools.

CIIiCULAR. To the Teachers of the Public Schools. Wellington, sth May, 1890. Subjoined is an extract from a letter from a Headmaster, in which he describes a successful method of instituting and conducting a school-library. It will be seen that the method requires no expenditure of money. The Minister of Education thinks it likely that many teachers who have hitherto been deterred by the consideration of expense will be glad to receive this suggestion and to act upon it. Wi. Jas. Habens, Secretary for Education.

Extract. Normal School, Ghrisfccshurch, 29th April, 1890. . . . . My plan is exceedingly simple. I take into the room a few attractive books, and tell the boys fcbat they are my contribution to their library. The class-teacher usually adds a few more, and the boys are then told that any one wishing to become a member has only to lend a book to the library. This book must i>e first brought to me for approval. If I think it will do I initial it, and the boy then takes it to his teacher. I need not say that no books are accepted unless I feel sure that they are saeh as boys will read. iii—E. 1.

XVII

Postal District. Number of New Accounts opened during 1S39. Number of Accounts remaining open on 31st December, 1889. Amount at Credit of opeu Accounts o.'i 31st December, -1889. Auckland Blenheim Ghristchureh Dunedin Gisborno Grcymouth Hokitika Inveroargill Napier Nelson New Plymouth Oam aru Thames Timaru Wanganui Wellington Westport 9 7 12 13 100 107 591 377 10 9 2 29 75 383 96 88 138 125 58 280 1G £ s. d. 74 16 10 76 2 8 680 13 7 98 15 0 1 IS 11 6 3 10 0 14 0 23 12 7 43 9 8 787 18 5 24 8 0 125 11 2 112 13 1 140 19 4 46 14 0 97 3 6 5 19 3 11 6 3 9 4 3 13 2 Totals, 1889 .. Totals, 1888 .. 92 127 2,490 2,641 2,347 10 10 2,242 18 fi