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beyond the information they have gathered from Mr. Van Asch. (4.) I have shown a competency for dealing with the lads after they leave the institution which neither Mr. Allan, nor even the Director himself, have shown, in that I have been able to place three boys in positions to earn their living independently of friends. Two of those boys had applied to the Director, but had been unable to get assistance from him. I must again ask you, if you can see your way to doing so, to give me the inquiry I desire. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education. H. E. Ceofts.

I. Copy of Boys' Woek-table foe 1892. Before breakfast: All boys make their own beds ; sweep bedrooms and empty water, B. Payne, Simpson, Cron; milk cows, 0. Laughton; flush drains, (now F. Laughton) Kinnear; wash and dress little boys, Simpson, Bradley ; take milk to Beach Glen, W. Hogan ; get breakfast-table ready, F. Laughton, E. Payne ; all big boys brush their own boots ; brush little boys' boots, J. Hogan, Bishop, Nicklin, Douglas ; sweep lavatory, Bishop ; sweep small sitting-room, boot-room, and bath-room, B. Payne; light schoolroom fires (winter), McWatters ; let Maori out, Oscar; take coals in, B. Payne. 8.30 a.m. to 9 a.m.: Go to post (after breakfast), P. Laughton ; wait at table, Fred. Laughton, B. Bayne ; feed pigs, empty slop-barrows, McWatters; feed fowls and pigeons, Simpson ; attend h&rses, Charlie Horton; dust schoolrooms, F. Bradley; put paper in w.-c, Douglas; take vegetables in, Douglas, Moore; put disinfectant in drains and w.-c, E. Payne ; take coals in, B. Payne; rake yard, (now Simpson) Kinnear; file newspaper, P. Laughton; water for cows, C. Horton ; clean tables on Saturday, Payne, Simpson, and P. Bradley. 12 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Clean knives, Cron and Stokes; pare potatoes, Henshaw, Gilbert, Tall, Moore, Williams ; prepare table for dinner, Fred, and E. Payne ; wait at table, Fred, and B. Payne; wash-up, P.-Laughton, O. Laughton, Stokes; feed pigs, McWatters; feed fowls (with scraps), Simpson; empty slop-barrow, E. Payne ; wash little boys, Simpson; dust lavatory, Bishop; chop wood, F. Laughton and Hogan; take coals in, B. Payne. 4 p.m. : Walk with master, all boys except those sweeping schoolroom and working in garden. Sweep schoolroom in turns —Monday, F. Laughton; Tuesday, McW T atters; Wednesday, Kinnear (now Simpson); Thursday, E. Payne; Friday, B. Payne. After the walk—Clean knives for tea, Cron and Stokes ; put inkstands and books away, Prank Bradley ; put tables for tea, P. Laughton and E. Payne; wait at table, P. Laughton and B. Payne. After tea: Clear tables and wash up, E. Payne, Simpson, Cron, and Bradley; feed pigs, McWatters; take coals in, B. Payne; bring in vegetables, Moore and Douglas; clean knives for breakfast, Cron and Stokes; look after firewood, P. Laughton; clean boots at Beach Glen, B. Payne and Nelson. Empty closets (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), alternately, P. Laughton and McWatters, and 0. Laughton and E. Payne. Wednesday afternoon and Saturday: Clean slop-barrows, P. Laughton; clean fowlhouse, Simpson; clean stable, Horton; clean pigsty, McWatters; clean w.-c, Payne; clean windows, Douglas ; clean basins for lavatory, Moore ; clean little boys' Sunday boots, B. Payne and Melson ; clean spoons, three little boys (Saturday only); rake yard, Simpson. Saturday only: Scrub dining-room, E. Payne and Stokes; scrub bedrooms, B. Payne and Bishop; scrub lavatory, P. Laughton; scrub two schoolrooms, any two boys otherwise disengaged.

J. Dear Sib, — New Zealand Herald Office, Auckland, 2nd August, 1892. I was greatly surprised to receive your communication of the 28th ultimo, and to find that a most trivial circumstance has been magnified into a serious complaint. In reference to the clause quoted by you the answer is very simple. My son has never complained of being either tormented or teased at Sumner " to such a degree that he wished to be taken from the house and placed with the other boys at the Boys' Home." It is true that he once wrote to ask for my permission to sleep in the Boys' Home, without stating any reason, and I am under the impression that he told me afterwards that he wished to be with other boys for their companionship. When Mr. Crofts called upon me in Christchurch, on one occasion, prior to this explanation by my son, I asked if he knew why Charles wished to sleep at the boys' house, but he evidently knew nothing about the application. The matter was so •unimportant —my son not having renewed the request, as he generally does upon matters of concern to himself—that it passed out of my mind until a few months since, when a servant under notice to leave the institution first of all wrote to me, and then called upon me in Christchurch, and wished to make some complaint. It seemed to be of a very weak nature, and was to the effect that my son had been teased by a lighted candle being carried past his bedroom-door after he had retired for the night. I declined to go into the matter, and did not think it of sufficient importance to repeat to you by letter. I may point out that my son was the first pupil at Sumner. He was then a poor delicate little fellow, who had been left deaf by serious illness, and whose health was considered to be in a very critical state. He is now fairly strong and robust, very happy, full of fun, and can read, write, and talk, and understand his fellow-beings. lam quite certain that he has been well cared for and kindly treated throughout, and his affection for you is so marked that it is ample proof of this statement. In England three years ago I met some of your former pupils, who were greatly delighted to