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Financial.—The certified statement of this Board's income and expenditure, a copy of which has been forwarded to your department, shows the gross receipts, inclusive of last year's credit balance of £2,710 2s. 10d., to have been £38,958 7s. 3d. The principal items constituting this aggregate are as follows: Capitation grants, £27,037; building grants, £4,930; Southland's share of primary reserves rents, £3,201; scholarships, £600; inspection subsidy, £300. These, with other incidental receipts shown in the balance-sheet, make up the total income of the Board as above stated. The net expenditure for the year is shown as £35,945 2s. 2d., the most important charges against this amount being as follows: Teachers' salaries, £26,840; building, £4,521; School Committees' allowances, £1,853; office staff and Inspectors' salaries, £1,191; scholarships, £600. These payments, along with others of less significance, constitute the aggregate disbursements during the year, and leave balances to debit of Building Account of £422 7s. 3d. and to credit of General Account of £3,435 12s. 4d., the net amount to credit being thus £3,013 ss. Id. Against these balances have to be placed ascertained liabilities as follows : Against Building Account, a sum of £1,153 2s. Id., balance of amounts due or to fall due under existing contracts; against General Account, a sum of £730 18s., due to School Committees, teachers, and others as on the 31st December, 1898; and these, of course, have to be deducted from the actual sum standing to credit to exhibit the Board's true financial position. By order of the Board, The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington. John Neill, Secretary.

Geneeal Statement of Beceipts and Expenditube for the Year ending 31st December, 1898. Receipts. £ a. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. To Balance— £ s. d. By Office staff—salaries .. .. 470 18 4 On Building Account Dr. 863 10 1 Truant Offioer—salaries and expenses 192 13 8 On General Account Cr. 3,573 12 11 Departmental contingencies.. .'. 395 0 0 2,710 2 10 Inspectors'salaries .. .. .. 720 7 7 Government grant for buildings .. 4,930 0 0 Inspectors'travelling expenses .. 202 17 10 Subscriptions and donations for build- Examination of pupil-teachers .. 16 11 11 ings .. .. .. .. 32 8 11 Teachers' salaries and allowances (inGovernment statutory capitation .. 27,037 0 4 eluding rent, bonus, &c.) .. .. 26,840 16 9 Scholarship grant .. .. .. 600 16 11 Incidental expanses of schools .. 1,853 18 10 Inspection subsidy .. .. .. 300 0 0 Training of teachers (kindergarten Payments by School Commissioners .. 3,201 2 2 teaching) .. .. .. 15 15 0 Interest on fixed deposits .. .. 79 7 4 Scholarships— Rents of school sites .. .. 55 17 6 Paid to scholars .. .. .. 582 10 0 Refunds .. .. .. .. 11 11 3 Examination expenses .. .. 18 611 School buildings— New buildings .. .. .. 2,712 710 Improvements of buildings .. 1,249 0 8 Furniture and appliances .. .. 78 16 7 Sites .. .. .. .. 125 14 10 Plans, supervision, and fees .. 318 8 2 Advertising tenders .. .. 36 18 0 Interest on overdraft .. .. 10 0 Exchange on cheques .. .. 15 19 9 Members' travelling-expenses .. 96 19 6 Balance— £ s. d. On Building Account Dr. 422 7 3 On General Aooount Cr. 3,435 12 4 3,013 5 1 £38,958 7 3 . £38,958 7 3 Alfeed Baldey, Chairman. John Neill, Secretary and Treasurer. Examined and found correct—J. K. Waebueton, Controller and Auditor-General.

KEPOKTS OF SCHOOL COMMISSIONEES.

AUCKLAND. Sic,— Auckland, 10th April, 1899. I have the honour to report upon the administration of education reserves in this district for the year 1898, as follows : — The reserves let comprise fourteen sections of town and suburban lands, yielding a rental of £43 12s. 6d., and fourteen sections of country lands, yielding a rental of £150 18s. 6d. On the termination in August of a twenty-one years' lease at ■ Gisborne, granted by the Education Board in 1877, the Commissioners, after arbitration, were awarded to pay £390 as compensation for buildings. Since the close of the year this property has been extensively improved, and now commands a net rental of £260 instead of £73 under the old lease. This is the only case in which compensation is to be paid by the lessors, as in all leases now existing this liability falls upon the incoming tenant. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington. B. Udy, Chairman,