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long training before he can get the academic degree : do you not think that advisable ?—Yes, I am in favour of the Government doing that. Personally, other things being fairly equal, I should prefer a man with good university training, regarding his degree less as actual evidence of attainment than of culture. lam strongly of opinion that there should be a series of examinations—a graduated series of examinations —and suggested to the late Inspector-General many years ago that he should provide a higher and more comprehensive examination in school management, something on the lines of that of the College of Preceptors. 285. With regard to my question as to the Government establishing a teacher's degree, do you think that it would be beneficial to the profession ?—Yes. 286. Mr. Stewart.] You quoted figures as to the fluctuation in attendance, and on some days you said your attendance was between 40 and 50 : would those days be counted in the working average ?—No. 287. Does the concession made by the department of not counting in half-days when the attendance is below half the number give any real benefit to the country schools ?—-No ; it does not go far enough. 288. You think the number present when the attendance is to be counted should be more than one-half the number on the school-roll ?—Yes. 289. Is this not a specially important point in view of the fact that we propose to regulate staff and salaries by average attendance ?—Yes. 290. You do not propose to commit yourself to the statement that you would classify the teachers on mere length of service ?—No; I advocate something approaching the English system of three grades, and three divisions in each grade. 291. As a matter of fact, in the elementary-school teacher which is the more desirable, the man who has passed through an academic course in six subjects, or a man who has devoted his time to wide general reading ?—The man who has devoted his time to wide general reading. 292. Why ?—A man may get his degree from a simple knowledge of a few books. He has not the knowledge that is gathered from a wide general reading, and may be quite lacking in other equally important qualifications as a teacher. He is what I should call a narrower man than the other. 293. Have you had any experience of a school of about 40 children ? —Yes. 294. What was the staffing ?—Myself and a sewing-mistress ; the sewing-mistress came two afternoons a week for two hours. 295. How many standards had you in that school ?—I had all the standards; it was under the English code. 296. What would you consider a liberally staffed school of from 35 to 40 ? —A master and an assistant. 297. Would you be in favour of pupil-teachers or an assistant?—l am strongly in favour of the adult labour over the pupil-teacher labour. It saves the headmaster a great deal of anxiety. Although pupil-teachers may be well trained in the course of a year or two, no one would like to say how many characters he spoils in acquiring the art of forming character. 298. In the proposed scale where there is an attendance of 35 the fixed salary is placed at £150 for the head-teacher, and £80 for the assistant-teacher : which would have the best effect in inducing persons to enter the profession, to pay a pupil-teacher £40, and the headmaster £190 in the one case, or as it is at present ? —lt would be better to keep it as it is. 299. The chief complaint you make in regard to this proposed scale is that the payment of salaries is based on average attendance ?—Yes. 300. The next complaint you have is the penalty for the lower certificate ?—Yes. 301. So that in other respects you think it is a very fair scale? —Yes ; but I think the country should be prepared to do full justice to the teachers, even at a cost beyond what the scale contemplates. 302. With regard to the question of residences, do you think it would be possible to draw up an equitable scale without reference to whether a school had a residence or not ?—ln some places I do not know what teachers would do if there were no residences attached to the schools. 303. Suppose a case occurred where two teachers were enjoying the same salary, while one had a house in addition and the other had not : do you think we could ignore that ? —No. 304. You think we must deal with the question of house allowance when we deal with the question of salaries ? —Yes, I think so; I consider my house as part of my salary. 305. Mr. Gilfedder.] You consider that the country should do justice to the teachers in the payment of salaries ?—Yes. 306. Is it not a fact that the teachers in some districts are required to teach more children per head than in others ?—Yes. 307. How many pupils do you consider could be taught efficiently in a small school by one teacher ?—Not more than thirty. 308. In some schools at the present time they can teach 40 and 45 before getting a pupil-teacher?-—Yes ; but I think that number too high. 309. Is not the work done efficiently ? —Yes, fairly so, I presume ; but I think it could be done more efficiently with a less number. 310. Mr. Davidson.] A master in charge of a school between 30 and 40 gets the assistance of a sewing-mistress; between 45 and 50, a monitor; so that practically there are three teachers in schools of from 45 to 50, are there not?—l consider a monitor an excrescence on the staff. One good assistant would be better than the sewing-mistress and the monitor. 311. Mr. Gilfedder.] In Otago and Southland a teacher has to conduct the school alone until the attendance goes up to 45 in average attendance : do you consider that 45 would be too many under the charge of a sole teacher ? —I think 30 are quite as many as he can properly exercise control over and give due individual care to in the moulding of character.