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801. Mr. Mackenzie.] Would you approve of a system of periodically transferring teachers?— ' 802. Do you not think that teachers who are appointed to country schools have a much less chance of promotion than those appointed to town schools?—No, Ido not think so 803 Do they not get outside of what might be called the range of the public and official vision?— No. In this particular district teachers often receive kudos through pupils obtaining 10 804. Do you think it right that a man should be left in charge of a school twenty or thirty years should say not. . ... 805 Then do you not think that some system of exchange, transfer, or promotion might be carried out by the Board?-Yes, if teachers were agreeable; otherwise I would say nothing about it. , ~ . . , 806 Do you think that the teachers in household schools, considering that many are not certificated just now, should come within the category of what you would call the permanent staff of teachers of the Board ?—No, I do not think so. 807. You approve of a colonial scale of staff and salaries ?—Yes. 808 There is a proposal to make the minimum salary in household schools £70 per annum : are you favourable to that ?—Yes; I think it is a very fair minimum. I think there should be a living minimum wage. . . v 809. Even if that involves the reduction of higher salaries in order to provide tor lW—ies. 810 Then the effect of that is, of course, not to maintain the present high salaries that are paid, which are the prizes in the profession ?—I think it is only fair, as I said before, that there should be that minimum wage. Stead Ellis, Secretary, recalled. Mr. Ellis : I may say, gentlemen, in regard to the question as to the cost of living in the Nelson District, that at one time there was an understanding on the part of the Board, a tacit understanding, that teachers on the Coast should receive from 10 to 15 per cent, higher salaries as compared with teachers in other parts of the district. 811. Mr. Stewart.] Was it thought that a dual scale was impracticable ?—There was no regular printed scale then; the salaries were all fixed at the time as vacancies occurred. ' 812. In the event of a colonial scale of salaries being drawn up, do you think it practicable for Nelson, or any other educational district, to work on a dual scale, or do you think that it is impracticable ?— Yes. 813. You think that to differentiate would be impracticable ?—Yes.

GBEYMOUTH. Saturday, 4th May, 1901. S. Harris, Chairman, Grey Education Board. Mr Harris : I may state that the principal grievance we have is in regard to the large number of outlying schools in our districts. The salaries paid in connection with these are very small, and the schools are so situated that it is impossible to get good certificated teachers to take charge of them, for in connection with these schools we are only able to pay a salary of £56 a year. The schools are some six or eight miles apart, with an attendance as low sometimes as 5 or 6, and at other times, owing to the fluctuating population, 20 or 30. I am strongly of opinion that there should be a better scale of payment for the teachers who may be in charge of these schools 1. The Chairman.] Has the Board been in any difficulty in regard to its finances ?—Yes, at 2. Have you found the capitation inadequate to enable you to pay the a reasonable salary ?—Yes, that is the principal reason why we cannot pay them a fair salary. The capitation is not sufficient. The larger schools have to pay for the smaller, and it takes us all our time to make both ends meet. 3. Mr. Mackenzie.] You have been losing about £36 alone on these small schools, have you not ? —Yes, on some of them. . 4. Have you looked into the proposed scale ?—I have not had time to go through it. 5. Then, you cannot quite say what you think of it ?—No. 6. Do you consider that your highest-salaried teachers are paid too low proportionally ?— No. 7. Then, in any proposal submitted you would not wish that the salaries of your higher-paid teachers should be increased?— No. ~',., 8. But you would increase the salaries of those teachers in these aided or household schools t Yes 9. Do you think a£4 capitation grant sufficient to do that ?—No, not when you come to consider the number of these small schools. 10. Would you suggest a higher capitation '? —Yes. 11. What distance apart are these schools?— Six or eight miles. 12. Are there none within three miles? —No; there is one school close to the railway-line, but it is about four miles distant from any other school. 13. Has your Board thought out every means of centralising the schools ?—Yes. 14. Mr. Davidson.] How many schools have you in your district altogether ?—About thirty, I should think,