G.—s.

152

Tβ. E. BECKETT.

160. Mr. Hogben.] Would you have any objection, as a member of the trust, to such a provision as that contained in section 86 of " The Education Act, 1904," being applied to this school —namely, that one-fourth of your income should be devoted to providing free places or scholarships ? —I should certainly be in favour of that. I certainly hope we shall be able to do better than that within the next few years. 161. That is the minimum, and you say you have no objection to being tied down to a minimum of that kind? —No; I think that is a very reasonable minimum, I hope the trust will soon be able to devote the whole of the endowment income to scholarships. 162. For instance, I know that even after all the expenses for buildings and charges on the endowment are deducted, the net endowment revenue for 1903 was £959, and for 1904 it was very similar in amount, and these amounts were included in the funds out of which the staff were paid, so that the parents who have been paying have been relying to a certain extent on the trust meeting the expenses of the school, although perhaps, as you say, they do not wish to do so? —If that is so, then Ido not think it is satisfactory. It is not so in 1905. There is a balance in favour of the trust of about £100. 163. With regard to the term "industrial training" used in the grant, are you inclined to think that the words " industrial training " would most nearly be carried out now if the amount of manual and technical instruction, or really, strictly speaking, manual instruction that is given in other good secondary schools was given in the Wanganui College?— Yes, I think that would comply fairly with the intention of the trust. That means a certain amount of expense, and really we have not been able to cope with it yet. Our endeavours during the last few years have been to make the place sanitary and up to date. 164. But, as soon as you see your way to doing this, you do not object to doing it?—No, and I think I can speak for the others. 165. If a scheme was placed before the trustees that, without injuring in any way the career of those who took a classical education, would allow some of the boys to take a more modern course, such as that given at the University College School in London, the Dulwich School, or Clifton School, would there be any objection on your part, as governor or trustee, to substituting the strictform system for the set-form. system as used at the London University College ? I ask you this because I believe you are familiar with one of these schools? —Yes, I was educated at the London University School College. I think the system you suggest should be adopted at the school. I think it is the only reasonable way of conducting schools, myself. 166. You spoke of £85 as being the cost of a boy at the College : does that include clothing?— It might include some items of clothing renewed at the school, such as " shorts " or boots; but, as a rule, the boys are provided with clothes when they go back to school each term. 167. Does it include medical attendance and dental attendance? —Yes. Of course, I think the accounts were much larger when there was special medical attendance. It would also include pocket-money and church-moiiey. 168. And games subscriptions ?—Yes, the usual charges at the school. 169. And these amounted to £24 to £30 a year?— Yes. I should say that included music, which I think cost three guineas a term. I should think £75 would be a fair estimate of the cost of the boy at the College. 170. The Chairman.] Have you considered what would be the best form of lease to adopt?— At present we have adopted the principle of putting the leases up to auction. The leases are for sixty years, with a compulsory building clause, with revaluation every twenty years, allowing the tenants for their improvements. 171. Do you not think the Glasgow form of lease would be best?— That has no compulsorybuilding clause. The object of the compulsory-building clause is rather to prevent people buying a good number of sections, and then leaving them with no buildings at all. 172. But that does not matter to the estate so long as you get the rent? —No; but I do not think it is good for Wanganui. I think almost it is better you should compel them to build. 173. I suppose the upkeep of the school buildings has been a very great expense?— Yes, very great. Of course, they are not so very old. The principal buildings have been put up in the last twenty-five years. The wear and tear on the buildings are very great, but the timber in the buildings is good. 174. Mr. Wray.] Do you think it would be better, in the interests of the trust, to have a purely local board, or do you think that the present system of appointing men who are keenly interested in the school is better?-—I think a mixture is desirable. I think Wanganui should be represented. This was never intended purely for a Wanganui school, and, therefore, I think there should be representatives from the districts that send boys to the school. 175. The Chairman?] Do you say that the election of the trustees should be entirely in the hands of the Synod? —Of course, it is a Church trust, and, really, the Synod are the people to appoint the trustees ; but I think that in appointing them they should be very careful to appoint competent people. I certainly think Wanganui should be fully represented. I think there should be two Wanganui representatives, and also a representative like myself from the district between this and Palmerston. 176. Whose duty is it to call meetings of the trustees?— The Chairman, who is the Bishop ; but meetings are called at the request of any of the trustees. Walter Empson examined. 177. The Chairman.] You are headmaster of the Wanganui Collegiate School?— Yes. - 178. When were you appointed ?—I was acting-headmaster for a few months. I was appointed headmaster in 1888. I succeeded Dr. Harvey. I was appointed by the trustees. 179. Will you tell us shortly the condition of the school when you took over the management? There were sixty-six boarders and fifty-four day-boys at the school then.