155

G.—s.

W. fiMPSON.]

252. Of course, the Education Board pay for the scholarship-holders?— Yes; but if a boy— as many of them do—belongs to poor parents, we take him at £40, and we pay the trustees the tuition fees, and drop the £15, or whatever it is. 253. Will you give us the reason for excluding from the boarders others than those belonging to the Church of England?—l think that hardly represents the case. We are perfectly willing to take any boys. We have several Presbyterians, Wesleyans, and Roman Catholics. The only condition is that they must attend the chapel services. 254. Why do you enforce that regulation ?—-Because 1 look upon the chapel services as the most important part of the school. They bring the school together as a corporate body, and many old boys have told me that they look back upon those services as the most important part of the school. 255. The trust says that religious education shall be given, but it does not say what religious education? —But, being in the hands of the Anglican Bishop, must it not take the form it does? 256. Do you not think you would do better justice to the educational work of the school if you were relieved of the boarding part of the establishment? —With the idea of making any profit Out of it, I would say Yes, most decidedly; but I would not like to give up charge of the boys. That is the essence of the school, it seems to me —the care of the boarders. I would be heartily glad to surrender the whole of the boarding-fees to the trustees if I were allowed to have the control of the whole of the school. 1 should like to have the controlling influence left to me. It is an ignominious position for any master to be placed in to keep a kind of hotel going and make anything out of the boarders. I. think, however, a steward might be appointed to take charge of the boarding establishment, but I should not like to give up the controlling influence. 257. You evidently make a feature of carpentry work : do you not think it would be better if physics, chemistry, and what is known as technical education were more attended to ?—Already chemistry is taught in all the upper forms. We have a laboratory in whicii experiments are made. We have a very fair laboratory. 258. Do you think it is desirable to extend the work more in the direction of technical education ?—I should say for certain boys it was highly desirable, if you could classify the boys. 259. Mr. Eliott.] You say the boys who qualify for Board scholarships get free tuition at the school? —Yes. 260. Do any other class of boys?— Deserving boys of poor parents who cannot afford to keep them at the school. Clergymen's sons are only charged half tuition fees. 261. Who decides as to the remissions and free education?—l do. 262. What payments do you receive—only school and boarding fees?—We receive all payments. Then we pay to the trustees the tuition fees. 263. What is the number of the staff, and the total amount paid m salaries?— There are twelve 'masters, and the salaries amount to £2,950. 264. Mr. Liffiton gets about £60 a year, and you have a clerk: what salary does he get? — Fifty pounds a year. 265. Do the boarders attend the divinity class? —Yes. 266. It has been said that the demand on the boys for subscriptions is rather a tax on the parents?—l have heard that remark, but I have never heard of such subscriptions. 267. Have parents complained about it? —No. 268. Do the boys incur any debts about the town? —Not that I am aware of. 269. Mr. Ngata.] Is it possible to introduce a class of elementary, agriculture into the College? —We could just as possibly introduce elementary agriculture as training in any other form of science. 270. A suggestion has been made that secondary schools of a similar nature to this school might be combined with the general education system of the colony by adopting a portion of the curriculum under the Education Department: would you favour that? —No. 271. You would not favour giving up a certain amount of your independence to the Education Department?—No; I should not favour that. 272. There is a provision in the Education Act of 1884 that in case of a dispute between the school authorities and the Minister of Education, the matter of the curriculum should be referred to the arbitration of the Chancellor of the University of New Zealand, the Inspector-General of Schools, and a person to be nominated by the governing body of the school ?—That only applies to schools under the Secondary Schools Act, . It would not apply to us. 273. Would you object to a provision of that kind being applied to the Wanganui Collegiate School ?—I should not like it. 274. You have had a number of Maori boys attending the school?— Not a large number; four or five altogether, I think. 275. The suggestion has been made in regard to secondary schools that the more promising lads from the Maori village schools should be assisted to attend those schools: would you personally be willing to give such boys the same privilege as clergymen's sons in regard to remission of half fees? —As regards the fees, I should be very glad to; but our experience of Maoris hitherto has been such as to lead us to think that it is not a good thing to send Maori boys straight from their homes to our school. It is different if they:have been previously attending such a College as Te Aute. 276. As bowlers? —Yes. 277. What standard would you require from Maoris applying for admission as boarders?— We have had no standard for Maoris. We have had two or three who could hardly read or write. 278. You know nothing about the administration of the estate? —No. 279. Mr. Hogben.] I understand that you are in favour of the hostel system, as against the house system run by the masters on their own responsibility? —Yes. 280. With this proviso : that you should still have a controlling influence over the lives of the boys while at the school? —Yes.