G.—s

194

3. How do you account for so small a number of scholars ? —I attribute this, first, to the roughness and want of accommodation for a boarding-school at starting ; second, to the hard work necessarily entailed on the scholars; third, to the high wages offered by the settlers in the neighbourhood for similar work ; and fourth, to the excited state of the Native mind on the land question, which led to the Hapuku feud, and has existed more or less ever since. 4. What brought the school to a close in 1859 ?—The want of funds, in addition to a heavy loss by fire, in the total destruction of the new barn and woolshed containing a large quantity of grain, stores, and implements. I was then just on the point of building a schoolhouse, the timber for which was mostly cut and on the ground. At the same time, a change in the Government system of grants in aid took place, and seeing it impossible for me to continue the school under the new system, I used the most of the timber for the erection of the new barn and woolshed, which were imperatively wanted. I had commenced the school trusting to the terms of Sir George Grey's original charter for Native education, by which certain allowances, of at least £300 a year, was placed at my disposal for the improvement of the school estate and for the current expenses of the school, including the maintenance and clothing of scholars, and for payment of the salary of a schoolmaster during part of the time. Under the new system, framed by the Government about 1858, and which came into operation during 1859, only a certain allowance for each scholar, amounting practically to about £8 per head, was at my disposal. This sum was found totally insufficient for the mere maintenance and clothing of the scholars, leaving the deficit, in addition to the cost of a schoolmaster and suitable buildings for their accommodation, to be provided otherwise. I therefore found it expedient to close the school for the present, and to confine my attention to the improvement of the property, in the hope that I might be enabled to reopen the school in a more efficient manner at a future date, and to meet these expenses which, as I have above stated, were left unprovided for. 5. Please to mention the actual sum received in each year under Sir George Grey's scheme ?—I received the following sums from the Educational Board in Wellington—viz. : 1854-55, £690 ; 1856, £300 ; 1857, £300 ; 1858, £532 ; 1859, £250 ; 1860, £96 (for 1859) :—£2,168. 6. Have you rendered any accounts to the Educational Board of the expenditure of the above sums ? —I have rendered my accounts from 1854 to 1858, inclusive, to the Board, by whom they were submitted to the General Government. I have not rendered my accounts since 1858, as the old Board ceased to exist. The accounts since then are ready for the examination of the Government Inspector. 7. Will you explain generally on what objects the above sums have been expended ? —On the current expenses of the school, including the clothing and maintenance of the scholars, on farming implements, the building used for barn and woolshed which was burnt down, and on farm servants' house, stock-yard, cowshed, fencing, grass-seeds, and general improvement of the property. 8. What do you consider the maintenance and clothing of each scholar cost you per annum ? — At least £20 a year, as the prices were very high for all articles at that time, and the scholars were mostly able-bodied young men. [Note by Reporter. —The cost of the scholars during the five years would exhaust about £1,000 of the above £2,168, leaving £1,168 expended on buildings, implements, fencing, working-bullocks, and labour, &c, connected with the improvement of the property. Everything, labour included, was necessarily performed at a very great cost, the settlement being new.] 9. Did you receive any salary for your services to the school I —None at all. My only salary has been from the Church Missionary Society for my general missionary duties ; but the residence which I have occupied on the school estate for the last two years was partly built from funds provided by the Bishop of New Zealand. 10. What sum did you receive from the Bishop of New Zealand towards the building of your present residence ?—I received £500 in all from the Bishop for general building purposes, including the residence for myself. 11. What buildings have you erected on the estate in addition to those specified in your answer to question No. 7 I—My1—My own residence, building used as overseer's house, new barn and woolshed (40 ft. by 30 ft.) in place of one burnt down, and shepherd's dwellinghouse at out-station. 12. What may these buildings cost ? —About £899 in all. 13. Have you received any further sum from the Government for the purchase of stock or otherwise ?—I received £500 through the Bishop of New Zealand in 1855 for the purchase of sheep, with which sum I procured 250 ewes and the necessary rams. [Note by Reporter. —The price of ewes was then from £1 15s. to £2, so that the breeding-stock to start with was very small] 14. Were the cattle which are running on the school estate bought originally with Government funds % —No ; they have been purchased entirely with my own private funds for school and other public purposes, and have more than amply remunerated the Te Aute Estate for the grazing by the supply of meat and dairy produce to the establishment. The accounts are open to the inspection of the trustees of the property. 15. Will you please to state what is the number of sheep at present belonging to the school estate ? —About 1,448, according to a return which I herewith hand to you. There are other sheep on the College estate which aredaken in on the'disual terms, for the benefit of the institution. There have been great losses among the sheep at different times from dogs. But for this drawback the number of the school flock would have been much larger. 16. Will you please to state what is the extent of fencing and English grass on the estate ? —Six paddocks of different sizes, substantially fenced and laid down to English grass, comprising about 255 acres, of which 55 acres have been ploughed. Besides the above, arrangements have been made for farther fencing along the boundary of the largest block of land, which will require an outlay of from £500 to £600 ; but it is indispensable to the profitable working of the sheep that this should be done without delay.