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Extract from the Report of the Managers of the Ashburton Associated Classes. In submitting this report, the Board of Managers have- pleasure in stating that the past year has been a very successful one, most of the technical and continuation classes being well attended, whilst the numbers attending the school classes have- been highly satisfactory. Marked progress has been made, and the keenest interest has been displayed in the work of the various classes, for which thanks are due mainly to an efficient and enthusiastic staff of instructors. The attendances at the various classes for each term were as follows : Cookery 29, 28, 26 ; dressmaking (4 centres), 78, 45, 10 ; woodwork, 3, 7 ; shorthand. 34, 20, 22 ; book-keeping 12, 4 ; building-construction, 5, 3 ; commercial arithmetic, 8, 4 ; commercial English, 8, 4 ; wool-sorting, 20, 15 ; elocution, 2. In addition, five school woodwork classes and five school cookery classes were held, with attendances of one hundred and one and eighty-eight respectively. The new classes for dressmaking at Rakaia and Methven proved very successful, while that at Hinds, though commencing fairly satisfactorily, had to be abandoned at the end of the second term, owing mainly to the impossibility of securing suitable premises in which to conduct the classes. The main difficulty with which the Board of Managers has to contend is that of proper accommodation for the classes, that provided by the old High School buildings being quite inadequate ; and had it not been for the courtesy of Messrs. Friedlander Bros. (Limited) and the Ashburton Borough Council, who allowed us the use of two large rooms for wool-sorting and dressmaking, the work could not have been carried out with success. New and convenient buildings in a central position would add greatly to the popularity of all the classes. The Board trusts that, as the Borough Council is now prepared to grant us a long lease of a valuable reserve of an acre in the centre of tic town at a peppercorn rental, it will not be long before the Department will make a grant towards the- erection of suitable buildings. The thanks of the Association are due to the Ashburton County Council, Ashburton Borough Council, Ashburton Agricultural and Pastoral Association, High School Board, Borough and Hampstead School Committees, and to private subscribers for generous financial assistance-. llknry Davis, Chairman iof M erB J. Christian, Secretary i 8 Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1908, in respect ol Associated Classes conducted by the Ashburton Technical Association. Receipts. £ s. d. ! Expenditure. £ s. d. Balance at beginning of year .. .. 77 14 10 Salaries of instructors .. .. .. 336 10 4 Capitation on associated classes .. .. 89 2 2 Office expenses (including salaries, stationery, Buildings 12 16 1 etc.) 58 11 4 Rent .. .. ... .. •■1 16 0 Advertising and printing .. .. .. 11 6 6 Furniture, fittings, apparatus .. .. 37 9 Lighting and heating .. .. .. 17 7 0 Material.. .. .. .. .. 611 Insurance and repairs .. .. .. 114 9 Subsidies on voluntary contributions .. 81 19 0 Rent .. .. .. .. 12 6 6 Pees .. .. .. . • • • 129 1 6 Material for class use .. .. 69 7 3 Voluntary contributions ~ .. .. 72 18 0 Caretaker .. .. .. .. 17 12 6 High School Board, on account of school High School Board—Grant for apparatus .. 25 0 0 classes .. .. .. ..5126 Sundries .. .. .. .. 8148 Interest on deposit .. .. .. 2 510 Cartage, labour, &o. .. .. .. 6 0 0 Proceeds breaking-up ceremony .. .. 90 7 Architect, &c. .. .. .. .. 33 0 Sales, &c. .. .. .. 19 0 3 Furniture, fittings, and apparatus .. .. 20 6 3 From North Canterbury Education BoardCapitation on account of school classes .. 66 7 0 Balance at end of year .. .. .. 24 16 7 £597 9 8 £597 9 8 I 11 i:\ry Davis, Chairman i , w J. B. Christian, Secretary i g Extract from the Report of the Banks Peninsula Associated Classes. The Managers have to congratulate the Technical Association on another year's successful work. Classes for cookery, woodwork, dressmaking, and wool-sorting were held. The classes were opened in April and continued until October, except the cookery class, which was not opened until June. Both teachers and pupils took a keen interest in their classes, and during the year some excellent work was done. As formerly, the teachers were handicapped by the unsuitableness of the building ; but this has been remedied by the erection of a new Technical School. The foundation-stone was laid by the Hon. G. Fowlds, Minister of Education, on which occasion the luncheon provided was the work of pupils of the cookery class. The building is in every way most suitable for the work that has to bejdone. Great credit is due to Mr. G. Penlington, the Clerk of Works to the Education Board, for designing the building, and to Mr. G. Haylock for the efficient way in which he carried out his contract. There was a financial loss on the work for the year ; but this was owing to the comparative lack of interest taken in the wool-sorting class. We have at considerable expense engaged the best obtainable expert from Christchurch, and it is much to be regretted that the farmers in the district do not take more advantage of the class. It is proposed this year to have a class in laundry-work. A. Gray, Secretary.