5

5

voluntary contributions, and subsidies thereon, £11,468; (3) fees, £8,510: making a total of £46,049 from these sources. The expenditure by these bodies on (1) administration, &c, was £7,025, and on (2) salaries of instructors, was £28,580; making a total of £35,605. The same bodies received £17,882 in grants for buildings and equipment, and expended thereon £25,314.

TABLE II.—Average Attendance at and Capitation on Classes for certain Subjects.

Though there has been a slight falling-off in the attendance at classes for engineering and for lead and wood working, the classes in these subjects are among the best in the Dominion. The workshops are well equipped for the work, while well-graded and full courses of instruction are generally provided. The attendance at classes for pure and applied art continues to increase. Here again well-arranged courses are in most cases provided. It is indeed becoming the exception for students attending these and other classes to take single subjects. Courses are being more and more insisted on by directors of technical schools. Classes for commercial instruction appear to be as much in demand as ever. Classes for such instruction were held at forty-five centres, while the total average attendance continues to be higher than for any other group of subjects. Classes for various subjects related to domestic pursuits were held at eightyeight centres, with a total average attendance of over 3,000. In the larger centres steps are being taken to establish full courses in domestic economy, and it is hoped that before long it will be found possible to provide efficient instruction in the various subjects included in the term " home economics." The appointments recently made by the Council of the Otago University in connection with the Chair of Domestic Science at that institution should do much to place the teaching of domestic subjects on a sound footing. It is gratifying to note the liberal support in the way of voluntary contributions that is being accorded to the movement in Otago. Instruction in subjects related to agricultural and pastoral pursuits has again been almost entirely confined to wool classing and sorting. Classes to the number of sixty were held at forty places, the total average attendance being over 800. Last year classes with a total average attendance of 101 were held at five places. There is abundant evidence as to the benefits to farmers arising out of the instruction given. The enhanced prices obtained for wool classed by students attending the classes have been very encouraging, and afford a striking example of the value of the instruction. The hope is expressed in connection with the hitherto generally unsuccessful efforts of controlling authorities to provide suitable courses of instruction for farmers that the latter will ere long discover that instruction bearing on primary industries other than wool is equally worth while. It is useless for controlling authorities to attempt to provide such instruction unless they can rely on the sympathetic and continued support of the farming community.

1908. 1! XX). Subjects of Instruction. Att A e V n e d r a a n g c e e. <M**»Average Attendance. Capitation. Engineering Lead and wood working Pure and applied art Experimental and natural science Domestic economy ... Commercial subjects Subjects of general education Agriculture, wool-classing, &c. £ s. d. 1,658 1,425 8 9 1,897 1,810 9 7 4,355 4,494 15 7 2,079' 1,174 3 4 3,278 2,563 13 8 5,549 4,198 5 6 2,601 1,844 11 2 101 89 15 0 1,592 1,586 4,513 2,234 3,417 5,867 2,979 882 £ s. d. 1,984 0 9 1,430 0 6 4,957 19 1 1,014 7 5 3,059 19 7 4,884 2 11 771 6 6 395 15 11 Totals... 21,518 J 17,601 2 7 23,070 18,497 12 8 i