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regret, amateurish in character. It is the exception for the students to work from drawings or sketches, while rule-of-thumb and slipshod methods are too often allowed. We are unable to suggest any reason why classes for amateurs should not be conducted on right lines. It is open to question whether classes conducted as indicated above arc really worth while. Painting and Decorating, &c. —Little improvement, if any, is noticeable in methods of instruction. Conditions similar to those to which attention wits directed in last year's report still prevail. Generally speaking, the classes cannot be regarded as complying with the requirements for technical classes. It is to be hoped that those responsible for the instruction will make some attempt to remedy matters. Commercial Instruction. —As usual, classes for instruction in subjects related to commercial pursuits were attended by a huge number of students. The demand for this instruction continues to be far greater than that for any other kind of technical instruction. With few exceptions the instruction is arranged with the view of giving students a clear insight into, and a practical experience of, business methods and operations. We are glad to note that in the day technical schools boys and girls taking commercial courses are being required to devote some part of the year to subjects not strictly commercial: for instance, the boys are given a course in the workshops, while the girls take various subjects of domestic instruction. It is to be hoped that this very desirable arrangement will have the effect in not a few cases of enabling pupils to discover that their powers would probably be hotter employed elsewhere than in an office. Domestic Sen nee. Dressmaking, dec. — Excellent courses in domestic subjects have been pro vided in the larger centres. Many of the classes are held in the afternoons only, the mornings lxung left free for domestic duties, Ac. The courses include needlework, dressmaking, millinery, cookery, household accounts, drawing, elementary science, physiology, hygiene, and home nursing, ('hisses for dressmaking continue to be largely attended, particularly in country districts, and the instruction given appears to meet the needs of those who are unable to avail themselves of the services of a professional dressmaker. We notice that patent ohart systems of various kinds are not being used to the same extent as formerly. In quite a number of cases, including some of the best classes, simple, rational, and inexpensive methods of drafting are being adopted with quite satisfactory results. 'Ihe number of adult classes for cookery, and the attendance thereat, continues to decrease. This decrease is no doubt mainly due to the large number of pupils in primary and secondary schools who are receiving instruction in this subject. Classes for nurses for instruction in invalid cookery have been held at several of the technical schools. Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. —The facilities provided at the larger centres during the last few years for practical work in these important subjects are, generally speaking, being taken full advantage of by students. Some excellent specimens of work in mechanical engineering have been executed, some of them by young students attending the technical day-schools. An improvement is noticeable in the character of the theoretical work in the evening classes for these subjects. The conditions under which these classes are held, together with the variations in the mental aptitudes and attainments of the students that attend them, make the bringing-about of much needed improvements a matter of some difficulty. To arrange a suitable programme of work for young students just fresh from school and free to give twenty hours a week or more to the study of a group of engineering subjects should be a comparatively easy matter, but all sorts of difficulties arise when students who have left school three or four years and whose object in attending evening classes is to learn something of one subject only—say, mechanical drawing—have to be provided for. So far as the larger centres are concerned, little exception can be taken to the courses provided for evening students. It is suggested, however, that more attention might be given to mathematics. It is well known that many young men attending classes for mechanical drawing have forgotten most of the arithmetic they learned at school, and are unable on that account to make the simplest calculations. The following course is accordingly suggested for young engineers attending technical schools in the evening: (1) Descriptive geometry and settingout, freehand sketching of machine-details, 1 hour; (2) elementary mechanics and steam, 1 hour; (3) mathematics (including arithmetic if necessary), 1J hours; (4) instrumental drawing, 1£ hours. All the subjects included in the course should be taught by one instructor, there being no question as to the advantage to a young mechanic of receiving his preliminary theoretical training in subjects related to his trade at the hands of one capable and well-trained instructor. Plumbing. —The number of classes for this subject, and the attendance thereat, continue to be well maintained, and good practical work has been done. The recognition by City Councils and Drainage Boards of technical-school certificates for plumbing has undoubtedly done much to keep up the attendance and the standard of work. Agriculture.-— Again we have to report that very little progress has been made in the establishment of classes relating to agriculture. With the exception of some elementary work at one of the day technical schools and a few scattered classes for dairying, bee and poultry keeping, Ac, the only classes the establishment of which can be said to have met with adequate response at the hands of those immediately concerned are those for instruction in wool sorting and classing. Woolgrowers appear to have discovered that it is worth while for them to send their wool away properly sorted and classed. As a consequence there has been a large demand for classes. That controlling authorities were willing to meet this demand as far as possible may he gathered from the fact that classes were held at some forty places during the year, as against five for the previous year. Croat interest has been taken in the work by the students, many of whom had to travel considerable distances to attend. It is to be hoped that it will be found practicable to extend the programme of work so as to include systematic instruction in such topic- as breeding, and the influence of soil ;,,,,! climate on wool-production. At present the wool is studied chiefly from the point of view