45

E.—s

Art Department. —Mr. Elliott resumed duty at the beginning of the year, and has considerably benefited by his trip to the Old Land. The work in his department has been very successful this year. Several of the students were awarded prizes in the art section at the Agricultural and Pastoral Association Competition. Besides painting in colour, light and shade, drawing, &c, classes in leather-embossing and gessow ork have been successfully conducted. Commercial Department. —Good classes in English, arithmetic, book-keeping, shorthand, and typewriting have been carried on throughout the year. It will be necessary to procure another typewriter next year should the number of students in attendance continue to increase. The elocution classes under Rev. D. Hird, M.A., and Mr. A. V. Burnard have done good work. Plumbing. —The class in this subject has been a good one this year, and excellent work lias been done. Ten plumbers sat for the City and Guilds Certificates in July, of whom nine passed. Bight presented themselves at Wellington for the local plumber's certificate, and five were successful in obtaining a first-class pass. Domestic Department. —The dressmaking class under the able management of Mrs. Whitehead has done excellent work, and the attendance has increased from twenty-eight to fifty. The millinery class under Miss Ellison has also done splendid work. Trade Classes. —There is still a lack of interest in the classes pertaining to the building trade, but we hope that the courses proposed for next year will have the effect of getting more students to take up this work. A class in mechanical drawing has been started under the tuition of Mr. .lickell. Borough Engineer, and has done good work. It is proposed to include practical engineering-work next year. The wool-classing has attracted more students than last year, and two classes have been running. Good work has been done, and excellent results were recorded at the examination held last week. In the competition at the Palmerston Show first and second prizes were won by students of this school. A good class in photography has been excellently conducted by Mr. A. Billens. This class also won many prizes at the Show. A good class in telegraphy and telephony has been conducted by Mr. Allen, of the local Post-office staff. Good work has been done in the magnetism and electricity, botany, singing, agriculture, and tailoring classes. In fad the Board is to be congratulated on the staff of instructors it possesses in connection with the technical classes. The instructors devote much time and attention to the securing of good work from the classes. There were in all twenty-three entries for the South Kensington examinations in July last, the number of certificates awarded being eleven. One of the best and most successful classes in the school is the continuation class (general education) in charge of Mr. Warden, who has done excellent work. In connection with this class six certificates of proficiency and seven certificates of competency were obtained. It is very gratifying to see the interest shown in the school by the public generally, and thanks are due to those who have materially assisted by generous donations during the year, the farmers who have given fleeces for wool-classing, and the Press for its willing assistance at all times in the matter of advertising, &c. F. D. Opie, Director. Statement of Receipts anil Expenditure jar the Year ending -Usi December, 1909, in respect of Special Classes conducted ul the Palmerston North Technical School /»/ the Palmerston North High School Hoard. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Balance at beginning of year .. .. 172 19 7 | Salaries of instructors .. .. .. 742 17 8 Capitation on special classes .. .. 314 13 5 Office expenses (including salaries, staCapitation on account of free places .. 82 5 3 tionery, &o.) .. .. .. .. 267 1 5 Buildings .. .. .. .. 4,835 10 0 Advertising and printing.. .. .. 60 7 3 Rent .. .. .. .. .. 100 10 10 Lighting and hoating .. .. .. 38 9 8 Furniture, fittings, and apparatus .. 598 80 ! Insurance, repairs, &c. .. .. .. 40 I 9 Material .. .. .. .. 21 14 0 Rent .. .. .. .. .. 79 5 0 Subsidies on voluntary contributions .. 298 2 7 Material for class use .. .. .. 51 0 1 Fees .. .. .. 457 2 1 Freights, cartage, &c. .. .. .. 40 10 6 Voluntary contributions .. .. .. 274 210 ! Contraots (new buildings, additions, &c.) .. 1,835 10 0 Contractors for Technical School plans, o_c. 100 18 0 Arohitect .. .. .. .. 566 6 0 Sales .. .. .. .. .. 23 4 2 Furniture, fittings, and apparatus .. 471 2 0 Rent of paddock .. .. .. 5 0 0 Sundries .. .. .. .. 22 1 _ 1 Proportion of art master's salary from High Balance at end of year .. .. .. 119 4 1 School Account .. .. .. 50 0 0 £7,334 10 9 £7,334 10 9 William Hunter, Secretary. WKLLINGTON. Extract .bom the Report of the Education Board. During the year capitation under the Manual and Technical Regulations was earned by lib' schools, as compared with 121 in 1908, and 116 in 1907. Elementary handwork was taken in 97 schools, agriculture in 55 schools, cookery in 21 schools, and woodwork in 13 schools. Instruction in cookery and woodwork was extended to Pet where large classes received instruction in the Technical School. It is hoped to see next year a centre for cookery and woodwork established at the Mount Cook Schools. The Board has decided to undertake at the Normal, Carterton, Greytown, Masterton, Pahiatua, and Levin Schools the rural course at District High Schools as proposed under Manual and Technical Regulation 27 (g), and since the end of the year the necessary additional