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proper form, had been received at that date. The vote, as thus dealt with, afforded a subsidy of 4s. 9-68 d. in the pound on the nominal income, and the subsidies ranged from £6 9s. 9d. to £24 os. Bd. The number of libraries participating in the vote shows a decrease of fourteen as compared with the number Glided in February, 1911. In order that the purpose intended to be served by the vote may be attained, it is made a condition for participation that the whole of the subsidy granted to each library in the previous year shall have been expended in the purchase of books. The following table shows the distribution according to the education districts :—

Summary of Distribution of Public Libraries Subsidy.

Junior Cadets. (See also E.-11, Junior Cadets.) The Junior Cadet Department, although under separate administration, is in charge of the Minister of Education. Full particulars with regard to the Junior Cadets will be found in E.-11. The report of the Staff Officer shows that the total strength of the Junior Cadet Force (including Scout-Cadets) is 29,308, the number of officers is 1,315, and the number of primary schools and secondary schools with a primary department m which the Department has active interests is 573, and of these many have two or more Cadet companies. There are also many schools in the backblocks that the Department as yet has been unable to reach, owing to the expense of sending instructors. The net cost for the year ended 31st March, 1912, was £6,513, as compared with £7,669 for the previous year. Education Commission. (E.-12.) The Education Commission appointed to inquire into educational questions has presented its report to Parliament, The detailed evidence will be published shortly. Census Returns, April, 1911. (a.) Persons unable to read or write. The census returns record that 83-78 per cent, of the population of the Dominion could read and write. Of the remainder, 0-86 could read but could not write, and 15-36 could neither read nor write. Of these, it is estimated that 14 per cent, were too young to be reasonably expected to read or write. Therefore only a little more than 1 per cent, of the population of the Dominion did not take at least some advantage of the facilities for education. Of these, thirteen out of every fourteen are over twenty years of age, and it may reasonably be supposed that most of these came

Education Districts. Number of Libraries. Income. I Income upon which 1 Subsidy is based. Subsidy. Auokland Taranaki Wanganui Wellington Hawke'e Bay . Marlborough Nelson Grey .. Westland North Canterbury South Canterbury Otago Southland Stewart Island Chatham Islands 8!J 12 29 20 28 5 24 3 6 68 22 46 37 1 1 £ a. a. 3,055 12 9 283 18 6 1,450 6 5 4,900 8 5 1,168 2 11 150 11 4 542 15 1 328 13 2 104 15 6 1,656 16 1 372 11 2 808 16 0 335 2 3 29 15 0 7 0 0 £ s. d. 3,590 7 3 524 13 8 1,443 5 10 1,256 14 0 1,320 13 10 25V 0 4 1,039 6 8 249 11 0 254 15 6 a,626 4 1 922 11 2 1,811 8 6 1,260 2 3 54 15 0 32 0 0 £ s. d. 862 17 6 126 1 11 346 17 5 302 0 9 317 8 2 61 15 4 249 15 7 59 19 6 61 4 9 631 3 4 22L 14 7 435 7 8 302 16 6 13 3 3 7 13 9 Totals 391 15,195 4 7 16,643 9 1 4,000 0 0