A. J. C. HALL."

71

1.—13 a.

twenty-five per cent, of a teacher's salary in Auckland goes in house-rent. My headmaster is away touring Europe. I am first assistant of the school, and I have come here at the request of my association and, of course, with the consent of the Board. Under the proposed Bill I would have been faced with the question as to whom I should leave in charge of the school —a woman or a competent male assistant. I think you will agree that the best thing to do would be to leave the male assistant in charge. If the second male assistant is to take charge of a school in the absence of the headmaster and the first assistant, how can he claim to have authority over a lady when she is second assistant and he third? That is one very grave objection we have to clause (c). The Bill says " one of the first two assistants must be a woman." We think the wording of the Act should be followed —that one of the first three assistants must be a woman. If the second male assistants are made to rank below the first female assistant you are going to kill that for which a lot of money has been voted recently—l refer to physical instruction. The best form of physical instruction for boys is not arm-stretching, but football and athletic activities outside. This work is done almost entirely by the second assistants, and if they lose their status they will not in future have the same encouragement to take up those works. We work six days a week now and attend meetings at night, but that will not be done if the male assistants are pushed down a grade and the women promoted. I could give the names of three men in Auckland who have already gone out of the profession, and I know of five teachers and three students who are only waiting for the new Bill before they decide on their future course. 4. Mr. Hogben.] Do you know what the average salary, excluding house allowance, of male teachers was in 1900?—£163 12s. Bd. 5. What was the average salary in 1912?—0f all schools £218 6s. 4d., and excluding schools with an average of under sixteen it was £226 lis. ."id. 6. That is an increase in the average salary of all male teachers of a little over 40 per cent., is it not?— Yes. 7. That would be a good deal more than the average increase in the cost of living? —Yes, we admit that. We are quite prepared to admit that you have done a very great deal for some grades of teachers, but it is the first male assistants, the men with the large families, who should have received consideration, and they have not received it. Headmasters have been treated more liberally than we have. 8. Do you know what the first male assistants got in 1900?— At Wellesley Street I believe he got £250, but I am open to correction on the point. 9. Mr. Sidey.] Do you agree that the Sixth Schedule should be amended?—l certainly do. Subclause (c) means that sole-teacher schools must be given to women. Mr. Hogben: That should read " of Grade II or upwards." Witness: I may tell you that has caused a great sensation in Auckland. 10. Mr. Sidey.] Is there any other amendment you could suggest to this Sixth Schedule?— The suggestion I was going to make in (d) was that at least one of the three assistants in any school must he a woman. Certain positions in schools should be allotted absolutely to men and other positions allotted absolutely to women, and definite salaries allotted to those positions. 11. Do you have a grading system in Auckland?— Yes. 12. Do you think it is practicable to have a similar system for the Dominion?— No. Howcould any one grade Mr. Blake and me if Mr. Blake is all the time under Wellington Inspectors and I am all the time under Auckland Inspectors? It could only be done by having a Dominion inspectorate —an inspectorate which is conversant with the teachers throughout the whole Dominion. 13. Then you think it would be essential to continue the education districts?— Most decidedly, but make them four or five in number at the very outside. Put good men on the inspectorial staffs by giving them £500 a year. If a man is not worth that put him into it school and promote a headmaster to the inspectorate. 14. Are you satisfied with the proposals of the Bill as to the appointment and promotion of teachers ?—A bsolutely. 15. Do you think it is in the interests of education in the present Auckland Education District that that district should be divided? —It should not be divided. It is totally wrong, because Waikato would be denuded of all its liest teachers, who would flock into North Auckland, where all the plums are, and the Waikato would get those teachers who were not capable of holding the best appointments in Auckland City.

Wednesday, 12th August, 1914. Thomas Mac Gibbon, M.L.C., examined. (No. 30.) 1. The Chairman.] Whom do you represent?—l appear on behalf of the Gore High School Board of Governors. 1 might mention that 1 was a member of the Southland Education Board for 2\\ years, and ever since the initiation of the new system in Gore I have been a member of the High School Board there. I appear before the Committee solely on behalf of the Gore High School Board. The Board requested me to make representations to this Committee in regard to some of the clauses in the Bill, particularly with reference to the Tenth Schedule. They consider that the provisions there are hardly fair. The Bill proposes an equal sum of £100 allowance to all high schools. Well, high schools are variously supplied already with maintenance; some are endowed and some are not. Unfortunately for the Gore High School they are in the