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54. Do you know that at the StratfordJDistrict High School and at other schools it is paid ? —No. 55. Doe 3 not that modify a good deal of what you say ?—Yes, it doss to a certain extent, but at the same time the assistant teachers in tho3e schools are not as well as they should be to carry out the work of those schools at the present time. When I say that I mean that they are not perhaps as experienced as they should be. 56. In Stratford ? —I am not referring jStratford particularly, but lam speaking generally. That is the expression of opinion of men who are headmasters with district high schools attached. 57. Where they are not paying the amount ? —lt said nothing about that. 58. Does not that make a great deal of difference ?—Yes, of course, if they are paid the extra amount. 59. Do you not think it better to have masters at the schools teaching these rural subjects who are capable of taking them instead of having visiting teachers who are paid the £5 10s. ?—Ye3, I do. 60. The Chairman.] In your list of resolutions you state, " A very large proportion of these teachers have to add to their incomes by private teaching, to the detriment of their school-work." Do you seriously consider it is to the detriment of the school-work that the teachers should go in for private teaching and coaching ? —I think so. In the case of a man who is engaged in doing that kind of work for several hours a night and several nights a week it must have an effect, aud he must feel the strain in time. 61. If he does too much ? —-Well, I know personally there is a very large amount of work being done by those men, and we think it must affect their work during the day. 62. As a matter of fact is it good thing for many teachers to kejp up special branches of work by teaching and coaching at night ? —Yes, it may be. 63. I speak as an old teacher when I say that ?—Yes, it no doubt keeps them up to date. 64. Do you not think the old-time teachers were just as desirous of developing every side of their pupils' characters and abilities as they are at the present day : do you think there is any special improvement in the calibre of the teacher of to-day as compared with the average teacher of, say, thirty years ago '{ —Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. 65. lam asking a general question ?—I knew very many fine teachers in my young days, but I also knew many men who were not teachers at all, and they were in the service because they could not get anything else to do. 66. Do you not know some of that class to-day ?—Yes, in every service we find that. 67. The system may have improved, but do you think the calibre of the teachers has improved ? —Generally I think there is an improvement, and we are anxious to bring about a greater improvement in the calibre of the teacher, and this improvement in the salaries is one way of doing it. Robert James Pope, Headmaster, Kaiwarra School, made a statement and was examined. (No. 39.) Witness : I wish to give evidence in the interests of the average teacher of New Zealand, with special reference to the position of head teachers in present Grade V. The bulk of our children are taught by the average teacher ; this fact I wish to emphasize. That it is a platitude lam willing to admit, but just because it is a platitude its vital importance is being largely lost sight of. I wish now to brush away the dust, so to speak, that has been allowed to accumulate upon it, and to make its significance appear as clearly as it should. To have a strong middle class in the profession is as vital to its wellbeing as is a strong middle class to the well-being of a nation. Because the bulk of our children are taught by the average teacher, therefore it is of the highest importance to have the average teacher as efficient as possible. To attract enough capable men and women into the service to ensure your average teacher being thoroughly efficient you must make it worth their while. By this I mean you must make it possible for a fairly large proportion of these teachers to earn, without doing outside work, such a salary as will enable them, after twenty or twenty-five years' service, to live in decent comfort and free from financial worry. This is certainly not possible now ; I know it by bitter experience. A teacher has, like other Government servants, a certain amount of appearance to keep up, more especially if he happens to be located in or near a town, for the public is apt to judge of a man's merits by the coat he wears. His wife and family, too, must endeavour to make a presentable appearance in the eyes of the public, and in endeavouring to do this on the meagre salaries that so many teachers are paid they are kept in a continual state of financial worry and anxiety. To the average teacher it is a monetary worry if his child requires a new pair of boots, and a doctor's bill for even a moderate amount is, for such a teacher, little short of a financial disaster. This is not the language of exaggeration ;it is cold fact. A few highly paid positions at the top of the service, unattainable by all except the specially gifted or specially fortunate teacher, will never, I maintain, make the profession attractive. In the Bill new Grade 111 (£2OO to £250, plus £30 house allowance) is the Ultima Thule of the average teacher. Positions carrying £400 or over are so few and are removed so far out of reach that only an exceptionally able or particularly fortunate teacher will ever succeed in crossing the wide desert of impecuniosity that lies between him and the promised land. All others must perish in the stony wastes. Does £280 a year (including house allowance) seem to be a sufficient reward for a lifetime of faithful service in a profession that is admittedly an arduous and exacting one ? But, it may be asked, cannot teachers in new Grade 111 better themselves by passing into new Grade IV after a reasonable time ? Let us see. In new Grade 111 there will be 623 schools ;in new Grade IV there will be 122 schools ; consequently there will be at least 623 teachers waiting for promotion to those 122 schools. Nor is this the worst of it, for many of the town assistants also will be competitors for the newGrade IV schools, though not for those of new Grade 111. I ask, what chance of promotion has the average teacher who is below Grade IV ? Coming to another pomt —efficient teachers for country