E.—s

30

is largely due to the enthusiasm, interest, and capability of the instructor. At the annual visit of Mr. Isaac, Inspector of Technical Schools, the urgent need of a special room for dressmaking was pointed out, with the result that the Education Department has provided funds for the building and furnishing of a room which is up-to-date in every particular, and will be available for next year. The millinery and cookery classes also continue to be well attended, the millinery class having this year doubled its numbers. The commercial classes still form one of the largest departments of the school, the number of students in the shorthand classes this year constituting a record. There is no doubt that the war has had some effect on this department, as many girls are now being required to take the place of those going to the front, with the result that more are preparing for commercial work generally. The book-keeping and typewriting classes, too, have been quite up to previous standards, and that the instruction of these classes is of a practical nature is shown by the fact that many of the students are now occupying good positions in various business offices in the town. The Accountants' Association kindly donated two prizes for the best work in book-keeping. The engineering classes are much the same as in previous years, but as it is now the intention to form day classes next year should a sufficient number enrol, this department will probably become more liberally patronized. The chief drawback here, no doubt, is the fact that there are so few engineering works where apprentices are needed; still, farmers' sons, and all those employed in using various types of machinery, could be benefited by joining the classes, either day or evening, especially if a one- or two-years course at the school would count with employers as part of the apprenticeship. Students in this department will be prepared for the examinations of the City and Guilds of London Institute. The agricultural class this year has slightly fallen off, no doubt owing to the boys being required to help more on the farm. Good work, however, has been done both practically and theoretically. The class is indebted to the Agricultural Experimental Association of Manawatu for valuable assistance in the matter of providing means for the cultivation of the experimental plots, and also to the Agricultural Department in the matter of assistance with seeds and manures. The practical work done this year includes tho growing of various field crops, and experimental demonstrations with a number of varieties of seeds. The w r ool-classing and sheep-shearing classes wore very satisfactory. This department is considerably indebted to the executive of the Farmers' Union for financial assistance, and also to farmers for the supply of sheep; in fact, the sheep-shearing classes could not be run with success financially without such assistance. The science class is in the hands of a good instructor, and good solid work has been done. Botany and French classes were held this year, but the number of students taking these subjects was small. The Standard VI proficiency and competency certificate class continues to be one of the most successful in the school, the number attending having been as high as thirty. This class supplies a great need in the community, inasmuch that many who left school without passing Standards V and VI are able to continue their studies and obtain proficiency certificates, entitling them to further free education. The woodwork and cabinetmaking classes have improved considerably in numbers this year, it having been necessary to have two evening classes. Some of the work turned out by the students was exceptionally good, and reflects the greatest credit on the instructor. The only department which seems to show a tendency to fall off in numbers is the art department. This, no doubt, is owing in some measure to the war, as people have neither the time nor money to spend in taking up a subject which to a number is merely a hobby. Also several of the senior students have left for England and other countries to study art, intending to make it their profession, so that the majority of those left are not likely to continue for a very long period. The work done by the art students is quite up to that of recent years, and this was evidenced by the many successes in the recent competitions, and it is hoped that those successes will induce many to take up the classes next year. The school authorities are to be congratulated on the quality of the staff, to whom in a great measure the successful work of the school is due. The school is also considerably indebted to the Borough Council for its annual donation of £30 towards assisting the plumbing classes, to the Kairanga County Council for its annual donation of £30 towards the agricultural and wool-classing classes, to tho Working-men's Club for their annual donation of £24 for scholarships, to the Farmers' Union Defence Executive for £20 per annum towards the sheep-shearing classes. F. D. Opie, Director.

WELLINGTON. Extract from the Repout of the Director of the Wellington Technical College. The work of the year was much hampered by lack of suitable buildings and recreationgrounds. The position as regards buildings is growing steadily worse, and has retarded the normal development of the College very seriously during the last few years. It is impossible to adapt rented buildings not specially designed for technical-college work to serve the purposes of workshops and laboratories, drawing-offices and art-rooms, or indeed ordinary class and lecture rooms, with any great degree of efficiency. Consequently the rent paid for inferior accommodation is equal to a high rate of interest on the cost of buildings specially designed for our purpose and placed on land of greater value for educational purposes than for industrial or business purposes. A careful estimate shows that the capital value of the buildings and land which are at present being used for our purposes, reckoning rent paid as equal to 6 per cent, on capital value (a reasonable rate, since Education Board property does not pay rates and taxes), would provide properly designed buildings on an adequate site, easily reached from all parts of the town, for about twice as many students as we accommodate at present. Also, the expenses of