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of that of European pupils. The fact of the language difficulty not having been completely mastered places the work of the higher standards for the most part beyond their reach. It is stated that it is practically impossible for sole teachers with a number of Native children attending their schools to give the requisite special attention to the Maoris, so that poor results are inevitable. Lack of interest in the school and the want of the necessary special attention probably account for the very irregular attendance of Maoris in public schools, which is another reason for their general backwardness. Secondary Education and Free Places. The Government has not instituted any schools especially for the secondary education of Maoris, but a number of such schools having been established and being maintained by the various denominational bodies, the Government subsidizes them by providing at them a number of free places for Maori children possessing the requisite qualifications. The value of the free places is £30 per annum, and they are tenable for two years. The roll number of these schools (ten in number) at the end of 1919 was 433, of which number forty-two boys and forty-eight girls held the free places referred to. One free place was also held at a private secondary school. The great majority of the scholars were ex-pupils of Native schools. The syllabus of work to be followed by free-place holders is prescribed by the Department, and is designed to secure such, industrial training as is considered desirable in the case of Maoris : the boys learn agriculture and woodwork, and the girls take a domestic course. The Makarini and Buller Scholarships were founded out of private bequests, and are tenable by Maori scholars at Te Aute College. Two senior and three junior Makarini Scholarships and one Buller Scholarship were awarded in 19.19. Senior free places are provided for boys in the form of industrial scholarships, which enable the holders to be apprenticed to suitable trades, but recently very few applications have been received for the scholarships, and at the end of 1919 no industrial scholarships were current. Senior free places for girls take the form of nursing-scholarships. At the end of 1919 one girl was in training as a day pupil and one as a probationer on the staff of two different hospitals. Staffs and Salaries. The staffs village schools in December, 1919, included seventy-three male and forty-four female head or sole teachers and 122 assistants. The average salary of male head or sole teachers was £274 18s. 7d., of female head or sole teachers £218 17s. 3d., and of both combined £253 13s. 3d. These figures do not include the value of residences or house allowance provided in every case. The averages show an increase of £62 18s., £54 lis. Bd., and £59 6s. respectively over the corresponding salaries in 1918, the large increases of 30 per cent, and over being due to the amended scale of salaries adopted in. 1919. The average salary of the 115 female assistants was £115 15s. Bd., and of the seven male assistants £115, as compared with £89 lis. Id. and £81 17s. 6d. respectively in 1918. The total expenditure on Native school teachers' salaries and allowances for the year ended 31st March, 1920, was £46,032, as compared with £37,285 (including war bonus) in 1918 and £29,148 for a practically similar staff in 1914. As will be observed, the expenditure on salaries since 1914 has increased by 58 per cent. Expenditure. The total net expenditure on Native schools during the year ended the 31st March, 1920, was £59,166. The chief items of expenditure were teachers' salaries and allowances, £46,032 ; new buildings and additions, £2,885 ; maintenance of buildings, repairs, &c, £2,975 ; secondary education, £3,524 ; books and school requisites, £1,075.