B.—4 a,

Subdivision V. —Fields Division :— Item — £ £ Salaries .. .. .. •• •• •• -• 9,000 Moumahaki Endowment; Weraroa Endowment .. .. .. 1,100 Field crops and field experiments .. .. .. .. 1,250 Pastures .. .. .. .. • • ■ ■ • • 150 Plant-disease .. .. .. • • • ■ • ■ • • 200 Seed-testing .. .. .. . • .. • ■ ■ • 75 Bicycles and motors, &c. .. .. .. .. ■ • 370 Ashburton and Galloway Experimental Areas .. .. .. 785 Gore .. .. .. .. • • • • ■ • • • 75 Lincoln Pure Seed Station .. .. .. .. .. 100 Marton .. .. . • • • • • • • • • 350 Puwera . . .. . . .. • • • • • • 450 Waimaunga ... .. .. • • • • • • • • 300 Extension of instructional work, rural activities, including boys' and girls' clubs .. .. . • • • • • ■ • 900 Ironstone country, &c. .. .. . . . • • • • • 30 New Zealand hemp industry .. .. .. .. .. 40 Travelling allowances and expenses .. .. .. .. 1,650 16,825 Subdivision VI. —Miscellaneous Services :— Item— Destruction of rabbits and subsidies to Eabbit Boards .. .. 6,500 „ „ General administration .. .. .. 5,000 Grant to Dargaville Demonstration Farm .. .. .. 300 Dominion Group Herd-testing Federation : Expenses and salary of Supervisor .. .. .. .. .. .. 945 Egg-laying competitions at Auckland and Christchurch .. .. 200 Lincoln College : Extra staff for research work .. .. .. 400 Royal Agricultural Society .. .. .. .. .. 250 Winton Experimental Farm . . . . .. .. .. 300 Eggs, guarantee on export of .. .. .. .. .. 850 Fruit, guarantee on export of .. .. .. .. .. 11,000 Carriage of lime for bona fide farmers ; portion of freight rates on fertilizers ; subsidy to manufacturers of superphosphates .. .. 70,000 95,745 General:— Fees for registration of fertilizers .. .. .. .. .. 1,000 Inspection fees for imported fruit .. .. .. .. .. 800 Inspection and grading fee for fruit exported .. .. .. .. 3,000 Fees for dairy registration and for live-stock brands .. .. .. 1,700 6,500 £177,200 VOTE—EDUCATION. 1113. In our interim report we dealt at some length with the expenditure under vote Education, but indicated that in the continuation of our inquiry we would, if necessary, further review all Departments. 1114. In regard to the expenditure on education we wish to amplify our recommendations concerning control by Primary Education, Secondary Education, and Technical School Boards as well as by the Department. Abolition of Education Boards. 1115. We recommended that the Board system should be abolished, but that School Committees or Councils should be substituted. It seems necessary that we should deal with the subject in more detail in order that the reason for our recommendations may be placed on record. 1116. The present method of Board control is apparently a relic of the system of Provincial Government, and after further consideration our conviction that the present administrative machinery is far too costly and complicated is fully confirmed. 1117. It should be realized that we are concerned only with the actual cost of administration of the education system, and thus it is necessary to confine attention to the sixty Boards which involve the costly administrative machines referred to. There are 2,300 School Committees, but these do not possess administrative staffs, hence we are not for the moment concerned with them as a contributory factor in the cost of administration. 1118. It goes without saying that the abolition of the sixty Boards would result in a very considerable saving, and at the same time local interest could be maintained just as well as at present by the establishment of Committees or Councils acting as at present in a purely honorary capacity and without costs of administration. 1119. In 1877 Education Boards were first established and were given a capitation grant of £3 15s. per head of the school population. Their duties comprised— (a) Appointment and payment of teachers. There was no control over this duty with the result that the scales of staffing and salaries differed in each district. (b) Drawing up the scales of allowances to School Committees.

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