E.—l.

Geneeal Statement of Receipts and Expendituee for the Year ending 31st December, 1880. Receipts. £ s. d. \ Expenditure. £ s. d. To Balance, Ist January, 1880 ... ... 1,493 13 6[ By Office and StaffGrants from Government — Salaries ... ... ... 347 4 8 Statutory capitation (£3 155.) ... 7,733 8 9 Clerical assistance ... ... 13 12 6 Grants to Committees (10s.) ... 680 3 4 Departmental contingencies ... 380 14 3 Scholarships (Is. 6d.) ... ... 230 15 0 School InspectionInspection subsidy ... ... 300 0 0 Salaries ... ... ... 290 0 0 For buildings ... ... ... 3,000 0 0 Travelling expenses ... ... 83 1 9 Payments by School Commissioners from Examination of pupil-teachers ... 12 2 education reserves ... ... 1,893 15 0 Teachers'salaries and allowances ... 8,706 16 7 Grants from Public Libraries Vote ... 193 13 0 School Committees ... ... 1,119 4 1 Library Committees' contributions ... 12 10 8 Scholarships paid to holders ... 164 5 0 Temporary bank draft* ... ... 200 0 0 Scholarship examinations ... ... 16 16 10 Interest on current account ... ... 68 4 6 Training of teachers ... ... 19 1 0 Sale of building ... ... ... 60 0 0 Insurance of school-buildings ... 173 1 6 School Committees' subsidy (subscrip- School-buildings (new) — ... 1,815 15 10 tions for ordinary purposes) ... 61 19 6 Improvements and repairs ... 819 6 0 Bent of building ... ... ... 75 0 0 Furniture and appliances ... 224 3 8 Purchase of site .., ... 30 0 0 Plans, supervision, &c. ... ... 126 15 5 Library Committees ... ... 215 8 9 Temporary bank draft* ... ... 200 0 0 Lectures Account ... ... 135 9 6 Balance ... ... ... 1,091 3 9 £IMO3 3 3 £16,003 3 3 Heebeet Belfield, Chairman. Henet W. Hammond, Secretary. Auditoe's Ceetificate.—l have audited this account and have compared it with the vouchers, and find it correct. The balance at the bank, after payment of outstanding cheques, is accurately stated. —J. Olliviee, Provincial District Auditor. 4th March, 1881.

WESTLAND. Sic,— Hokitika, 30th March, 1881. I have the honor to submit the report of the Board for the year 1880. Boaed. —At the commencement of the year the Board consisted of the following gentlemen : Messrs. Mueller (chairman), Patten, Grimmond, Reid, Parfitt, Seddon, Perkins, and Paterson. The following gentlemen were elected on 10th March, 1880: Messrs. R. C. Reid, T. S. Weston, and Frank Hamilton, to fill the vacancies caused by the retirement of Messrs. R. C. Reid and G. A. Paterson, and the death of Mr. C. Broad. Mr. Patten resigned his seat in July, and Mr. R. Hirter was elected to fill the vacancy. At the first sitting of the new Board, in April, Mr. Mueller was unanimously re-elected Chairman. Including adjourned meetings, the number of meetings held by the Board during the year was nineteen; two of these were special meetings. School Districts, Schools, and Teachers.—At the termination of the year there were 18 school districts in this education district; the formation of a now district, that of Kynnersly, at the northern end of the district, having been rendered necessary, owing to the gold discoveries in that locality causing a new rush. Three other new districts were formed during the year, viz., Blue Spur, by subdivision of the Kanieri District; and Christchurch Road and Kokatahi, the two latter having previously been considered outlying districts. On the 31st December, 1879, there were 30 schools in the district, employing 44 adult teachers —viz., 32 male and 12 female —and 32 pupil-teachers : total, 76. During the past year the following new schools were opened: Upper Kokatahi and Lower Kokatahi, Kokatahi District; South Spit, Hokitika District (reopened) ; and Westbrook, Kumara District. On the 31st December, 1880, there were, therefore, 34 schools in the district, employing the following teachers: Adult males, 30; adult females, 21: pupil-teachers, males 12, females 23: total, 80. In the last annual report furnished by the Board it was shown that very considerable reductions had been made in the salaries of their teachers and officers, and that several schools had been closed, and others placed under the 88th clause of the Act; these reductions and alterations having come into operation on the Ist February, 1879. Since that date the Board have made numerous representations to the Government, showing clearly the very exceptional position occupied by the district under the Act; and have had reason to believe that the Government recognize the fact of the district being exceptionally situated. Feeling sure, therefore, that their representations would eventually receive substantial recognition from the Government, the Board, being strongly impressed with the fact that the progress of educational matters had been considerably retarded by the reductions and alterations before mentioned, ventured during the period between the Ist February, 1879, and the Ist August, 1880, to increase their expenditure to the following extent per annum:—(l.) Reinstatement of assistant teachers, Hokitika and Greymouth, £300 ; (2.) Increase of pay to pupil-teachers, and teachers for instructing pupil-teachers, £206; (3.) Appointment of assistant teachers, Cobden and Paroa Schools, £135 ; (4.) Increase of pay to schools under the 88th clause, £200 ; (5.) Increase in cost of insurance, £80; (6.) Allowances to caretakers, Hokitika and Greymouth, £100; (7.) Increased payments to School Committees rendered necessary by formation of new school districts, £120: total, £1,141. It will therefore be seen that when the Board received the circular notifying

# The sum of £200 here inserted was not an actual receipt, but is the amount of a bank draft to cover probable outside cost of books ordered from Messrs. Bell and Bradfute. Total, after this deduction, would be £15,803 3a. 3d.

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