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Professor Ulrich to reside for six weeks each year in each of the following districts, viz., Lawrence, Naseby, Cromwell, the Lakes; during his stay holding himself available to all and sundry for advice and information on all mining matters, without fee. He might also deliver at each centre a short course of lectures on the geology and the gold-bearing formations of the district. He might also conduct blow-pipe and other classes for identifying minerals; and he could make himself very useful in visiting the mines and other works in the district, and discussing subjects of local interest in connection with the peculiar characteristics of the formations, and modes of prospecting, and getting the gold from them. In all this kind of work his services would be of very great advantage to miners; he would be thoroughly appreciated, and would find himself in a most congenial atmosphere. Six months being thus spent on the Otago Goldfields, he might proceed to the West Coast and do the same kind of work for five months of the year there, dividing his time between the Eeefton, Westport, Grey, and Hokitika Districts. He would thus have one month's holiday entirely at his own disposal. I would, for my own part, gladly undertake to devote the six summer months (our holidays here) to teaching metallurgy, assaying, testing, and the chemistry of minerals, on the goldfields, in conjunction with Professor Dlrich and under the same scheme, giving, say, six weeks to each of the four Otago centres named above, or, if it were desirable, giving four weeks to each of the Otago centres, as I have done this year, and two months on the West Coast. Professor Bickerton might by-and-by relieve me on the West Coast; and Professor Brown, of Auckland College, might be induced to undertake the same work for the North Island Goldfields. If Professor Ulrich is unable to see his way to take part in the goldfields scheme, then the place assigned to him could be very well occupied by Mr. Alexander Montgomery, M.A., of this University. Mr. Montgomery is Professor Ulrich's most successful student in all his subjects, and knows, theoretically at least, all that Professor Ulrich has been teaching here. He has also been the best student in my chemistry, metallurgy, and testing and assaying classes here; and I consider him well qualified for this kind of work on the goldfields. The expense of carrying out a scheme of technical education of this kind should, I think, fall on the Government. It would, I suppose, be worked under the department of the Minister of Mines. I have no suggestion to offer regarding the position the University would occupy in the matter. If the University Council could convert the present School of Mines into such an institution as is sketched above the same end would be obtained. As part of my scheme, I intend to ask the Government to import suitable apparatus and chemicals for the goldfields, and dispose of them in the way of subsidy to the working clubs or classes or local schools of mines that may be organized in the various goldfield centres. Such provision (subsidizing at the rate of £1 for £1, or even £2 for £1, subscribed) would enable these local clubs to maintain their laboratories in an efficient state. I am also going to ask Government to provide and import from Europe suitable collections of named characteristic specimens of all valuable minerals and metallic ores. These to be distributed among twenty or twenty-four goldfield centres, under the custody of some responsible Government or other official, and available to miners for the purposes of instruction. These local mineralogical museums could be rapidly increased by contributions from the museums in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin, and by the Geological Survey Department. This goldfields scheme, if carried out for three years, will, I believe, create such a demand throughout the colony for scientific and technical instruction in mining subjects that the School of Mines in our University, if completed, will have a great deal of work to do as a training school for instructors in goldfields schools. It will, of course, in that case, be always the resort of those who are able to prosecute their studies in mining subjects to the highest degree; and to avail themselves of this means of qualifying themselves theoretically, and in some subjects practically, in those branches of knowledge which are indispensable to the highest class of mine managers. It is from this point of view highly desirable to complete the School of Mines here as soon as possible, but if that cannot be done, then, as I have taken the liberty to suggest, it will become a serious question whether the means available for supporting it would not, with more advantage, be expended in extending the goldfields scheme. Summary of my proposals : — (1.) Complete the School of Mines here, or suspend it for some years;, or abolish it altogether. (2.) Instead of the School of Mines here, organize a scheme for technical instruction on the goldfields of the colony. (3.) Let the subjects taught be mineralogy, the blowpipe, mining, mine-surveying—all of which may be taught by one lecturer, and assaying, metallurgy, the testing of ores, and the chemistry of minerals—which can be taught by a second lecturer. Mathematics, so far as required, may be provided for by the masters of the local schools. (4.) The following to be the centres for the purposes of this scheme : Lawrence, Naseby, the Lakes, Cromwell, Eeefton, Grey, Hokitika, and Westport. (5.) The mining lecturer (Professor Ulrich or Mr. Montgomery) to reside six weeks every year in each of these districts, and to hold himself available for advising and instructing miners in mining matters, and promoting their interests generally. (6.) The chemistry lecturer to reside one month in each district, to carry on his teaching by classes and. lectures. (7.) Either the Government to organize and carry out some such scheme as this, or to enable the University to do so. I have, &c, The Chancellor of the University of Otago. .Jambs G. Black.

By Authority: Geobqe Didsbuby, Government Printer, Wellington.—lBBs.

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