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college lands, one the Secretary for Agriculture, two members appointed by the Governor in Council, and five elected by agricultural societies. The Commission make this recommendation believing that the institution is ample for the requirements of the whole colony, and we consider that the government and management should be placed on as wide a basis as possible. In the election of a Board such as we suggest, care would have to be taken to have sufficient comparatively local members to form an Executive Committee, and thereby render meetings of the General Board less frequent than would otherwise be necessary. We strongly recommend that a system of scholarships available at the School of Agriculture should be initiated. These might be provided (1) by the Government, (2) in connection with the State schools ; and we also think that the funds of the institution could be so managed as to provide a certain number of scholarships out of the endowment. We think that the fees charged at present are far too high, and that a great reduction should be made, which we consider could be done by adopting a different system of boarding the students. We think that if this were undertaken by the Board of Management, and the produce of the farm were utilised to a much larger extent than is now done, the cost could be reduced so as not to exceed £30 per annum. We find that the fee charged at the Dookie Agricultural College, Victoria, is £25 per annum, and we are informed by the principal of that institution that "last year the cost of each student here, including food, attendance, and washing, was £22 18s. 3-Jd." With regard to the relative cost of living in the two colonies, the difference is in favour of New Zealand. With a system of scholarships, and a reduction in the amount of fee charged, the institution would be placed within the reach of all classes of the community, and with a full complement of students no difficulty need arise in giving effect to the low scale of charges above referred to. With an increased number of students,, a reorganization of the teaching-staff and general supervision would be necessary, and we think the general results of the farm would be materially improved by the appointment of an efficient farm-manager. Such an appointment would provide for the continuous supervision and instruction of the students in the practical work of the farm, and would enable the director to devote more time to his other duties, and to carry on a more extensive system of experimental work, which has been neglected in the past. We are of opinion that the more frequent publication of the results of experiments and the work being carried on on the farm would confer on the agriculturalists in the colony, and on" the institution itself, much more benefit than the annual reports presented to the Board of Governors. In support of this assumption we may mention that the Department of Agriculture for Victoria have discontinued the publication of animal reports, and have substituted frequently-recurring agricultural bulletins, with the best results. We consider that amongst the many industrial pursuits of which New Zealand is capable that of agriculture in its broadest sense should occupy the foremost position, and if the colony is to keep pace with other countries every effort will have to be made to instruct the sons of farmers and others in the science and practice of agriculture. It is only by adopting such means that colonial farmers can hope to compete with those countries where so much attention is paid to every branch of farm-management. We submit that the School of Agriculture at Lincoln, if managed on the lines which we have indicated in this report, would soon be rendered of inestimable value to the whole colony. Witness our hands and seals this twenty-eighth day of February, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-nine. (1.5.) David McMillan. (1.5.) Michael Murphy. (1.5.) Henry Overton.

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. Thursday, 3rd January, 1889. Mr. A. P. O'Callaghan examined. Mr. O'Callaghan stated that the evidence he wished to place before the Commission would be in the form of an expression of opinion as a resident of the Lincoln District, and also as the late representative of the district in the House of Eepresentatives—first, as to the causes of the want of success of the Agricultural College; and, second, as to the remedial measures necessary. He then made the following statement: My reason for moving in the matter of the School of Agriculture was that I considered the original intention of the first founders of the institution was being lost sight of altogether in the way it was being managed. The original intention was that an agricultural school should be established, with a magnificent endowment of 100,000 acres of land, and that it should provide education for the sons of farmers, and that the agricultural community generally should reap the benefit of the work carried on there. The endowment was made as a sort of compromise between the towns and country, large endowments having been made for the support of higher education in the cities, and it was thought that agricultural districts should be placed on a similar footing. The intention in the first instance was to provide education for the sons of farmers, to teach them an advanced system of farming, and fit them to undertake the management of farms; secondly, that a system of experiments should be carried on, the results of which should be available to the whole farming community. I think every one must admit that the institution has failed in these objects. A very small number of students are educated there, the experiments have been very few, and the results not made public. The causes of failure in carrying out the original purposes are not, I think, far to seek. In the first place, the management