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fare of the school. I have much pleasure in acknowledging the services of Mr. P. G. Morgan, M.A., the Assistant Lecturer, and also the valuable work done in the plant by Mr. Eichard Vercoe, who has proved himself most reliable and painstaking in the discharge of his duties. The following is a table of the attendances at th c several classes : —

Table of Attendances for Year ending 31st March, 1897.

The annual examinations were held in December, 1896, the papers being set, as formerly, by examiners in Wellington appointed by the Government, viz.: Mr. H. A. Gordon, F.G.S.; Mr. William Skey, Government Analyst; Mr. Alexander McKay, F.G.S. ; and Mr. C. H. Pierard. Keeping pace with the increase in the attendances at the school, the number of candidates who presented themselves was more than double that of the preceding year. The results of the examination are shown in the following table. The President's medal for the best aggregate was awarded to Mr. K. M. Barrance, who also won the gold medal for surveying, presented by Mr. Ehodes, of the Kauri Estates Company. Mr. Barrance and Mr. Fleming sat for the School of Mines scholarship examination, but no award was made.

Results of Annual Examinations, 1896.

The following tables show the separate parcels of ore treated during the past year in the experimental plant and the returns therefrom. The total bullion recovered from the several parcels amounts to about £340 : —

1896. 1897. Name of Subject. First Term. Second Term. Third Term. First Term. Begistered Students. General and mining geology Mineralogy and blowpipe Land-and mine-surveying Mathematics Mining and applied mechanics ... Metallurgy of gold and silver ... Practical chemistry Theoretical chemistry... Practical assaying Mechanical drawing ... 9 10 26 13 25 10 14 39 12 35 9 11 36 27 41 32 40 38 64 11 15 15 53 17 50 30 30 42 9 42 38 63 10 42 40 62 22 Total Saturday science class 194 23 263 33 309 45 316 29 Total attendance at classes ... 217 296 354 345 Individual registered students 64 97 114 117 Total individual students 87 130 159 146

Subject of Examination. First Class. Second Class. Third Class. Failed. Total. General and mining geology Pumping and winding ... Ventilation and explosives Mining and applied mechanics Theoretical chemistry (senior) Theoretical chemistry (junior) Practical chemistry (senior) Practical chemistry (junior) Practical assaying (senior, dry) ... Practical assaying (junior, dry) ... Practical assaying (senior, wet) ... Practical assaying (junior, wet) ... Surveying (land and mine) Map-drawing ... Mineralogy Metallurgy 3 1 2 4 2 2 1 3 2 6 5 4 7 7 3 4 2 25 9 18 5 8 5 4 6 2 5 2 4 "3 12 3 9 3 2 7 2 6 1 1 4 4 2 1 7 4 1 2 2 1 1 3 3 "i Saturday science 46 2 36 33 3 118 2 Totals 48 36 33 3 120