8.—5.

Balance-sheet for Year ending 7th December, 1897. Receipts. Expenditure. & s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. To Balance from 1896 .. .. .. 40 8 6 By Salaries .. .. .. 147 411 Subscriptions and donations— Cooking materials, cost .. 122 14 9 From Government, special .. .. 80 0 0 Less for sales .. .. 66 8 9 From Government, subsidy on attend- General expenses — Eent, 56 6 0 ance .. .. .. 84 8 7 gas, advertising, coals, and From subscribers (Christchurch) .. 30 10 0 sundries .. .. .. 138 16 10 School-fees .. .. .. .. 204 2 3 Preliminary expenses —Cost Sundry receipts .. .. .. 9 8 6 of utensils, &c. .. .. .. 26 6 11 Petty cash .. .. .. 8 17 1 Balance .. .. .. .. 71 6 1 £448 17 10 £448 17 10 Christchurch, 7th December, 1897. W. Chbystall, Hon. Treasurer.

Examinee's Bepobt. Mrs. Harman reports that she held the annual examination of the cookery classes at the School of Domestic Instruction, and was greatly pleased with the result. There were in all four classes for examination —two for certificates and two for prizes. The work was excellent, the rules and principles of the various methods tested being thoroughly understood, every attention being paid to neatness as well. The candidates for certificates especially acquitted themselves in a highly satisfactory manner, which proved the thoroughness of the training received at the school. The number of those going in for certificates showed the good work the school is doing, and also the high estimation in which it is held as a training-school for domestic work.

Scale op Fees peb Quabtee. Cooking. —School-children, domestic servants, and girls in business, ss. ; school-teachers, 7s. 6d.; other persons, 10s. 6d. ; advanced classes, 10s. 6d. ; high class, special classes, £1 Is. Materials provided by the school. Dishes cooked may be purchased by the pupils. Dressmaking. —School-children, domestic servants, and girls in business, 55.; other persons, 10s. 6d. Ironing and Clear-starching. —School-children, domestic servants, and girls in business, ss. ; other persons, 10s. 6d.

YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION'S CLASSES, CHEISTCHURCH. Manages's Bepobt. The Board of Management of this association have held shorthand and other educational classes, open to members and non-members, since the opening of the present fine building in Cambridge Terrace in 1884. Special efforts were made in 1896 by the then president, and classes in mathematics, literature, chemistry, drawing, elocution, and shorthand were commenced under competent instructors. All these did good and useful work. In 1897 the only classes formed under the Technical Instruction Act were in book-keeping and shorthand. The book-keeping classes were under the guidance of Mr. F. W. Tregear, accountant at Messrs. Strange and Co., of this city, a thoroughly well qualified master, and the pupils attained considerable proficiency under him. The class in shorthand, which commenced early in April and continued throughout the year, was conducted by Mr. J. M. Telford. During the two terms ending the 30th September the classes were the largest ever held by the society. Elementary, corresponding, and reporting classes were formed, and very rapid progress was made in the three divisions. In October seven pupils in the intermediate class sat for examination for the Pitman second-class or theory certificate. Of these six received certificates from Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons. During the spring term ending the 23rd December the attendance fell off, although still greater than in the corresponding term of any previous year. The association find these classes in rooms, gas, and firing, and go to considerable trouble in making the classes known in the city. The classes are not confined to members of the association, but are more largely attended by outsiders, and last year we remitted the fees in cases outside our own membership where it appeared to the Board that instruction would be useful but could not otherwise be obtained. A. W. Beaven.

BOYS' GORDON HALL, CHEISTCHUROH. Manager's Ebpoet. A glass in shorthand was instituted by the Committee of Management at the beginning of April, and work was commenced in a room kindly granted by Eev. A. W. Averill, M.A., vicar of St. Michael's Church. The class met once a week for one hour. Twenty-eight boys were enrolled, but, as was to be expected —these boys not being accustomed to regular mental work—many gave it up in early part of term. The boys who remained made good progress, and were through the elementary stage at the end of term. All joined for another term early in July, but before the end several boys had to leave owing to changes in their daily occupations, others grew tired when the novelty wore off, so that the class collapsed just before the end of the second term.

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