13

G.—3

No Saturday science class for school-children is held. Changes have been made in the staff. In July Mr. J. M. Maclaren, M.A., resigned the Directorship, and I was appointed in August to that position. Mr. A. J. Litten, Lecturer in Mathematics, and also Mr. T. Wrigley, Laboratory Assistant, resigned at the end of the third term. The present staff is as follows: Director, P. J. Macleod, B.A. ; Lecturer in Mathematics, Mr. A. H. Gatland; Instructor in Mechanical Drawing, Eev. C. F. E. Harrison; Laboratory Assistant, Mr. J. E. Thurlow. At the annual general meeting held in February the following officers and members of Council were elected for the ensuing year : President, Hon. James McGowan, M.H.E.; Vice-Presidents, Francis Hodge, Esq., and A. T. Kenrick, Esq.; members of Council, Messrs. J. B. Eockliff, T. W. Ehodes, A. N. Jamieson, J. Eeilly, H. F. Shepherd, W. Moorcraft, and W. Jones; Hon. Secretary, William Thomas, Esq. Syllabus. —The course of instruction is similar in every respect to that of the Thames School of Mines, and embraces all the subjects necessary for the Government mine-managers', batterysuperintendents', engine-drivers', and Government assayers' certificates. In August I supervised a special examination for battery-superintendents' certificates, for which there were two candidates ; and in January, 1900, the annual Government examination for mine- and battery-managers' certificates, when four candidates presented themselves for the former and three for the latter examination. Six of these were Coromandel students, but the results are not yet to hand. The past year shows an increase in the number of public assays done. These consisted chiefly of small parcels from prospectors and samples from mines where no assayers are employed. The number of assays was sixty-six, and besides these several analyses were made. Some thirty or forty typical sections of the rocks of the Coromandel Goldfield have been made for use in the microscopic determinations. This is taught in connection with geology, and should be of great service to students to enable them to accurately determine the nature of the country. The annual examinations were held in December, 1899, the papers being set and examined by Mr. J. Hayes, Inspecting Engineer; Mr. A. McKay, F.G.S., Government Geologist; Mr. W. Skey, Government Analyst; and Mr. C. H. Pierard. The following table shows the results of these examinations :—

These results are highly satisfactory, and show that 59 per cent, of the certificates granted were first class, 33 per cent, second class, and 4 per cent, third class. The Coromandel public battery, to be run in connection with the School of Mines, is now in course of erection. The battery will consist of a modern five-stamp mill, and also a single stamper for specimen stone. Wet crushing and plate-amalgamation are to be adopted, and the concentrates are to be treated in berdans. The whole is to be run by an oil-engine, water-power not being obtainable. The battery will be of great service both to students and to the district generally, and should overcome the difficulties with which prospectors have at present to contend in having to ship their ores to the Thames for treatment. In conclusion, I have to thank the Eev. C. F. E. Harrison and Mr. A. J. Litten for the gratuitous services they have rendered in conducting the mechanical-drawing and mathematics classes; also Mr. T. Wrigley for his able assistance in the determination of analyses and public assays; and, finally, the members of the Council and the hon. secretary for their untiring co-opera-tion in forwarding the interests of the school. WAIHI SCHOOL. Mr. P. G. Morgan, M.A., Director, reports:— I have the honour to submit the following report of the Waihi School of Mines for the year ending the 31st March, 1900 :— During the past year the school has been well attended, and a substantial advance has been made. lam glad to be able to say that most of the students have made good progress in their studies, whilst a few have done remarkably well. It must be said, however, that this school is not taken advantage of by many young men resident in Waihi, who might well attend with benefit to themselves and ultimately to the community at large. On the other hand, many of the students have come to the school several times a week from Waitekauri and other places at a distance.

Subject of Examination. First Second Class. Class. Third Class. Failed. Total. Metallurgy Mineralogy Surveying Practical chemistry (junior) Theoretical chemistry (junior) Practical assaying, dry (junior) ... Practical assaying, dry (senior) ... Practical assaying, wet (senior) ... Ventilation and explosives Pumping and winding ... 2 1 3 1 1 1 3 2 2 i "i 4 1 4 1 2 1 5 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 Totals 14 24