a—3

18

two who failed in mining, geology, and theoretical chemistry. Of the other thirty-four students only a small number have strictly followed the curriculum prescribed in the calendar, and I am therefore not in the position to state exactly how many have passed respectively through the second and third year's courses, as they are prescribed. However, so much may be accepted as correct chat seven have finished their studies during the past session and will not return, whilst of the remaining twenty-seven students, eleven can be placed as having passed the second and another eleven the third year's course, leaving five who comprise students of from three to five years' standing, two going in for more than one certificate, and the other three requiring still to pass in one or two subjects they hitherto failed in. Of the seven students who are leaving the school, six have successfully passed the examinations in all the prescribed subjects of the divisions they entered for. All the new students who entered for the first year's course and one older one, who had not taken the class before, attended the evening class for " first aid " established by the St. John Ambulance Association. The numerical attendance at all the classes and the results of the recent annual examinations are shown in the following table : —

Through the standstill of many of the mines in the Hauraki goldfields, North Island, a formerly extensive field for practical mining-work has been much narrowed for our students, and a number have found it rather difficult to secure working-places during the vacation. However, so far as I have learnt, many have been successful on the west coast of this Island and at Eeefton, and there is only a small number of them at present still unemployed, and these have chances of soon getting work. One has gone to a prearranged place at the Great Western Silver Lead Mine, Zeehan, Tasmania. The students' travelling-expenses by sea this year are very much increased, I am sorry to say, owing to the Union Steamship Company having seen fit to withdraw the formerly granted liberal reduction in fares. Eegarding the number of students likely to attend the school next year, it will in all probability not reach that of previous years. As far as the register shows, there should be thirtysix students returning for completion or further prosecution of their studies; but of these, three are doubtful, as, judging from repeated failures, they are apparently unable to pass in some of the subjects. Beckoning, therefore, thirty-three as the returning number, this would be increased by the uncertain number of new entries, which very probably will not be as large as in former years, on account of the new regulation that for the future all new students entering for the object of gaining any of the diplomas or certificates of the school require to have passed the matriculation

isults of Ixaminatii ins. Subjects. Attendance. Entered for Examination. First Class. Second Class. Third Class. Failures. General (University)— Mathematics ... Theoretical mechanics ... Theoretical physics Practical physics Theoretical chemistry ... Practical chemistry Theoretical biology Practical biology Special (School of Mines) — Mining, second course ... Mining geology General geology Palaeontology ... Mineralogy Petrography ... Quantitative chemical analysis ... General metallurgy Special metallurgy Practical assaying, first course Practical assaying, second course ... Blowpipe analysis Applied mechanics Surveying, first course ... Surveying, second course Drawing — Model... Practical plane geometry Solid geometry Machine 10 13 21 16 13 11 1 1 10 13 21 16 11 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 4 6 7 4 1 4 7 12 7 4 7 1 1 4 2 2 1 2 26 9 12 1 12 12 13 16 18 12 11 10 910 13 25 8 12 1 11 11 16 18 12 11 10 9 10 13 1 4 5 4 5 6 1 5 2 2 5 16 3 5 1 4 6 3 6 5 6 5 5 3 2 2 7 3 3 5 5 5 4 4 2 2 i 2 4 "5 2 5 6 2 1 8 8 7 8 8 8 7 8 8 7 7 3 1 "s Totals ... 72 101 97 26