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Statement of Eeceipts and Expenditure for Year ended 31st December, 1899. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Balance ... .. .. .. 29 9 5} Salaries .. .. .. .. 142 0 0 Cash sales .. .. .. 31 810 General expenses, including advertising, gas, Fees .. .. .. .. .. 148 8 6 secretary's and caretaker's salaries, &o. 165 8 10J Deposits on fees .. .. .. 010 0 Stock and plant.. .. .. .. 26 7 0 Paymaster-General— Rents, rates, &o. .. .. .. 69 12 6 Special grant .. .. .. .. 150 0 0 Bank and cash in hand .. .. .. 48 110 Capitation .. .. .. 90 19 7 Petty cash .. .. .. .. 2 3 9 Discounts .. .. 2 17 7 £453 13 11J £453 13 11J

THE ELAM SCHOOL OF ART. Sib, — t 2nd February, 1900. ■ I have the honour to submit the following report on the work of this school for the past year : — There were four terms of ten weeks each during the year, and the arrangement of the several classes differs little from that of last year. The average attendance was rather higher than usual at most of the classes, and the general quality of the work done was quite satisfactory. It seems, unfortunately, a necessity in this school, where all tuition is quite free, and is intended mainly for those students whose parents are not in a position to pay for tuition, that students, in the majority of cases, cannot give as much time to their work as is desirable, and have occasionally to absent themselves at the wish of their parents in order to undertake home duties. In nearly every case, however, I have every reason to be satisfied with the work done by the students in spite of these occasional absences, which must always be annoying to a teacher. I am glad to notice an increased interest being taken in Auckland in the examinations of the Science and Art Department, and should be more pleased if the Board of Education would offer some inducement to its teachers and pupil-teachers to obtain these English Government certificates. During the year an exhibition of students' works was held in the rooms of the school, which were thrown open to the public for three days. About five hundred drawings, paintings, &c, were exhibited, and a large attendance showed the interest taken by the public in the exhibition. In the art examinations of the Science and Art Department, 109 papers were used by students of this school, and ninety-four passes were obtained, which, considering the fact that scarcely any of the candidates had ever sat for an examination before, cannot be regarded as unsatisfactory The details of the examinations are as follows:— Subjeot. Candidates. Passes. Elementary freehand ... ... ... ... 12 11 Advanced „ .. ... ... ... ... 13 11 Elementary model ... ... . ... ... 14 13 Advanced „ ... ... ... ... ... 13 13 Elementary light and shade ..,. ... ... ... 14 11 Advanced „ ... ... ... ... 11 10 Perspective (elementary) ... ... ... ... 8 8 Geometrical drawing (art ) ... ... ... ... 8 6 Drawing from antique ... ... ... ... 9 7 Painting from still life ... ... ... ... 7 4 109 94 I am in hopes of being able to increase the number of subjects taught in the school during the present year, which will, I trust, still further increase the usefulness of the late Dr. Elam's bequest. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington. E. W. Payton, Director.

AUCKLAND AND SUBURBS TECHNICAL AND ENGINEERING CLASSES. Sib,— 22nd January, 1900. I have the honour to submit a report of the work done in these classes during the year 1899 :— The general arrangements of the classes in Auckland and suburbs are much the same as in the previous year. During the year the chief Auckland classes in Wellesley Street have been held the four terms of the year, twice a week during the evenings, and on Saturday afternoons. They have been attended by sixty-two individual students. The suburban classes held at Onehunga, Ponsonby, and Eemuera met once a week. All these classes had four terms during the year, except Ponsonby, which had three terms. Thirty pupils were joined to these outside classes, with an average attendance of about twenty-two for the three classes. The subjects of instruction have also been much the same, including all branches of technical drawing, applied mechanics, and engineering. There has, in addition, been given a complete course in " graphic statics." During the year a larger proportion of the pupils have taken up the science subject " steam and steam-engine," and in this branch substantial progress has been made. As usual, the bulk of the evening-class pupils are apprentices and workmen employed in the various trades and occupations to which the class-work is directly applied, and include builders,