E.—l.

SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS.

AUCKLAND. Sir, — School Commissioner's Office, Auckland, 15th May, 1903. I have the honour to forward the statement of the School Commissioner's accounts for the year 1902. The income from the reserves shows a considerable increase on that of 1901, enabling payments of £2,800 and £699 10s. Bd. for primary and secondary education purposes respectively. The amount set down as " Expenditure on reserves " was mainly attributable to the purchase of a lessee's interest in a building lease for the unexpired term of the lease. The major portion of the endowment fund was expended in the purchase of valuable freehold property in the City of Auckland at satisfactory prices. The reserves let, or relet on expiry of leases, comprise twenty-six sections of town and suburban lands, 66 acres 2 roods 14 perches, yielding per annum £143 165.; and forty'five sections of country lands, yielding per annum £353 10s. Id. To meet the demand for land in country districts, the Commissioners have advertised the whole of the unlet sections, so that those now applied for can be immediatefy secured, and the remainder, as provided by the Public Bodies' Powers Act, can remain open for a year without readvertising. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington. E. Udy, Chairman.

General Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending the 31st December, 1902.

96

I.—General Account. Primary. Secondary. Total. Receipts. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. fo Balance at 31st December, 1902 Bents collected — Arrears, 1901 Due in 1902 Arrears, 1901 Due in 1902 Miscellaneous Interest Lease deposits 181 8 3 1,032 12 10 2,318 17 5 1 ... 3,351 10 3 272 14 7 535 6 3 15 0 13 17 10 13 17 0 ) i" 808 0 10 5 5 0 62 1 10 75 12 0 6 10 0 75 19 8 89 9 0 Total receipts ... 4,512 18 0 Expenditure By Office salary Office expenses Legal expenses Crown-grant fees Expenses of leasing ... Expenditure on reserves Payments for primary education — Auckland Education Board Hawke's Bay Education Board Payments for secondary education — Auckland Grammar School... Thames High School Whangarei High School ... ... Gisborne High School Lease deposits refunded Balance in Bank of New Zealand, 31st December, 1902 £ s. 90 0 32 18 18 7 1 14 99 2 392 16 d. 0 0 0 0 9 9 £ s. d. 30 0 0 10 18 9 19 12 8 £ s. d 120 0 0 43 16 9 37 19 8 1 14 0 140 19 10 442 9 10 41 17 1 49 13 1 2,625 0 175 0 0 0 1 2,800 0 0 150 0 0 150 0 0 150 0 0 249 10 8 11 11 0 699 10 8 59 17 0 71 8 0 154 19 3 Total expenditure 4,512 18 0