2

K. —7

Degrees —The degrees obtained by the students at the examinations held by the New Zealand University are as follows : Master of Arts, 11 ; Bachelor of Arts, 12 ; Bachelor of Science, 14 ; Bachelor of Laws, 1 ; M.B. and Ch.B., 4 : also, honours in arts, 6 ; honours in science, 2 ; senior scholarships, b ; Rhodes Scholarship, 1904, J. Allan Thomson, B.Sc, Staff.— On the 31st March, 1905, the Registrar, Mr. J. M. E. Garrow, 8.A., resigned the registrarshiu and Mr. W. A. Mason was appointed to fill the vacancy. _ ' 'Council.— Mr. G. G. Russell resigned his seat on the Council, and Mr. L. W. Harris was appointed by the Governor in Council in his place. Scholarships and Prizes.—The following scholarships and prizes have been awarded : Macgregor Prize, Oliver Duff ; Stuart Prize, B. E. Murphy ; Ulrich Medal, R. A. Farquharson ; Parker Prize, A. J. Cottrell. . ~,,,, . ,*. j Castle Street Block.— Twenty of the twenty-eight sections on this block have now been let, and thirteen houses are erected or in the course of erection. The base of the retaining-wall has been protected by strong buttresses bound by strong wire netting, and this arrangement has so far worked admirably, as not the slightest damage has been done by the Leith during the last two floods. Dental School.—The report of the committee appointed to inquire into the question of the establishment of a Dental School has not yet been presented. Joshua Strange Williams, Chancellor.

Otago School or Mines : Report of the Director (Professor James Park, M.A.1.M.E., M.1.M.M., F.G.S.). The Director reported as follows ; — The Mining School for the year ending the 31st March, 1905, showed the satisfactory attendance of 47 students, comprising 34 registered students for the full course and 13 for one subject only—namely, 12 in geology and 1 in surveying. The persistent rumours in the past year or two that the Mining School would be closed or removed from Dunedin created a feeling of uncertainty as to the future, which has already caused a marked decrease in the number of new students for the session of 1905. It will doubtless be some time before we again reach the satisfactory attendance of the past four years. Diplomas granted in 1904.— Diplomas were issued to students on production of the necessary certificates of practical work as follows : Diploma in metallurgy, 4 ; diploma in mining, 4. Annual Examinations.— -Forty-two students presented themselves for examination in thirty-four subjects, and of these only three failed—namely, one in mathematics, one in physics, and one in surveying. New Zealand University Examinations.— Exhibition Scholarship, 1851 : Two mining students competed for the 1904 scholarship—namely, Arthur R. Andrew, B.Sc, and James Allan Thomson, B.Sc. The geological theses sent in by these students were reported by the English examiner to be equal and excellent. The Senate of the University of New Zealand at its annual meeting in Wellington in February, 1904, awarded the scholarship to Mr. Andrew, who in the same year won first-class honours in physics and second-class honours in geology. Mr. Thomson had gained first-class honours in geology, and for this and his excellent thesis the Senate recommended the 1851 Exhibition Commissioners to award him a second Exhibition Scholarship. The Commissioners acceded to the request, and awarded Mr. Thomson a scholarship, which he resigned in favour of the Rhodes Scholarship. The Rhodes Scholarship for 1904.— Mr. J. Allan Thomson was elected the first Rhodes Scholar for New Zealand by the Selection Committee, sitting in Government House, Wellington, in May, 1904. He was a distinguished scholar and prominent athlete. His academic career represented a standard of excellence rarely equalled by a graduate of the University of New Zealand. He has earned our most hearty congratulations. Laboratory. —During the year eighty-four samples of ore were assayed for the public at schedule rates, and in the same period the Director furnished reports on thirty-seven samples of rocks and minerals free of charge. Geodesic Station on Tanna Hill.-La.st October and November the Director completed the observations needed to connect Tanna Hill with the Government meridional geodesic station at Observation Point, Port Chalmers. The latitude and longitude of the station on Tanna Hill have been computed, and an azimuthal bearing in terms of Observation Point meridian thrown on to an iron standard in the quadrangle in the University grounds. A true bearing has also been thrown on to the illuminated clock in the Town Hall tower, which provides the necessary referring-light for night observations without cost or charge to the Council. The surveying students will now be able to conduct their surveys on true meridian, instead of on an artificial or magnetic meridian as in former years ; check the error in azimuth of their traverse meridian ; and take rounds of angles to the sun and circumpolar stars for the determination of meridian, latitude, and time. Chain Standard. —Of late years field measurements have been made by surveyors and engineers with 500-link steel bands, but up till now there has been no standard provided in Otago for checking the accuracy of the hands. It is a pleasure to report that a 5-chain standard is now being laid down by the General Survey Department of New Zealand, under the direction of Mr. D. Barron, Chief Surveyor, in the University grounds, near the Mining School, for the use of the professional surveyors, engineers, and mining students. AssociatesJpftMining School. —The diploma of associate was first issued in the year 1887. The diplomas granted in the several divisions of the school to the end of 1903 were : — Mining, 70; metallurgy, 32 ; geology, 12. In 1904 there were mining 4 and metallurgy 4,