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has been, encroached upon, to that extent. In 1904 the cost of new buildings was nearly £4,500 in excess of the grants received during that year. It is evident that either the special grants must be increased or the cost of new buildings must be so reduced as to prevent any further encroachment upon the ordinary grant. The Board appealed to the Minister for an increase of the ordinary grant for the year from £12,000 to £20,000, so as to wipe out the deficiency, but the application was declined. Buildings.—The Board has to report that the requests for the establishment and erection of new schools and for the enlargement of existing schools have very largely increased during the year, and that, for the most part, they have been promptly and liberally dealt with by the Government. The best has been done, with the limited funds available, to keep the buildings in repair ; but many desirable works of improvement have had to be delayed until funds shall be provided by a larger grant for the purpose. The special needs -of this district are such as to call for special consideration. Manual and Technical Instruction.—There has been an enormous development and extension of classes during the year. Manual-training schools have been established at the Thames and at Whangarei, the residents having responded most liberally to the appeal for local voluntary contributions thereto. A grant of £4,000 has been obtained towards building a technical college for Auckland, and it is hoped that suitable accommodation may be provided at no distant date. The Board has engaged a special teacher of agriculture, whose duty it will be to instruct the teachers and to organize a plan of providing instruction throughout the district. Conference op Boards.—At the suggestion of the North Canterbury Board a conference of representatives of Education Boards was held at Wellington in September, and many points of interest were discussed. It is hoped that these conferences may be held periodically, as suggested by the Minister. School Committees.—The Board desires to acknowledge the cordial and efficient co-operation received from the School Committees of the district in the administration of educational matters during the past year. I have, &c, Samuel Luke, Chairman. The Eight Hon. the Minister of Education.

General Statement of Receipts and Expendi.tu.kk for the Year ending 31st December, 1905. Receipts. £ s. d. I Expenditure. £ s. d. Grants from Government for— Balance at beginning of year .. .. 350 10 7 Teachers' and pupil-teachers' salaries, | Staff salaries and clerical assistance .. 4,126 5 9 and allowances to pupil-teachers .. 92,716 11 11 Office contingencies .. .. .. 2,167 12 0 Reserves revenue for primary education 3,375 0 0 Teachers' and pupil-teachers' salaries, and Capitation at 11s. 3d. and grant of £250 15,484 9 6 allowances to pupil-teachers .. .. 96,394 3 7 Capitation for relieving-teachers .. 677 2 0 Relieving-teachers' salaries .. .. 699 12 3 Conveyance of school children .. 26 0 0 Training colleges .. .. .. 133 7 4 ■ Drill-instruction .. .. .. 25 0 0 Drill-instruction .. .. .. 25 0 0 Other grants— Conveyance of school-children .. .. 26 0 0 Special grant to Schoc.l Committees 964 11 6 Incidental expenses of schools .. .. 7,603 14 10 Receipts from other sources — Special grant to School Committees .. 964 11 6 Truancy fines .. .. .. 42 3 6 Truant Officer .. .. .. 204 15 3 Commission on Government Life Insur- Audit of school fund accounts .. 40 0 0 ance premiums collected .. .. 16 8 7 Scholarships and expenses of examination 2,117 13 7 Examination fees—Standards V and VI j Salaries of staffs of district high schools 2,017 15 0 candidates, £5; sales of rolls, 9s. .. 5 9 0 Other expenses— Grants from Government for— Apparatus .. .. .. .. 19 18 11 Scholarships .. .. .. 2,168 13 1 Manual and technical instruction— District high tchools .. .. 1,955 10 0 School classes .. .. .. 3,122 910 Receipts from other sources— . Special classes .. .. .. 2,157 011 District high school fees .. .. 10 9 6 | Other expenses— Grants from. Government for manual and Office salaries .. .. .. 764 4 9 technical instruction— General maintenance of school buildings 10,309 19 8 Capitation (general and scholarship) .. 3,179 5 8 House allowances .. .. .. 3,915 9 8 Inbtruclion of teachers .. .. 250 0 0 New schools, additions, furniture, sites, &c. 10,746 4 6 Subsidies on voluntary contributions and Buildings, class-rooms, furniture, &c, for bequests .. .. .. .. 229 17 9 manual and technical purposes — Receipts from other sources— School classes .. .. .. 2,505 15 1 Fees .. .. .. .. 736 13 6 Special classes .. .. .. 1,766 3 9 Sales of material .. .. .. 86 13 11 Other expenses — Voluntary contributions .. .. 557 5 8 Store Account .. .. .. 20 15 8 Grants from Government for— Conference of Education Boards at WeiMaintenance of buildings, rebuilding, &c. 12,928 60J lington .. .. .. .. 43 12 4 ' House allowances .. .. .. 3,834 3 0 O'Donoghue appeal case .. .. 3 0 0 New schools, additions, furniture, &c. .. 6,268 16 0 j Technical-school buildings, fittings, &o. 3,105 9 11 Rents from Technical School site 13 10 0 Sale of apparatus (Technical School) .. 2 0 0 Contractors' forfeited deposits .. 25 0 0 Other receipts— Proceeds of sale of sites .. .. 478 3 11 Sales of old buildings, tanks, and furniture .. .. .. .. 103 5 6 Sales from store, £51 9s. lid.; refunds, 6s. 6a. ........ 51 16 S . Contributions by Committees and others, £196 16s. Bd.; rents, £47 17s. .. 244 13 8 Balance at end of year—■ On General Aocount, Gr... £2,896 9 2 On Building Account Br.. .£5,579 16 0 Dr. 2,688 6 10 £152,245 16 4 £152,245 16 4 Samuel Luke, Chairman. 31st March, 1906. Vincent E. Eice, Secretary.