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Six students in their final year completed the full course in the division for which they had entered, and two in their final year failed to pass in all the subjects required to qualify for the Associate diploma. Annual Examinations. Twenty students presented themselves for examination in twenty-one subjects, and of these one failed in senior surveying in mineralogy. Diplomas and Certificates. Nine graduates of the mining school, having presented satisfactory certificates of time spent in practical work as required by the regulations, were awarded the diploma of Associate—namely, four in mining, four in metallurgy, and one in geology. The names of the students to whom diplomas and certificates were issued are as under : Philip Hastings McDouall, 8.E., certificate of land and mine surveyor ; Urquart B. Inglis, A.0.5.M., diploma of associate in metallurgy and certificate of metallurgical chemist and assayer ; Gowan L. Hercus, diploma of associate in metallurgy ; John F. McPadden, B.Sc, diploma of associate in mining ; A. M. Finlayson, M.Sc, diploma of associate in geology ; Oluf Moen, A.0.5.M., diploma of asociate in metallurgy ; Alfred L. Heale, diploma of associate in mining ; E. D. Isaacson, diploma of associate in mining ; Norman M. Shand, diploma of associatejin mining, diploma of associate in metallurgy, certificate of land and mine surveyor. The diplomas granted in the division of mining, metallurgy, and geology since 1887 are as follows :— Issued up to Issued in — . , End of 1906. 1907. lotai - Mining .. .. .. .. ..78 4 82 Metallurgy .. .. .. .. ..38 4 42 Geology .. .. .. .. ..13 1 14 ' Totals .. .. .. ..129 9 138 Appointments obtained by Old Students during 1907. The number of remunerative appointments obtained by our old students this year is greater than in any other year since the establishment of the school. It is a pleasure to state that men holding our Associate diploma are held in good repute in all parts of the globe. A gratifying feature that is becoming more marked with each succeeding year is the tendency to appoint New Zealand mining graduates to places of responsibility within the Dominion. All the graduates of 1907 have been successfully placed, and the Director finds an increasing difficulty in supplying men for the appointments that are put under offer through him. The total number of appointments obtained by our students in the past seven years is as follows : 1901, 8; 1902, 7; 1903, 8; 1904, 11; 1905, 13; 1906, 14; 1907, 16: total, 77. Altogether seventy-seven responsible positions have been secured by sixty-two individual students, at salaries ranging for the most part between £300 and £600 a year. The occupations represented in the above appointments are as under : Consulting engineers, 5; mining engineers, 8 ; assistant mining engineers, 5 ; general mine-managers, 3 ; mine-managers, 8 ; inspectors of mines, 2 ; geological surveyors, 4 ; mine-surveyors, 5 ; land and topographical surveyors, 2 ; metallurgists, 13 ; dredge-masters, 2 ; directors of mining schools, 10 ; lecturers at mining schools, 10: total, 77. In addition to these posts, thirty of our students occupy in different parts of New Zealand such places as assayers, cyaniders, metallurgical chemists, mine and battery assistants, surveyors, geologists, and engineer's assistants, at a remuneration of 9s. or 10s. a day. In these subordinate places our students gain the experience that fits them for more responsible, appointments. The signal success achieved by our graduates in the New Zealand University examinations in recent years is directly the result of raising the standard of the teaching in all the departments in the mining school to the degree standard in 1901. New Mining School Building. The Director finds it a pleasure to chronicle that a start has at last been made with the erection of a new building, for which a grant of £5,000 has been made by the Government. It is hoped that everything will be in readiness for the formal opening of the new school at the beginning of next session. Laboratory. During the past year 134 samples of ore and mineral were assayed for the public by Mr. Waters at schedule rates, and in the same period thirty-seven samples of rock, &c, were examined and reported on by the Director, and some thirty by Dr. Marshall, all free of charge. Conclusion. The Director wishes, in conclusion, to place on record his appreciation of the co-operation of his colleagues in promoting the interests of the institution. His acknowledgments are especially due to Dr. Marshall and Mr. Waters, who have carried on the work in their respective departments with much zeal and conspicuous success. I have, &c, James Park, M.lnst.M.M., M.A.Inst.M.E., F.G.S., Director.