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benefit of Maori scholars from primary schools, iNative and public. In addition to these five free places were held by boys at the Sacred Heart College, Auckland, three at the Boys' Grammar School, and one by a girl attending the Girls' Grammar School, Auckland. The inspection and examination of the denominational schools above referred to showed that a high standard of efficiency is maintained, much excellent work being done. In the South Island a Junior National Scholarship was gained by a pupil of Te Waipounaiuu Girls' School. There is a growing tendency on the part of both the controlling authorities and the pupils themselves to recognize the importance of vocational training. The effect of this is undoubtedly evident in the after-career of the pupils. There are a good many Maori girls —ex-pupils of these schools —who are now acting as assistant teachers in various village schools; a few have taken up nursing under the scheme referred to later on in this report; many fill positions as domestics, and a few have gone into business. it has been frequently stated that the superior training afforded to Maori girls in these institutions unfits them for work. We are always ready to receive suggestions for the improvement of the system in vogue, as are also the authorities of the schools, but those who offer the above criticism make no suggestion in the direction of remedying the alleged defect. As a matter of fact, the training follows as far as possible the lines dictated by common-sense and appreciation of the circumstances of the Maori, and few girls leave the secondary schools without making an effort to obtain employment. Indeed, it is a matter of much regret to us that we are unable to find openings for all that make applications :it is very hard to have to turn them away. We have no hesitation in saying that these girls are well equipped by their training to take any position amongst Europeans for which a Maori girl is suitable, and even though the opportunity of proving themselves in this way is denied many of them, we are sure that every strong, capable girl that the schools produce becomes a power for good amongst her own people. In a similar manner the boys who leave the secondary schools show a keen desire to obtain employment, many of them, indeed, being disinclined to return home. They obtain situations at carpentry, blacksmithing, engineering, farming, and fruitgrowing. A few are employed in the lower grades of the railway service; others who have passed the Public Service Examination have found positions in the Public Service. There is no doubt that their views of life have been materially changed by their residence at the secondary school, and that the industrial training there, imperfect though to some extent it may be, has given them a bias towards one or other branches of industry. Otaki College is equipped with a fine workshop for instruction in carpentry, and makes some provision also for agricultural work. At the present time the question of adding to the curriculum of St. Stephen's School a course of instruction in metal-work is being considered. At Te Aute College considerable advance has been made in agriculture, and, in spite of serious drawbacks encountered at the beginning of the year in the form of various epidemics of sickness, systematic instruction in agriculture has been successfully inaugurated. A considerable area of land has been put into cultivation by the boys, and instruction in dairying is being commenced; the College now possesses the nucleus of a fine dairy herd and a suitable dairy, which has been well constructed by the boys of the woodwork class. Here, too, we note that the result has been to turn the attention of the boys to agricultural pursuits, and we have several instances of young Maoris from the College taking their place as farmers in their own districts. Scholarships. One hundred and eight free places, each of the value of £20 and tenable for two years, were current at the end of the year. Those held at St. Stephen's Boys' School, Auckland; Hukarere and St. Joseph's Girls' Schools, Napier; and Te Aute College were first granted many years ago —long before the free-place sj-stem became general in the Dominion. The others have been granted as the new institutions intended for the purpose of affording special training to Maori boys or girls in the various districts have come into being. These free places are offered upon the condition that the syllabus adopted in the school is in conformity with the Department's requirements. The standard of attainment has now been raised, and in the future candidates to receive first consideration will be required to possess certificates of proficiency or of competency in Standard VI, the minimum requirement being a certificate of competency in Standard V. There were nine Senior Free Places or industrial scholarships current at'the end of 1913, the holders being apprenticed to carpentry, blacksmithing, engineering, farming, or bootmaking. The lad apprenticed to the bootmaking is, owing to an accident in his childhood, unable to follow any other than a sedentary occupation. Reports received from the persons under whom the boys are apprenticed show that the scheme is working successfully, and that the young Maori can adapt himself to any form of manual labour when he receives encouragement. Under the Senior Free Place system provision is made whereby Maori girls may be trained as nurses. For the first year, the girls follow what is known as a day-pupil course, attending the hospital during the day, but living at the secondary school from which they have been awarded the free place. Upon their having completed this year's course in a satisfactory manner, the Health Department seeks positions for them on the staff of hospitals, the governing bodies of which are prepared to fall in with the scheme. The Education Department thus receives from the Health Department a great deal of valuable assistance, which we wish again to acknowledge. We also desire to express our appreciation of the interest and patience shown towards the Maori trainees by the Matrons of the hospitals in question. At the present time there are three girls following the day-pupil course, while there are also two Maori probationers, whose training is nearly completed. Nurses Ormsby and Te Au have successfully passed the examination qualifying them for registration as nurses, the latter