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In the various sections of applied art there were rather fewer students than usual, but those who attended_ were more than usually enthusiastic, and a large amount of excellent work was produced, which met with great appreciation from the public when it was shown at the annual exhibition of students' work. • The life class, consisting principally of the senior students, has also suffered from war needs, and quite a number of students have had to leave to go into camp during the'year. The "roll of honour " of the school at the present time contains the names of seventy-nine students. I am very glad to see an increasing number of students taking up design and commercial art. This year there has been a noticeable increase in the number, and much excellent work has been produced, some of which found a ready market at once. Altogether, considering the disabilities entailed by the war* I have no hesitation in saying that the result of the yeaj-'s work may be considered very satisfactory. E. W. Payton, Director. TARANAKI DISTRICT. Extract prom the Report of the Director op the New Plymouth Technical School. During the year classes were held at New Plymouth (444 students), Hawcra (169 students), Eltham (67 students), and Stratford (108 students). New Plymouth Technical School. —At the day classes full courses of instruction were carried out in the following : Engineering, commercial, domestic, arts and science, woodwork, agriculture. Early in the year the engineering students were enabled to move into the new building provided by 'the Education Department, the increased facilities being much appreciated by both pupils and staff. The workshop was fitted up entirely by the boys under the direction of the instructors, and a start was made with the wiring of the building for lighting purposes. This work proved a most valuable experience to the students concerned. During the year Mr. Kirkpatrick, senior engineering instructor, was called into camp; and Mr. Skelton was appointed to take charge during his absence, while Mr. Wright was appointed to act as assistant during that period. We find that students who have taken the engineering course for the three years are readily employed in the various engineering establishments and garages of the province, while occasionally a student will go straight on to Canterbury College. Owing to the difficulty of obtaining suitable instruction in book-keeping, the commercial class was reconstructed. Two instructors were appointed for shorthand and typing, while the bookkeeping was taught by a visiting instructor. The general work of the class was taken up by other members of the school staff. This rearrangement worked very well, and good work was accomplished under the new conditions. Towards the end of the year thirty-nine students sat for the Pitman elementary certificate in shorthand, and all were successful in passing. The domestic class was again a small one. There seems to be no eagerness on the part of the girls to take a course in domestic science. Those who did take up the work obtained a good year's training, and some of the specimens of dressmaking and needlework exhibited at the end of the year were much admired by the lady visitors. A class for instruction in subjects of general education was conducted for the convenience of those wishing to become teachers. In addition to the ordinary subjects for examination a I raining was given in handwork and in the various branches of drawing; also one lesson in elementary radiology was given each week. During the year several of the students were enabled to gain some practical experience as relieving teachers, and from reports received from the various localities in which they worked the students appear to have acquitted themselves well. The following successes from the class were recorded in examinations at the end of the year : Senior Free Place, six students passed; Junior Scholarship, one passed; Matriculation, two completed; Teachers' 1), three gained partial passes in all groups; Public Service Senior, one passed in algebra and arithmetic. Art work was taken up voluntarily by students from each of the main courses. Any student was allowed to take one lesson per week. The results were very encouraging, and some fine specimens of work were on view at the end of the year. At the evening classes the following subjects were taught : Dressmaking, book-keeping, shorthand, English and arithmetic, motor-car engineering, workshop practice, electrical engineering, plumbing; steam, gas, and oil engines. Most of the classes were fairly well attended, but some (notably the plumbing class) had to be discontinued for lack of support. The majority- of the pupils were "compulsory" pupils, who in many instances were somewhat apathetic with regard to the work. At the City and Guilds of London Examination held in the middle of the year students were successful in as follows: Plain cookery, 1; electrical engineering, 6; motor-car engineering, 5. At the Hawcra centre day classes were commenced at the beginning of the year, the results exceeding the most sanguine expectations. The following courses were provided : Commercial, general, engineering, agriculture, art, domestic. At the beginning of the year Mr. A. W. Tugwell was appointed commercial instructor, and some very fine work was done during the year, eighty-one of the students securing the Pitman elementary shorthand certificate, while twenty were successful in passing the second-grade examination. A course of instruction in subjects of general education was conducted on similar lines to the one at New Plymouth, and the number of students enrolled in it seems to show that it was required in the district. The students, the majority of whom had just passed Standard VI, did a creditable year's work.