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(b.) Further to encourage the establishment and the satisfactory maintenance of school libraries provision is made for the payment of subsidies of £l for £l on moneys raised by voluntary contributions. In' addition to this departmental subsidy a subsidy is payable by the Education Board under section 37 of the Education Act, but the Board is not required to pay a sum exceeding 3d. for each child in average attendance at a school, or exceeding £5 for any one school. The books purchased are to be suitable for individual reading in school or at home, and are to be approved, by the Senior Inspector. The complaints regarding the expense to which parents are put by reason of their having to purchase new books for their children when they move from one district to another are not so common as formerly, and there are good grounds for believing that the attention drawn by the Department to the provision that in these cases class-books must be supplied free has resulted in the relief of parents with respect to such charges. There are also similar grounds for believing the provision of the free supply of class-books in necessitous cases is being more generally complied with. Subsidies on Voluntary Contributions. In addition to the subsidies mentioned above with respect to school libraries, under section 159 of the Education Act subsidies of £l for £l are payable on voluntary contributions for many other school purposes prescribed by regulation. The total amount approved as subsidies in connection with public schools for the financial year ending 31st March last was £4,617 (as compared with £3,800 in 1917-18), and the annual expenditure will undoubtedly increase as School Committees become more fully aware that any efforts they may make in the direction of providing funds for improving their schools and grounds are recognized by the payment of a Government subsidy. By this means many schools have been enabled to carry out desirable works somewhat beyond their own unaided efforts, and the extension of the provision to all public schools by the Act of 1914, instead of its being limited to district high schools as previously, has served as an excellent stimulus to self-help. The " School Journal." The School Journal is published by the Department every month (except in December and January) for use as a supplementary reader in primary schools, and is still regarded as a useful and popular publication. It is issued in three parts suited to the varying capacities of the pupils in Standards T to VT inclusive, and is supplied free to public schools, Native schools, special schools, and other institutions more or less under the Department's control or supervision. To a very large number of private schools it is supplied at moderate rates, with a result that approximately 11,000 copies of the School Journal are purchased monthly. Of the last issue of the School Journal for the past year the number of copies printed was —Part T, 63.000 : Part 11, 58,900 ; Part HI, 49,000 : total, 170,900. In addition to reading-matter of a general character there have appeared in the School Journal during the past year articles dealing with national events, scientific discoveries, and the history and industries of the Dominion, while special numbers have been largely devoted to topics suitable for Empire Day and Arbor Day. An analysis of the matter appearing in the School Journal shows further that a very considerable amount of reading-matter, both in prose and verse, is calculated to develop in the minds of the children an appreciation of the great and beautiful in literature, an admiration of truth and goodness in daily life, besides a high conception of patriotism, of national service, and of the principles on which may be founded true ideals of worthy manhood and womanhood,