man informs the Winton Record that after forty years' experimenting he has succeeded in attaining perpetual motion, and protected the invention over the world. It is hard to conceive what sort of intellect could labour for forty years at a mechanical impossibility without discovering it to be so. But even the primary-school master must be abroad now and then, and I am tempted to give one or two instances of a rather comical nature. I dare say many here present have observed that the terms “square feet” and “feet square” are often used indiscriminately, evidently under the impression that they are synonymous. In a description which appeared lately in a local newspaper of the Duke of Cornwall's apartments on board the “Ophir” the drawing-room was stated to be 1,200ft. square! Even in these days of big ships this is rather startling, for it means that that room has an area of more than 33 acres; 1,200 square feet, which, of course, was meant, would still indicate a good-sized room at sea, and might mean 40ft. by 30ft. Another local paper told us that it is interesting to know that the late Queen's walking-stick was one that had belonged to her “ancestor,” King Charles II. I have taken up more space than I intended when I touched on technical education, but I cannot conclude without mentioning, if I do little more, two or three subjects of economic importance to our community. The first is the drainage of towns and cities, which has always been a subject of first importance; but the recent plague scare brought it more to the front, and showed us unmistakably what a genuine visitation may mean. It is possible that very few could be found who would own to a belief that plague ever entered Auckland, and it is certain that not one would care to deny the importance of being prepared for combat with the pestilence. What such a visitation would mean to Auckland some may know, but not many actually realise. But with our commerce destroyed, and the influx of all visitors—and their money—stopped, together with the stampede of that large section of our residents who are here for the sake of health, all would soon become alive to the reality. And is anything being done to meet such a contingency? Practically nothing, so far as the first requirement—complete and thorough drainage—is concerned. Without that no amount of cleaning of back yards and slums will be of any use. Such measures without perfect drainage only serve to distribute filth over a wider area than it before occupied. But measures that are sufficient in one town may not be applicable to another. Sydney carries the sewage out to the rock-bound coast of the Tasman Sea. London, after allowing the sewage to settle in tanks, runs the effluent, more or less