TARANAKI GOVERNMENT GAZETTE. 71

was raised to £100 per annum; that of the male certificated teachers to £90; that of the certificated female teachers to £50 per annum; and the Board appointed a female teacher, holding a second-class certificate, at a salary of £60 per annum. Three un-certified teachers receive £40 per annum. The Board's liability for teachers' salaries is now £1,150 per annum.

The teachers have been furnished with a set of excellent educational works for self-improvement, and the Board has sanctioned for use in its schools some of the best works of the day.

The subjects taught in the schools are—Reading, writing, arithmetic, English grammar, composition, and English history. In the girls' schools plain and fancy needlework is also taught.

Rules for the conduct of the schools have been prepared with considerable care, and have been furnished to all the teachers and chairmen of Local School Committees.

The collection of the education rate has been attended with considerable difficulty.

The Secretary, in addition to his clerical duty, is the Board's Treasurer, Surveyor, and Architect, and has performed all the services required of him by the Board in these capacities at a salary of £150 per annum.

The Chairman has been appointed honorary inspector of schools, and his report has been published by the Board.

The Provincial Council has amended the "Educational Ordinance, 1874," by giving direct power to the Secretary to recover rates. It has also taken a large and valuable reserve from the Board in the neighbourhood of New Plymouth for a Botanic Garden and Recreative Ground, for which it is hoped ample compensation will be given.

The office of the Board is a small damp room, generally unfit for the purpose. The Board trust that in the proposed new Government buildings provision may be made for its wants in this respect.

The Board perceives with pleasure a growing appreciation of its schools by the public, and trusts that a clear perception of the beneficent intentions of the Education Ordinance and of the Education Board will speedily be shared by every inhabitant of the district.

I have the honor to be,
Your Honor's obedient servant,
BENJAMIN WELLS,
Chairman.
To His Honor the Superintendent.

BALANCE SHEET of the 16th (or Okato) Road District for the year ending 30th June, 1875.

Dr. £ s. d.
To cash in hand 15th July, 1874 1 10 0
Cash from Provincial Treasurer (rates) 60 0 0
Cash from Provincial Treasurer (capitation) 45 0 0
Cash from Provincial Treasurer (rates) 19 8 9
Cash from Provincial Treasurer (provincial grant) 20 0 0
£145 18 9

Cr. £ s. d.
Paid Dover Road (per pay lists) 42 9 6
Oxford Road (per pay lists) 59 8 0
Perth Road (per pay lists) 4 0 0
Leith Road (per pay lists) 6 0 0
Hampton Road (per pay lists) 10 11 0
Kaihihi Road (per pay lists) 7 19 3
Grass seed 8 4 8
Cartage 0 4 6
Stationery 0 6 0
Expenses: Commissioners attending hearing objections to Approximate Statements in New Plymouth 1 0 0
Commissioners' fees 4 4 0
Balance in hands of Commissioners 1 11 10
£145 18 9

W. INNES, } Commissioners.
THOMAS GILMAN, }
I certify the above to be correct,
R. KEOGH,
Auditor.

Printed under the authority of the Government of the Province of Taranaki, by W. H. J. SEFFERN, of Devon-street, New Plymouth, Printer to the Provincial Government for the time being.