The Ordinance requires that in the month of March, in each year, the Board shall "render to the Superintendent a full report of all things done by them by virtue of this Ordinance during the year preceding such Report."

Inasmuch, however, as the work of the Board (for the purposes of this Report) virtually terminated with the end of the year, it was thought advisable that the late Chairman should report on the proceedings of the Board up to the date of his resignation, and that its subsequent transactions should form the subject of a supplementary report.

Resolutions to this effect have been respectively passed by the Board.

Mr Abbott, with much courtesy, consented to accede to the wishes of the Board, and the subjoined letter to the present Chairman having been adopted by the Board, is now submitted as its report up to the 31st March, 1868.

It will be noticed that this report of the late Chairman is exceedingly full, and together with the information furnished by the schedules, supplies a complete record of the proceedings of the Board up to the end of the year 1867.

The supplementary report which accompanies this, shows the work of the Board up to date, and endeavours to explain the position it has hitherto occupied with regard to education in Westland.

I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
(Signed) W. S. REID,
Chairman of the Board.

Hokitika,
11th June, 1868.

Hokitika, 7th June, 1868.

To W. S. Reid, Esq.,
Chairman of the Westland Board of Education.

Sir,

I regret I was not able before Saturday to attend to your request in your letter of 1st June, that I would report the doings of the Board of Education up to the date of my resignation as Chairman, last December. And I have to thank you now for kindly giving me the use of all the books and papers of the Board for the purpose, else I should not have been able to comply with your request so soon.

The Board originally contained ten members, of whom Mr R. C. Reid, Okarito, resigned on the 8th October, and Mr J. Kissling, Greymouth, left the district some time in December. My resignation was accepted on the 23rd December, 1867.

The Ordinance had been passed in January, 1867, but the members of the Board were not appointed till the middle of June, and then for various reasons they could not begin work as a Board till September. A letter from the Provincial Secretary, dated 12th August, first informed them what funds they had to administer; but even at that time, as the Ordinance makes five members a quorum, without any exception, and also requires "due notice" of every sitting of the Board "to be given by advertisement in one or more local papers," it was requisite first to learn, by writing at least a fortnight beforehand, when each member could attend, and then to advertise a notice that the Board was going to sit, in newspapers. On the 6th of September the notice was advertised accordingly of a sitting to be on the 13th September.

At the first sitting on 13th September, it was considered among other things, that the period for which the Board then had funds to administer was only of nine months' duration altogether (from July, 1867 to March, 1868) of which some months were already wasted; and therefore the Board could not well initiate any large new scheme of Public Education, even if the "Westland Board of Education Ordinance, 1867," under which the Board acted (and remembering that Westland was yet a part of Canterbury) would allow them to do so, or even if it might be discovered to be desirable for reasons unconnected with their Ordinance, that they should attempt to do so. A resolution of Mr Kissling's was carried, that the schools already in active operation ought to receive the primary consideration of the Board; and then a resolution of Mr Collyer's, that public notice should be given by advertisement in the newspapers, of the readiness of the Board to receive applications.

A copy of the public notice which was given in consequence will be attached to this letter. A portion of it was directed to meet several errors which a few applicants already appeared to have fallen into with regard to the proper functions of the Board, and I believe the notice was serviceable to that end. They appeared to think the funds entrusted to the Board might be used to reimburse them for expenses which they had gone to in past time—no doubt very praiseworthy—to advance the education of the public, or that the mere fact that they were proprietors of a school became a ground not only for public recognition and for the remuneration which they had gained, but when a Board of Education was created, for bonuses in money from it.

In the meantime accurate information about the numbers and the manner of distribution of all the population of Westland and especially of the married people and children was sought to be got by communicating with the ministers of the several religious denominations, the Wardens of the several districts, and the police. Mr Broham, the Inspector of Police, made a very complete detailed statement which became of much use to the Board, as it was found to be verified by the independent statements—so far as they went—of others. (The Census, since made, also would seem to bear out the accuracy of Mr Broham’s statement). The Venerable Archdeacon Harper assisted the Board in this manner respecting Hokitika, the Reverend