ease of South Canterbury as a fairly representative one. Tho Education Board is greatly hampered iv its efforts to provide school accommodation for the increasing number of children, to say nothing of the demaud for teachers'. residences, which it 13 clear are practi. cally a neceosity m some -localities. There are really no fund 3 whatever for painting and for restorations either great or small. Every farthing which ( the board expends on those objects ia required for other matters of at least 1 equal urgency. But old buildings \ continue to bang together for many , years though nothing be done to keep ' them from rotting and collapsing. Tje I time, however, mnst inevitably come [ when, one after another, the ancient wooden structures will be unsafe, and it is certain that the final stages of decay will be very rapid. If the Board's position is unsatisfactory now, what will it be, say, [ten years hence if m the meanwhile the financial question baa not been considered and put on a decent footing ? It is very shortsighted policy to keep ou postponing a -settle ment. Tho final cost to the country will bo far heavier than it would be i£ year by year nil buildings were maintained m a proper state of repair. Of course we are not blaming the South Canterbury Board of Education. It cannot do impossibilities, and is to he commended for the excellent account it 13 able to give of its stewardship. But the confession of the monetary defici ' eucy stares one m the face iv reading this report, and it is right that the snb ■ ject should be pressed on the attention of the Government and the public. Patting aside altogether the question of paintiug and repairs, the Board cannot do what it recognises as necessary iv the ordinary educational interests of the district. The position seems to bo i that with tho £300 last received from tho Government out of the building vote, added to the balance remaining ( from the first appropriation, the Board bud for the year's building requirements about £500 ; out of which to provide '. for Seadown, for twelve teachers' resi dences, for another school m the Wai ■ taki North District, for an extension at [ Wai-iti, and for work at Arundei. 