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closed. Landlords are averse to leasing their premises for longer periods than a month, and teachers are chary of incurring an expenditure from which no return can be expected till the end of the year. It is only the other day that the reply of a landlord to an application from the Manager of a Grant-in- Aid School for a year's lease was one month's notice to quit, and the result is that a useful little girls' school has disappeared. All landlords are not like that and I am pleased to be able to report an instance of a landlord foregoing a large increase in rent in order to enable a school to continue its work till the end of the year and thus earn the Government Grant.

Mr. J. G. DA ROCHA again acted as assistant examiner in Portuguese, and Mr. G. A. WOODCOCK as assistant examiner in drawing.

8. STAFF. From the 8th August to the 19th September, I was absent from the Colony on vaca- tion leave, and Mr. J. DYER BALL acted as Inspector of Schools. Mrs. BATEMAN, the Headmistress of the Belilios Public School, returned from leave on the 14th October. The Senior Pupil Teacher, Miss Long, resigned on the 30th November, and Miss EILEEN CHUN YUT was appointed temporarily. Miss ELLA KING, the temporary assistant teacher, resigned on the 31st January, and Miss OLSON held the post until the 15th October when she was succeeded by Miss SIMONS.

9. Mr. CHAU KING-NAM was appointed master of the Shek-ó School vice Mr. CHAU KONG-SHEUNG deceased. Mr. Ho YUI-TS'UN resigned the post of master of the Wongnaichung School on the 31st May and was succeeded by Mr. YEUNG KÜN. Mr. SOONDERAM, Headmaster of the Wantsai Govern- ment School, resigned on the 25th October after twenty years' service and was succeeded by Mr. CH'AN CHIU-LAI, assistant master at Saiyingpun. Mr. Tsur FU-WEN was appointed to the post of assistant master of the Saiyingpun School, vice Mr. CH'AN promoted.

10. The Tables of Statistics attached to the Report are drawn up in the same form as last year.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,

The Honourable

T. SERCOMBE SMITH,

Acting Colonial Secretary.

A. W. BREWIN,

Inspector of Schools.