Stanley. The house at Stanley Village was unfortunately destroyed by fire last winter; it has since been replaced by a new building of the same dimensions. Miss Beatrice Sansom has done good work here, but the enrolment is too large for one teacher. There should be two departments. Miss Howe who had, for a number of years, taught the school in Ward Settlement, resigned during the year, much to the regret of the Ratepayers. The new house in No. 12A, Bloomfield, was completed, and newly furnished; school beginning in it in August. The house in No 2, Red Rock, was moved to the centre of the district and repaired. As yet there has been no demand for a Superior School in this Parish, though Stanley Village would seem to be as good a situation as any in the County for such a school.

Douglas. In No. 3 Mr. Egerton Everett was compelled, through ill health, to resign his position as teacher, which he had filled for several years satisfactorily to all concerned. Mr. Sterling McFarlane, B. A., succeeded him. The school in No. 14 which has been closed for several years because there were so few pupils to attend, will be opened again next term. A good school library has been furnished in Tay Creek, No. 17, through the exertions of the teacher, Miss Tomilson. At Pugh's Crossing, No. 4, a new, building was erected and furnished throughout. It was not built any too soon for the needs of the district. The house in No. 2, Currie Mountain, needs repairing and painting outside.

Bright. - The Superior School at Keswick Ridge during the year was presided over by Mr. Cecil Jones, who has resigned to attend the University of N. B. He did good work, and the Primary Department showed considerable improvement also. The house in Lower Hainsville, No. 9, has been partially repaired. Some repairs will probably be put upon the house at Smith's Corner the coming year. The school in No. 7 has never been at all satisfactory as regards the attendance of pupils. Miss Nellie Taylor, who has for several years successfully conducted the school at Upper Keswick Ridge, resigned to attend Normal School next term.

Queensbury. The Ratepayers of No. 3, Bear Island, at annual meeting voted money to repair and refurnish their house. At Springfield, No. 10, the house was enlarged to suit the increasing number of pupils in attendance. The house in No. 8, Hainesville, should be enlarged by the addition of a class room, as there should be an assistant employed, the enrolment having increased lately. Miss Mabel Murray resigned her position in No. 6, much to the regret of the Trustees. This is the only parish in the county that has not some district on the list of so-called "Poor Districts."

Southampton. The school in Central Waterville, where there are but few children to go to school, was the only one closed throughout the year. In the new settlement of Grantville the school has been maintained almost continuously since the house was built. A good school was maintained at Middle Southampton. Considerable repairs will be put on the building at Maplewood, and also on the house in Hawkins Settlement the coming year. A number of districts in this parish are small and comprise comparatively new settlements, and are hardly able to support a school throughout the full year. Mr. Draper has done good work at Temperance Vale, No. 9, as has Miss Maud

Thompson at Norton Dale. At Millville there is not that interest displayed in their school by the Ratepayers that one might expect in a flourishing village. There is too much of a disposition to find fault with the teacher, rather than to lend kindly aid and assistance.

Dumfries. Ratepayers in No. 2 have not yet taken steps towards erecting a new building. The school in No. 4 will probably remain closed part of next year, as there are very few pupils to attend, and they may be sent to adjoining districts. At Allendale a good school was in operation when I visited it. The school at St. Croix was closed the Second Term, this being the only vacant school at any time in the year in this parish.

Prince William. A Superior School was established at McAdam Junction at the beginning of the year, with two departments, both doing good work. The Trustees, however, after one term's trial, considered it too expensive, and went back to the old order of things. Through some delay on the part of the Trustees, the house in No. 2 did not receive the repairs which the vote of money at the Annual Meeting had provided for. In No. 3 the house needs repairing and painting. The school at Prince William Station will not likely be opened again in the near future, as there are no pupils in the district to attend. The house at Lower Poquioc is not large enough for the accommodation of the pupils.

Manners-Sutton.

At Harvey Station the Superior School is still under the management of Mr. Chamberlain. Both departments of this school have been doing good work. At York Mills, No. 11, a school library has been provided for the use of the school through the exertions of the teacher, Miss Barbara Thomas. I have before reported concerning the good condition of the school-houses in this parish, and the schools here, with those in Stanley and Douglas, are maintained more regularly throughout the year than in other parishes in the county.

New Maryland.-The school in Charter's Settlement is doing good work under Miss Annie Doak. At Beaver Dam the usual trouble was experienced in placing school in operation; the school will be maintained next year, however, continuously. District No. 4, at Green Point Siding, has become disorganized, as nearly all the families have moved away.

Kingsclear. The twelve districts in this parish had schools in operation during the term just closed. The house in No. 1 was extensively repaired and painted. In No. 2, Springhill, the house has been somewhat repaired; the intention of the Ratepayers is to build a new school house in a few years, as the present building is very old and away from the centre of the district. The houses in Nos. 4 and 5 should be repaired

and painted.

City of Fredericton. The University grant being withdrawn, the old Collegiate School was abolished during the year, and the Grammar School for York County, established on the same footing as the other Grammar Schools throughout the Province, was opened in the handsome new structure on York Street. Some changes were thus rendered necessary in the staff of teachers of this school. Mr. Geo. Inch was appointed

to a position in the Grammar School, and Miss Thorne took Miss Gregory's place. The 7th Standard of the York Street School was sent to Charlotte, the 8th Standard of the latter going to York Street. The Grammar School was thus made to include all pupils above the 7th Standard, Mr. Foster being appointed Principal of the York Street School as well as of the Grammar School, and he, with Mr. Palmer, voluntarily undertaking to perform much more work with the same number of teachers as of the previous year, without any corresponding increase in salary. The new building, in appearance and appliances for school work, is certainly a credit to the city, and is fully the equal of any in the Maritime Provinces, but if it has been erected at such an expense as to compel the Board of Trustees to lower the salaries of some of their most efficient teachers, as well as increase their work, it would seem to have been promoted rather in a spirit of show than of wisdom. The Board have this satisfaction, however, of knowing that their action in this regard has been universally condemned, both on the street and in the press, and it is the more to be regretted, as it will furnish pretext for parsimonious District Boards, and, unfortunately there are such, to attempt to lower salaries that are already far too small.

The schools at Doak Settlement and Wiseley's were closed at the end of June. There are very few children to go to school in Doak Settlement, and the school at Wiseley's was more of a benefit to Sunbury County than to the city. A number of changes have been made in the staff of teachers, which will probably be mentioned in the Secretary's report. The reading rooms in connection with the Grammar School and Model School established by the Principals of these schools are admirable, and must be most instructive to the pupils in the way of supplementry reading.

COUNTY INSTITUTES.

The Teachers' Institute for the counties of Queens and Sunbury was held at Gage town the latter part of May. It was not so well attended as might be expected, owing partly to the difficulty experienced in getting there, on account of the steamer running on the wrong day to suit the teachers of Sunbury County. Arrangements have been made to hold it later in the season next year. The York County Institute was held in Fredericton in December, and was largely attended. Both Institutes profited by the presence of the Chief Superintendent of Education.

ARBOR DAY.

This day was celebrated in a very large number of the schools throughout this Inspectoral District, and there are hardly any school grounds to be found that have not been improved in some way by the observance of Arbor Day.

The work in the Ungraded Schools, as carried on in the County of York, is, I think, improving, attributable, perhaps, to the fact that there has been less changing about among the teachers than in former years. The teaching of primary reading and number, and the slate work in connection with these subjects, is certainly better than formerly. The new Grammars have been introduced in nearly all the schools, but have been in use too short a time to report upon the work in this regard. There has been

more teaching the Literature in the Readers, and greater interest displayed in the subject of Composition.

The difficulties I have had to report upon during the year, as far as the School District is concerned, have been few, and in no way alarming, serving more as an incentive to greater interest among those concerned in the work of the school, rather than as a serious hindrance to the work of the teacher or the general efficiency of the school.

I have the honor to be,

Your obedient servant,

H. V. B. BRIDGES.

INSPECTORAL DISTRICT, NO. 6.

F. B. Meagher, M. A., Bath, Carleton Co., Inspector.

This District embraces the Counties of Carleton, Victoria and Madawaska, and the Parishes of Canterbury and North Lake in York County.

J. R. INCH, Esq., LL. D.,

Chief Superintendent of Education,

Fredericton.

SIR: I beg leave to submit the following report for the year ended December 31st, 1893:

The past year having been my first as an Inspector, the present report will necessarily be confined to a brief statement of facts concerning the general character of schools, needs of districts, etc., in this Inspectorate, as noted in the course of my visits.

MADAWASKA COUNTY.

The necessity of employing untrained teachers is a great drawback to the educational progress of many districts in this County, and until the schools at Edmundston, St. Basil and other important centres can send forth a sufficient number to attend the French Department of the Normal School, the supply of regularly licensed teachers here will always fall short of the demand. It is needless to say that no recommendations have been made for local license when the services of trained teachers speaking the French language could be procured.

St. Leonard. -There are seventeen districts in this Parish, but many of them are unorganized. No school has been held in No. 15, Como, since the date of its establishment. All efforts to induce the Ratepayers of the districts to organize and make provision for school purposes have been, so far, unavailing. In view of the fact that about fifty children of school age are being thus deprived of educational privileges, such

remissness is, to say the least, hard to understand.

The school at Grand River is

well equipped, and efficiently conducted by Miss Mary Gagnon, but the house should be considerably enlarged in order to provide sufficient accommodation for the fifty or more children in daily attendance.

St. Basil. Very satisfactory work is being done by the teachers in charge of the several departments of the graded school in District No. 3, Upper St. Basil. The excellent tone that pervades the whole school is an especially noteworthy feature. At the time of my visit in February last, the Intermediate Department was somewhat overcrowded, but a class-room was afterwards opened up in connection with this department, and an assistant teacher placed in charge. Provision was made at the last annual meeting in No. 1 for procuring new furniture and all necessary appliances. Extensive repairs must be made in connection with the houses in Nos. 2 and 5, before they can be again used for school purposes

Madawaska.- The Superior School at Edmundston has been conducted during the past year by Mr. Pius Michaud whose faithful and energetic work as a teacher has not only won the confidence of the Board of Trustees but the respect of the pupils under his charge. In the Primary Department some forty-five or fifty children were crowded together in a small illy ventilated room at the time of my visit. The room for the Intermediate Department, too, was not much better in this respect, and as the matter demanded immediate attention, I received your permission to call a general meeting of the Ratepayers of the district to consider the recommendations made in my report to the Board of Trustees. These recommendations were not at that meeting favorably considered, but it is a pleasure to state that at the annual meeting the Trustees were empowered to borrow the sum of three thousand dollars for the purpose of erecting a commodious school house suitable to the needs of the district. There is a neat and comfortable building in No. 1 containing good blackboards, maps, and all other essential appliances. I regret that the same remarks are not applicable to the remaining districts of this parish.

St. Jacques. Mr. Denys Martin has had charge of the school in District No. 1 during the past year. Good work has been done, notwithstanding many drawbacks in the shape of lack of teaching apparatus, etc.

No. 3 was established by the Board of Education in April last. A good building was subsequently erected in which school was held during the term just ended.

Forty-one pupils were enrolled at the time of my visit, thirty-seven of whom were busily engaged in mastering the first steps in reading. Repairs were made in connection with the school-house in No. 2, and outhouses built as recommended.

St. Francis.-The boundaries of those Districts fronting on the St. John River, in this parish, require readjustment, and I have in contemplation a series of changes to be made in this connection, which will be submitted to your consideration at an early date. A new District has been formed at Connors' Station by cutting off portions from Nos. 4 and 5. A house will be built in the spring and school opened as soon as practicable.