Closing of the Caledonian Society's Evening Classes.—session 1879.

The Annual Meeting and Distribution of Prizes in connection with the Caledonian Society's Classes took place in the large hall of the Athenæum, on the evening of Friday, 12th September. There were some 250 persons present. The chair was occupied by the president of the Society, Mr. W. C. Kirkcaldy, and on the platform were Messrs. Keith Ramsay, A. Sligo, W. D. Stewart (M.H.R.), G. M. Thomson, and A. R, Livingston. On the table in front of the Chairman there was an imposing array of books to be distributed in prizes, many of them being at once handsome in exterior and valuable as regards their contents.

The Chairman said: As President of the Caledonian Society, I have much pleasure in congratulating the teachers and pupils on the successful completion of the seventh session of the Society's classes. Mr. Ferguson, our superintendent, will read the official report, and as it is an interesting and exhaustive one, it will not be necssary I should make any remarks in introducing it.

Mr. J. L. Ferguson, Superintendent of the Society's classes, then read the annual report as follows:—

Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen—I have the honour to submit to you the seventh annual report of the Caledonian Society's evening classes. You will see by the report and also by the reports and remarks of the several masters, that the classes have proved a great success this year. The number of pupils and the fees show an increase on those of last year. Three additional classes have been added—viz., Chemistry, Latin, and Shorthand; and the work, as a whole, has been better than in previous years. The classes were resumed in the second week of May. The Education Board, as in former years, granted to the Society's Educational Committee the use of eight of the class-rooms in the Normal School. The High School authorities also granted the lecture-room and laboratory connected with the High School for the use of the chemical class. The following scale of fees was adopted by the Committee for the course of four months:—Junior classes, 5s; senior classes, 7s 6d; mathematics, 7s 6d; engineers' class, 7s 6d; chemistry class, 7s 6d; shorthand class, 7s 6d; Latin class, 7s 6d. An extra fee of 2s 6d was charged to pupils belonging to any of the other classes who were desirous of attending the chemical class.

The scale last year was:—Junior classes, 5s; senior classes, 7s 6d; mathematics, 10s; engineers' class, 10s; the total amount of fees received, £95 10s; number of pupils, 330. The number of scholars admitted this year, deducting the number who paid 2s 6d extra for chemistry, was 385. The fees last year amounted to £95 10s; this year, to £108 5s. This shows an increase of 35 pupils, and £12 15s in fees. The total cost of the page 7 classes—which is made up of teachers' salaries, prize fund, stationery, advertising, janitors, &c.—amounts to about £235. The fees, amounting to £108 5s, leave a balance of £126 15s, which is contributed from the funds of the Caledonian Society of Otago.

The occupations of the 385 pupils admitted to the classes arranged alphabetically are as follows:—

Architect	1
Bootmakers	11
Blacksmiths	7
Bricklayers	2
Booksellers	4
Boilermakers	4
Butchers	7
Builders	7
Brassfounders	2
Bookbinders	2
Bottlers	1
Bakers	11
Cabinetmakers	19
Carpenters	25
Compositors	2
Clerks	30
Cordial Manufacturer	1
Coach builders	2
Confectioners	3
Chemists	4
Carters	4
Collectors	3
Carriers	2
Carvers	3
Coppersmith	1
Drapers	17
Engineers	26
Engravers	3
Fishmongers	2
Framework Knitters	2
Guilders	2
Grainer	1
Gunsmith	1
Grocers	16
Journalist	1
Ironmongers	5
Jewellers	2
Hairdressers	2
Lithographer	1
Law Clerks	3
Labourer	1
Moulders	4
Masons	5
Message Boys	11
Millers	2
Machinists	2
Office Boys	24
Photographers	3
Plasterers	2
Patternmaker	1
Polishers	4
Plumbers	12
Printers	9
Painters	11
Students	2
Sawmaker	1
Storemen	4
Seedsmen	2
Salesmen	5
Sailmaker	1
Sailor	1
Saddlers	11
Soap makers	4
Ship Chandler	1
Tinsmiths	5
Teachers	2
Telegraphist	1
Tailors	7
Upholsters	6
Venetian Blind Maker	1
Wheelwrights	4page 8
Waiters	2
Watchmakers	2
Making	384
And one lad of 19
who describes him
self as "gentleman"	1
Total	385