28 THE WOMBAT. 



balance-sheet that we had £g$ to start the year with, whereas 

 for 1897 there is no fund to draw upon for working expenses 

 until the end of the first term, when the earnings for that 

 period are due. From the experience of the past year the 

 department will now see that it will be impossible to carry on 

 the college unless the vote be substantially increased, as the 

 expenses are cut down to the lowest limit. The amount 

 received from pupils' fees — ^"252 — shows an increase of ^26 

 upon last year, which is due to the increase in the number of 

 enrolments, and may be considered satisfactory. This also 

 strengthens our claim for a larger grant, for it is obvious that 

 the remuneration of instructors being based upon the number 

 of enrolments means a proportional increase in expenditure 

 under this heading. The item Donations and Subscriptions 

 shows an increase on the receipts from that source last year, 

 and other sundry receipts are satisfactory, but still further 

 improvement may be hoped for as the objects and necessities 

 of the college are more fully recognised. 



The principle of imposing a "caution fee" upon pupils 

 has been discontinued after a fair trial, and in explanation of 

 the items in the statement, the payments being in excess of 

 the receipts, it may be pointed out that the most of these fees 

 collected during 1895 were paid last year, in addition to those 

 paid on account of the period under review. 



The Building Construction class has been revived 

 during the year, and the interest well maintained. The 

 attendance and diligence of students throughout has been 

 highly satisfactory. Trade exhibits were shown by the Car- 

 pentry and Plumbing classes at the industrial exhibitions 

 held during the year at Ballarat, Albury and Warrnambool 

 respectively ; the judges' remarks and list of awards, as pub- 

 lished elsewhere, should be a collateral proof of the utility of 

 the institution. The Museum continues to attract a large 

 number of visitors to the College. The honorary curators, 

 Messrs. Hill and Hammerton, have devoted much of their 

 spare time to the work of collecting and arranging specimens, 

 and their report elsewhere indicates the progress of the 

 museum and library. The Reading Room is thoroughly 

 appreciated by the pupils and others connected with the 

 college, the excellent collection of technical books and 

 periodicals forming a good field for those in search of know- 

 ledge. The Wombat, a quarterly journal formerly published 

 by several of the societies associated with the college, has 

 been recognised by the council, and is now the official organ of 

 the institution. Attached to the curators' report is a list of pub- 

 lications which will show the variety of valuable papers upon 

 all branches of science and trade subjects contained in the read- 

 ing room. A number of gentlemen availed themselves of the 



