besides putting up large school exhibits at Swan River and The Pas. At Minitonas all the schools of the municipality united. Over 200 children participated and about 500 grown people were present. "The trustees were enthusiastic and immediately organized for next year. These gatherings call for much time and effort on the part of the inspector. In addition to the above Swan River held a very successful field day on June 19th. I hope for splendid results from these meetings.

The Swan valley trustees association held a very successful convention at Swan River on March 15th, Mr. S. E. Lang, Inspector of High Schools, was present and gave a very excellent address. Trustees' associations have recently been organized in Ethelbert and Mossy River municipalities. At the former 31 out of a possible 33 and at the latter 30 out of a possible 33 were present. Though the programmes were impromptu between two and three hours were spent on each occasion The teachers of Ethelbert municipality have organized an institute and purpose holding quarterly meetings.

In closing I would like to call your attention to a very interesting phase of the work in the schools of Ethelbert municipality. In five of them every pupil has his own drinking cup. Three have wash basins and towels. Four of the teachers hold evening meetings to teach the men of their districts to read and write English. If our English-speaking teachers could realize their community responsibility and their power and opportunity for social work what a difference a few years would make and what a force for uplift they would become.

Respectfully submitted,

D. S. WOODS, I. P. S.

Report of Inspector Belton-Inspectoral Division No. 2

HON. R. S. THORNTON,

Minister of Education, Winnipeg.

Sir, I have the honour to submit the following report of Division No. 2, for the year ending June 30th, 1915.

The Riding Mountain Forest Reserve, thrust into the middle of this inspectoral division, splits it into two groups of school districts. Those to the north are grouped around the towns of Roblin, Grandview, and Shellmouth; the southern schools have centres at Russell, Binscarth, and Rossburn. There is enough area yet unsettled to make about fifty new districts.

The war and the financial stringency have this year affected the progress of education to a noticeable degree. There has been a halt in the opening of new districts and the building of new school-houses, as well as a general slackening of interest in educational affairs. This latter is shown in a marked falling off in attendance of senior pupils, and the comparatively small entrance examination list. However, I notice no slackening of efforts of trustees to improve school premises, nor of the teachers to make progress in class-work.

School gardening has been undertaken in the majority of my schools this year, but it has proven largely a failure for a variety of reasons. A snowless winter was followed by a dry spring and a cold June, hence the growth was not more than underway when the rural schools closed. It is very difficult to get pupils to travel several miles to weed or water a garden. There is strong argument as well as strong inclination in favor of pupils shaking their minds free of all school affairs in vacation time. This applies to the teacher also, especially if she is leaving her situation at midsummer as she usually does. Another obstacle is the frequent lack of water on the grounds. However, in spite of all discouragements much effort has been put forth by the trustees this year in the way of fencing and of cultivating the grounds in the belief that the movement as far as it can be made successful, is a good one. Home gardening has been followed also to some extent. Some of the results were on exhibit along with other products of school work at Grandview school fair, which was attended by over three hundred visitors.

I observe a notable advance this year in physical training, including drill and calisthenics along the lines laid down in the Manual, as well as a move toward emphasizing self-control in bodily movements connected in entering and leaving the school room, and standing and sitting postures. As a result discipline

in general has improved. The winners of the Strathcona prizes this year were Mr. Lorne Merrell's room in Roblin, and the Primary department of Binscarth school, taught by Miss Mabel Alexander. For rural schools the first prize went to Ottawa, near Grandview, taught by Miss Jessie McAuley, and the second to Merridale, taught by Mr. J. Duffy, M. A.

Plasticine, modeline, raffia work and papercutting are becoming fairly common, and needle work is getting a good start. Miss Florence Henn and Miss Viola Orr, of Grandview town school, practised their pupils in sewing by patching large supplies of clothing for poor children in the Ruthenian settlement, a very worthy work from more than one point of view.

The Ruthenian-English schools show a constant improvement, especially where they are in proximity of English-speaking settlements. Needless to say their most serious problem is that of language, a problem which must evidently be solved by Ruthenian teachers, for I see no likelihood, at present, of inducing any others to teach these schools. I can speak quite favorably, however, of the fourteen men who are in these schools here. They are very much in earnest and are faithful, abiding by regulations in the performance of their duties, including the thorough teaching of English. As one of them lucidly put it. "My aim is to train them to think in English."

A number of educational rallies were held during the year. At Roblin the trustees of the surrounding country gathered to form an association. During the day over a hundred people, consisting of teachers, trustees and parents visited the famous consolidated school and viewed the regular work of the seven teachers, as well as the special features such as: cadet drill, bench and forge work, sewing, raffia work, and the agricultural studies. In the evening a large public meeting was addressed by Mr. R. Fletcher, Deputy Minister of Education. A gathering at Grandview along similar lines followed later. The general meeting was addressed by the Superintendent, Mr. C. K. Newcombe.

At Angusville in February the ratepayers of the surrounding districts gathered to discuss a possible consolidation, and were addressed on that subject by Mr.Charles Brydon, of Roblin, and myself. I also held consolidation meetings at Silverwood and Sunny Slope. The teachers of this division united with Mr. Morrison's as usual in convention this year at Russell. A very successful field day was held at Binscarth in June. Eight schools were included. The usual sports were conducted besides a few unique features, one of which was a ladies' horsehitching contest. A prize for competition in physical drill was won by Woodstock school.

On looking over my records for the year, I find several