SPBCIAL MEETING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2308, 26 May 1898, Page 54

SPBCIAL MEETING.

A special meeting of the members of fcha Education Bt-aid was held in the new offices of tbe board. Crawfoid street, in Iheeveuiugfe? consider questions of wli : ch notice had bsea giveii. There were present — Dr Browa (chairman), Messrs J. Sim, W. Snow, J. J. Ramsay, H. Harraway, J. M. Gallaway, Rev. P. B. Fr«ser, and the Hon. J. MacGfeg'-r.

SELECTION OF TEACHERS,

The Rev. P. B. Fraser mover! the following resolution, o* which fie had giyesi notice, .viz. :—: — "That regulation 30 re the appoin'ment of teaehws by rescinded with lh.e viow of substituting the following: — The board »h&ll 'consaib' school cuumibteps by frondiug to them the names and feus imonials of all the candidates, and also such fs'u cbums and recommendations of tha Commit. e<3 of Selection as the board sea fib. tcgebher vita a copy of the regulations guiding the board in the eoiecMon oi! teachers. The school ct mmivtee shall ba ceked to recommend for app.-iinfcment a candidate f.-oin the lift of those marked • raosft euttsblo.' The board wJH not appoint any of the other candidates nnltss new fact* unknown to the board regar'diug feba school d'S L ,ric(; ov other candidate ba revealed by, the schorl committee interested and be deemed by the boarJvo? suffißienlfimportance to warrant reconsideration of' the appointment. In forwarding the names and testimonials of all candidates to committees and furnishing "'them with its rßoomaaendafcioa, the bo&rd shall especb js'ehbol committees to co operate io promotiug successful and, deserving teachers. In the event of a committee' not accepting- tbe board's selection, reasons should bn given for dissent and in favour of another applicant. The board shall carefully consider all such representations." In speaking to the motion, the mover said ho would at once call the board's attention to the vast importance of the subject of the appointment of teacher?. The fact was that there was no public body in the coiony that had so many valuable livingt at its disposal, and, therefore, the manner of making its appointments could not be too rigidly guarded or too open to public inspection. Parliament by making both board and committees have a voice in appointments placed a very eslutary check on possible Favouritism. He for one I would be very sorry io see th« appointments entirely in tbe hands of the board ; jmt as he would bo very sorry to see them in the handr of committees. No doubt many advantage* would be gained by the board making the appointments, but there were grave objections--and the chief one in his opinion was that it w.vs not wise to entrust any body of men with so many livings in their gift. Siuca ths initiation of "the Selection Committee in January, 1895, to Msrch, 1898, tbe number of vacancies afc its disposal was 123, and the total value of the salaries was £14,24-0. The average annual raise of these vacancies »t the board'a disposal we* £6329, aD<3 the number a vs-cnucies abont 55 Tbub was therefore a very latge deal of wh*t might be called patronage to givs to the Selection Committee. -Hence he atrangly favoured thab the fullest 'inter pretafcioa should be givea to.the intention of tbe 'Legislature to "consult" committees.' He held that a com'lniifcee was only houestly consulted when it was put in possession of all the relevant information that. the board itself had, and his whole position -wfss that while the board ma.de a selection thab all the applicants' names should be forwarded 'to the committee. Tfee committees then exercised a salutary cheek on any possible mistake on the parb of the board, while the board again could and should prevent any glaring nrstake on the parb of committees. The board's position would be strong when it frankly consulted committees, and required them as frankly to state in writing any reason for departing from the board's selection. In such a course he believed the public would support the board. The present Selection Committee arrangement ! had completely broken down Since its erection ib had made special recommendations in 41 cases, and in 14 its recommendations were, rightly or wrongly, ignored ; and it csased to I make any recommendations. He thought the_ board, without much difficulty, would agree to'some modification of tha present system that would suib the practice of the board and give confidence to committees.

Mr W. Snow seconded the motion. Ha believed a change was required, as be considered the present system unfair to teachera.

Mr Ramsay did not know that it was necessary to rescind the resolution to accomplish what was desired. He agreed that the present system had broken down, and believed that was due to the feeling that the officials had too much to do with the appointments. If the public were convinced that the officials had not so much control of the appointments, that would do more than any change of system.

Mr Gallaway said it seemed to him the only change proposed was that all the names shouldbe sent forward. ( >The Rev. Mr Fbashb explained that ifc was proposed to send forward the name* and to give Grab those of tbe most' suitable, and specifically state that they .'.woulfl' not appoint out of the first list, unless the committee could show new facts regarding either th.3 school or the teacher.

Mr Sim was of opinion that the proposal was' in the right direction, and that there was a feeling abroad that the bo&rd should ifcsslf make the appointments, in order that teachers at a distance should have a chance of coming to the centres of population.

Mr Gai,laway pointed out that according Co the present law the appointments could not; ba made without the committees being consulted.

The Hon. J. MacGkegor approved of the objecb of the motion, bat thought the form of the resolution was op°n to criticism and capable of improvement. He had drafted a resolution, which he had submitted to Mr Fraser, who, however, considered as preferable the one of whioh notice had bean given and which wag before them. The speaker criticised the details of the resolution, but said that if the board was satisfied with it as proposed, he would not press for its amendment. After consultation as to the form of the resolution, the principle of it baing concurred in by all the members present, it was resolved that the matter be referred to a committee consisting of the chairman, the Rev. Mr Fraaer, and the Hon. J. MacGregor, to draw up a motion for submission to the next meeting of the board.

CLASSIFICATION OF TEACHERS,

'Respecting the notice of motion by the Hon. J. MacGregor re classification of teachers the followiug memo, from the inspector, Messrs P* Goyen and W. S. Fiteserald, was read:— "Memo. With respecb to the Hon. J. Mac Gregor's notice of motion re classification, ire beg to aay : (1) We cannot certainly gay to whom, if the old system had bssn continued, we should have aisignfid the marks necessary for promotion to rank I. (2)- When it was determined to reserve the last two marks for teachers who proved themselves as skilful organisers as well as skilfal educators, we did not intend that graduates with rank H should be regarded as unfit for the highest class school within the board's control." They regarded A, #, and 0 teachers of rank II as fit to be tried in the hjflhe»fc positions in the board's ichool^

and were therefore in sympathy with the second part of the notice of motion. The Hon. Mr MacGregor said that if tha inspectors' suggestions found favour with the board he would withdraw his motion. The recommendations of the inspectors were approved of, aad the notice of motion was accordingly, withdrawn. THE BONOS SYSTEM.

The Hon. J. MacQrbhok moved hi 3 notice of motion — " That all bonuses cease at from the day of , and that all teachers be brought under the new regulations." He said that as the subject of bonuses was new to some of the members it was necessary that he should give some explanation of the system. The system was introduced in 1878, and the object; of ib was to hold out inducements that would lead to the tailing of tbe standard of the teaching profession.' The- bonuses were fixed on a- very laviah scale, ranging from £60 to £7 10s, and there could be no doubt that the syatem served a useful purpose. This scale continued in operation down to 1890, when the board found itself compelled by the exigencies of finnnce t6 reduce the scale. Two years later a further step was takeD, ■when the board decided that no new 'bonuses should be granted. ' He now proposed that a

' time should be fixed when bonuses should cease

, altogether, and he hoped that the board would ' -rtcbgaise at the 'outset thac Bonuses could not be allowed to continue indefinitely. Ib -could * "nob be contended t&at the board was under any ■' obligation fco.^o on psfying a bonus to a teacher as long as he remained in the board's service. He hoped akq that, members, would not allow" themselves to Be'iufluenced-b'y individual '" c\.kee. As would be-seen frsm the list produced nhowing the amounts of the bouuses, some . teachers would suffer considerably by the decking of their bonus ; but teachers as a rule reogniied that bonuses must cease. Ib could not be contended thit there would be any injustice in stopping the bonuses. The injust'ee, it seemed 'to him, lay ih the continuance of tb.3 system, for it wae manifestly uiaf»ir that t«icher* who attained to a degree in 1893 should jjf;fc be entitled to any bonus when a teacher ■who had got his degree in 1892 was io contioue t> receive a bonus for an md finite period. He did not propose that the board should e-^ve any money by stopping the bonuses, for he proposed, if the board decided to fix a dale ftara vfhich all bonuses shall cease, (hit a new seals should be prepared makiog an equitable distribution of the £2300 now annually paid away in bonuses. , y Mr Ramsay seconded the motion without cemment. M.i'if. B. Fbaseb was opposed to the abolition of bonuses, for that would ba robbing Peter to pay Paul, without any certainty that the payment would roach Paul. Many people thought there was much to justify the bonuses. This system kept capable man in out-lying districts. But he was not prepared «.o fight for bonuses beii-g kept \% the board adopted a scheme by wsich they could promote fieacners more readily than had been dose, for otherwise mere . would be do reward for ability. Provision should bs made for the substantial re- • ward of those who served the board Joug ard v.ere not mere birdsof pssgago. He suggested t hat a committee of the board "sboulrt Sraw up a i-c&le, and that the board should not pjjns a isolation abolishing bonuses until a scale had <s»,n adopted. In providing 'that seals, notice' utiduld be" iakeri,* of 'several' points, so'that be implemented for laugth of i-i? ice, and for the instruction of" pupil '-"Aohew, and that the bonuses should cease •-heo the salaries exceeded £270. He movtd : s an amendment— -*' That a committee be sjip'.'intpd to draw up a new scheme of *» l .ries.» jlr Sim seconded the amendment. Mr Gai/laway said th&t lo alter uha motion from the form of the notice of motion seemed to him to ba a practical admission ttt&fc the

carfc bas been placed before the bets?. The iet result of this scheme if Mr McGregor's ni'jt'wn be carried seetned to 'him to bs this :

that tils revenue of the board would be

augmented at the expense of the teachers to

tbe exlent of £509 10s per annun?. Now, it "was (roe that in considering any sobenie hardship would in all probability be caused to individuals, but as he understood the present

scheme it had this disadvantage — that whereas

those who suffered a loss suffered it because they had entered into a contract with the board upon certain conditions which they were asked te modify without their consent, and tbose who would gain by the amounts taken from their brethren would gain that which they h«d not contracted to obtain. It was open to any 'teachsr dissatisfied with his present position to apply for vacancies as they occurred, and the now appointment wou'd

bring them nnder the new system. No doubt oven the new system was not the besS system which would ' be produced by the united wisdom of the board, but until the modifications

and suggestions foreshadowed by Mr Mac,Gregor were reduced to a formal scheme it. ■would be premature to allow them to sffect tha votes of the board. In the history of education a few years more or less are of no great account — not of such account at any rate ts to hurriedly take a step calculated to create a v< ry justifiable feeling of dissatisfaction in the luind of those teachers who hava to provide the wherewithal .to pay those whose pecuniary position would be bettered by the adoption of Mr MacGfregor's motion. Before members were asked to vote that bonuses cease a scheme should be submitted showing how the bonuses, if abolished, would be distributed equitably »,mong all the teachers. That seemed to him to be the object of the amendment, and as would accordingly support it. Mr Sim was also of opinion that teachers tUTicg entered tipon their work under this arrangement it would ba unfair to alter it. The Chaieman said he did not want to give a silent vote on this question. It seemed to him th*fc one of the most retrograde steps the board had ever taken waa the abolition of the bonuses, far it was most important to recognise the great advantage to teachers of thorough scholastic attainments, and since the bonuses had been •bolished there was no longer this. inducement. He understood the bonuses had been abolished

because it was seen that the system would run

the board into financial difficulties— that the finance of the board would have broken down under it. Seeing then that the abolition of bonuses had at the time been an abeolate necessity, the question arose t did they intend to continue the system that should be participated in only by those , appointed previously to 1890, and of which all those of equal scholastic attainments who had

been appointed, under, the new regime were deprived. Take two cases known to himself of two men of equal standing : One of these was' f orlnnate enough to pass hie examinations within i. certain periodj and had a bonus of £37 10s ; tlife other, who passed a few days later, had jio bonus. Mr MacGregor did not propose to - deprive the man who received £37 10a of his • bonus, but to do justice to those who had oome in (subsequently. The proposal was not to abolish bonuses, but was only leading to the adoption of an equitable scale. How on earth they were to draw np a scale for the payment of teachers in the way some gentlemen at the liable had aDoken of passed his coasjirohen-

Bion. They must eilher draw up a new soale including bonuses or not including bonuses. If it was done with bonuses ths whole question would be opened up at iome other time ; if it was drawn up without bonuses, then they were practically carrying Mr MscGregor's motioD, which was simply to clear the way for a new scale. They could not possibly draw up a now scale unless they ignored bonuses. He thought it was a great blunder to abolish the bonus system, bub that having been done, to continue the payment of bonuses was to do an injustice to those who had joined the service since 1892.

Mr Harhaway did not see th.at any iDJus'ice would be dove by taking away these bonuses, for the suoqs p&id were so small that there wr.s practically co money iv them when considered individually.

The Hon. J. MacGregor having replied, On the question befog put there vcted for the Hon. J. MacGregoi'smoiionfour — Maesrs Ramsay, MacGregor, Harraway, and the chairman, and against it four — Messrs Sim, Saow, Gallaway, and Fraser.

The motion was carried on the castiog vote of the chairman.

On the motion cf fche Hod. J. MacGbegor ib w&s resolved mm dis. :—": — " That this resolution shall corns into effect on the adoption of the new scale of salaries 117 ths board." PUPIL TEACHERS. On the motion of Mr P. B. Fjsaser it was 'resolved — "That tbejchairman be authorised! to supply a junior teacher from the Training College to Keueing'uon and Arthur street- or auy other school whin cfrcumßtancss justify ifc." The beard rose at 10 p m.

The adjonrned monthly meetiug of the Education Bojird, held on the 19 ;b, was attended by Dr Btown (chairman), Messrs W. Snow, J. ?iin, J M. Gallawny, H. Harraway, J. J. Eam?s,y, the Hon. J. MscGregor, and tbe Rev. P. B. Frassr. DEPUTATIONS. The Rev. A. Cameron and Mr J. White waited upon the board rs a deputation f com the Anderson's Bay School Committee, and asked that the teachar's residence be added to or that a new e»'e be erected. The deputation stated that s>t present the residence was quite inadequate for the accommodation of the teacher and his family, bcth as regards the iiuunbnr and size of the rooms. — It was decided to add fewo rooms 'jo the residence.

A deputation from the Mfceaadrew Ko&d School Committee, coosistirg of Messrs A. Dsvelin and S. Scott, waited on the board, And asked that the head master's residence bs repaired at a cost of about £10. Tfce deputation stated thafj the bnilding wauttd painting ard papering and the doors rebung. — A motion to graat £10 for repairs, moved by .Mr P. B. FaiSER, was ?ost, ard it- was decided to give tiie committee a subsidy of pound for p'/uuo.

APP-jINTMifNTS

Tbe following appointments were made : -J. B. Grant, bead teasl.-er, Taapeka Wept, via Ellison, promoted ; J3i : zitetu M. Qutin, head teacher', Kokoama, vice Bdyd, left' i.b% service; Maria S. Pf'etscu. h/nd teacher, 630 a Flat;, vice Peters, left the service; Harriet C. >Gow, bead teacher, To Houka, wet Riddell, left fche- servic? ; Jjy dia Neil, fkst female assistant, Npapara, wet. Jt-u-gregor, left ths service; Mabftl A. Taj lor, first female assislaiii;, Bannockburn, t ice Truman, lef 5 the eervics ; Elizabeth M. R&rlow, junior female assistant, vice Brown, iefb the service.

RESIGNATIONS

The following 1 resignations were accepted :—: — E. M. Harlow, head teacher, Mount Stuart; Lydia Neil, head teacher, Matino Dowr.s ; Mtfria S. P< «?*■«&, head teacher, Kiwarau ; Elizabeth M. Gunn, inistrefs, Waijiahi ; O. J. Hodge, first assistsut, Normal ; Mary Sinclair, mistress, Port Chalmers ; Mary A. Strachan, second assistant, Wailrouaiti ; Jofcn Dagger, fourth assistant, Union street.

WAIPORI.

Messrs Scow and Hwraway, who were appointed to inquire Into the covnylaints against the head teachflr at Waipori, reported that after cnrefal consideration of the evidence adduced and of all other circumstances in connection with the matter, they found that Mr E>rr had aof^d inthin the rights conferred on him as bead teacher by the regulations under the Education Act, bub that he committed an error of judgment m nob advancing to SfcairiiJaid 111 Wra. Blaokmore, Bertie Cotton, and Robert Searle.

Mr P. B. Feaskr moved — ',' That tfcs report I be adopted, aud that Mr Kerr be requested to advance into the Third Standard the pupils mentioned therein." He stated that two of the pupils made 100 per cent, in the school examination, and oii3 of them made 75 per cent. Th« inspector passed all who made 60 per cent. He thought tfcab the caste? had laade a 'grave error of judgment in cot advancing the children. Tfce children had rights which should nvt' be invaded, and if there was to bs any squeezing now it should be applied to those who made an>' error of judgmeuu 'a'ad not to the utfortun»t« children. , Mr Sim se? oncled the motion.

Mr Harra%yay asked what would fths board's position be in the event of Mr Kerr, refusing to advance the children. He would be within his rights in so refusing, and the board should be caraful not to put themselves in an anomalous position.

The Hon. J. MacGregob said there was no doubt that the regulations placed the matter of advancing children in the discretion of th« taacber.

After further discussion the motion was put and carried on the casting vote of the chairmo.ii, MBesrs Gallaway, Harraway, Ramsay, and MacGregor votiag against it.

ACCOUNTS,

Accounts amounting to £6432 13s 10 d were pa3sed for payment.

ACTIKG INSFECTOB.

The Chairman said at last meeting a resolution was curtied that the board should employ one of the mcc on the board's works as aobing inspector. He interviewed Mr Somerville about the matter, and he strongly recomEaenned that Alexander Duncan should be appointed. After taking outside evidence also as to Mr Duncan's qualifications for the position, he appointed that gentleman. — The action of the chairman was confirmed.

POMAHAKA. DOWNS.

Mr W. J. Habens wrote :—": — " I am directed to inform you that the Pomahaka School Committee has represented to the Hon. the Minister for Lands that it is the intention of your board to close the school at the end of the month. The committee makes an urgent appeal to the Government for assistance, if am to say that the Government is anxious to have the school kept open i£ satisfactory arrangements can bs made in that behalf, and, as the Minister for Lands is disposed to assist, Mr Walker would be glad to learn what contribution towards the maintenance of the school the board would consider adequate." — • It was resolved to a«k the Government' to give a subsidy of £25 for the sohool.

DISPUTED ELECTIONS.

The disputed elections at Waihola, Forbury, Rough Ridge, Heriot, and Hukinga were nnheld.

A letter was received from the Educational Institute asking the board to send out the usual circular in reference to the midwinter hoiicUya and meetings of the institute. — It was decided to comply with the request. THE NORMAL SCHOOL. Mr Hugh M'Millan, of Gimmerburn, was unanimously appoinfcsd as first assistant of the Normal School. NOTICES OF MOTIONS.

The Hon. J. MacGregor gave notice to move at tha next meeting — " That the subject of history be struck out of the junior scholarship 6yllabup."

Mr P. B. Fjraser gave notice to move —

" That teachers add to their quarterly returns what percentage the average attendance ib of the roll number."

THE ENCOUBAGtEHENT OF YOtUSTTEERING.

A meeting of tbeDunedin Fabian Society was held at the Zealandia Chambers, Dowllng street, on Thu^day night. Mr W. Hutehiion presided, and there was a very fair attendance.

Mr J. B. Callan, who was for some time a nnjor in the volunteer force, gave an addres» on " The ,. Encouragement of "Volunteering." After referring to the fact r.hafc Spsiu aud America were now engaged in a sfcrujj§le which might end in sefcting-the whole world inarms, he said tfcere was a g.-eat deal of apathy upon the question. Most, people thought that ,our distant position would protecb us in case of war breaking out) with Great Britain, but the opicion of esperis and others was ag*inst this cormoling refiictiow. Cu'oDel Penton, commander of the Ne'v Ze^la^a forces, in his report for last September said : •' The probability of auy attack being made on the colony by a foreign force is regarded as absolutely unlikely to happen, or to be »ucu a remote contingency that ib is not worfh serious consideration. The recent examples we have had in the collapsa of the Chinese aud Greek Powers, owing to their want of preparedness »nd organisation, should be a very eertous obj-ct lessen for this colony. It must be renjeoabered that foreign countries are gott'ng closer ftud closer to ub daily, owing to the continaed improvements being made in the size and speed of ships aud tha? a descent by a few lapid cruisers fcelongiog to a country geographically soaife thousands of miles away ia r»ot an absoin'e impossibility iv rhese days." Mr Callan proceeded to- qaote an exlrf«t fr^-m an article in the B.jropettn Mail in "/hich tbe writer of "Oolooial Nofea " said v" It seems to us to be siruply the duty, ?ad nothing Jess, of everyone who is interested in tha solidarity and prosperity of Australasia to protest uucetisingly uttil New Zealand is thoroughly arowaec! from tae terrible apatby lhab bow exists, iv regard to che def encee of the colony. . . . 'Aft iaa ■ waiter u^w stctpds thorough reform relative to • dsffnoe h ?ioap!y imperativa." The k-uth of tbW,he went en to say, was boste out by facts. We had, for insfcauce,. she; -undoubted facb thai/ iv 1885, vLan ie^wau really ejpeafced, th'xt. \ta.t might; taKe place between Bi-itain and- Ru*p.io, one of the itsmg on tht RajsiaD pro«rarome was a descent upon these -coaiitß. He voald also menbion other farts with the vier? of bhowing that if Great;' Britain engaged in T<^r nn afct&ck would be made upou this colony. He thon w>nt on to refer to tha nature of tbe attack that would be made upou us in such ao avent, and quoted ] from tfce report of Colonel Fox in 1893 on the ! defence iorces of New Zealand, in which the colonel s&'t'. : "Any at«aok on N«w Zealand nauat be dtl'versd by nvar.s of ships of war, at by naval transports, or by both combined, and i will take ens of fche following forms :— (1) Attack by fteeb of heavily-armoured vessels on fortified centres ; (2) a*tack by fleet of cruisers ; (3) at f ack by a number cf ships, composed partly of cruiodte., paroly of pvivateers ; (4-) a Ift tiding of meufrom fctansporfce. . . . s"orrn of attack (1) is hardiy to be expected. . , . Form of attack (2) bscomeß a« once mere probable. ..." Attack (3), aJooe ct combined with (4), on the other hand, becomes almost a certainty. Our watchfulness will have to be redoubled, and our defences must be in rucb. a state that we can w^rd off. such attacks with ease. The time will have arrived when on the vitalife" and power of the colonies will depend thair ultimate independence and integrity or their anLexatiou by our conquerors. Attack (3) alone, or in combination with (4), is generally admitted to be what the colonies must guard thsmselyes against." Mr Callan ! proceeded to say that he thought he had shown our liability to be attacked, and al«o the form the attcck was likely to take. He now came to the third point, and that was : Were we capable of resisticg such an attsck ? It t»*s admitted- j ok all hands tbat we were not prepared to 'lo ! so, a&we ought to be, and very little encouragement was given to volunteering. He thought j that t.he Government ought io give pecuniary eiscoaragenienb to toe volunceeta ; and ■on this -point he might say that employers did not eneoiarage the volunteers. There was great apathy existing ' amongst employers as regarded the defence forces. An argument used very frequently was this : "We have never been attacked in the past, and therefore we shall never b» attacked in the future." He would like to quote what George Eliet said as bearing upon this point : — •• The sense of security more frfquenfcly springs from habih than from conviction ; and for this reason it offcan subsist* after such a change in the conditions as might have been expected to suggest alarm. Tne kpse of time during which a given event has not happened is, in the logic of habit, constantly alleged as a reason why the event should nsver happen, even when the lapse of time is precisely the added condition which makes the event imminent." Whrn he spoke of the Government giving pecuniary encouragement he meanl this : He thought the capitation grant ought to be increased. He thought that men ought Jto be paid for attending drills and for attending camps as well. If that were done he thought that we would have more corps, drills would be well attended, and tha efficiency of the volunteers would be Increased. If that liberal treatment did not result in producing tha desired effecr, then we should have to resort to a compulsory system — a system by which every colonist would have to serve in a volunteer corps for three years. In the discussion which ensued upon the delivery of the address, the following gentlemen took part : — Colonel Webb, Messrs W. Hood, M. Cohen, B. Trenwith, A. H. Barton, Litolff, P. Flynn, D. W. M. Bare, D. Reid jun., and the ohairraan.

A hearty vote of thanks was subsequently accorded to Mr Callan for his addrew. DuriDg the evening piano solos were contributed by Miss Mercer, and Miss Balsille and Mr Riihon each sang a solo, each of the performers being warmly applauded.

Jadoo, for potting plants, raising seeds, &c. Jadoo inareases the size o£ flowers, prolongs their season of bloom, and is indispensable for the garden or nurpen.— J&immo and BlairDanedic. *

UNIVERSITY DEBATING, SOCIETf.

The usual fortnightly meeting of this aociefcy was hold on Friday evening, and proved of an exceptionally interesting character. Mr C. M. Mouat, BA , LL.B., was in the chair, and there was a large attendance. The question for debate was " Was America justified in intervening in the Cuban question apart from the Maine incident?" Mr R. H. Turton led off in the cffirmßtive, and was supported by Mr J. O'Shea, B.A. Mr W. D Stewart, jun., was the leader in the negative, and was sbly seconded by Mise E. Randle. The fact that thia was the first ocoasion for a considerable time that a lady student has taken psr'o ia one of these debates created csnsiderable interest Other speakers who took part in the deb»te wera — Messrs T. A. Hunter, 8.A., A. G. C. Miller, B A., S. A. Moore, 8.A., Tennanr. R. Moore, and W A. Moore. After a vote, wbich j resulted in & majority ia the r.ffirmafcivf, Mr ! Sallmon, M.A., a graduate of Yale Universi(y, U.S , gave a concise and eloquent account cf the grounds for America's *cbion, as set foith in President M'Kinley's Declaration of War, and concluded with a graphic aaccountt t of one of the Spanisii »,tiooities. in, Cuba/ Daring the earlier part of the evening, Miss R&odle contributed a piano solo, Miss J. A rude a recibition, and Mhs C. B. Maegregor, B.A , a eong, all of which wcrs heartily appreciated. A vota vi thenks to the chair concluded tbe meetiDg.

The arbitrator awards Bing, Harris, ard Cc. £1409 damsges against the Wellington City Council for overflow of sewage, the Council to pay costs.

Ono of <he members rf the Hutfc County Oonncil, Wellington, h*s giv<jn notice to move — " T.ia* in cnosequenee of (.he rise in flour and bresd'euffs the rate of wage.* to ail permanent roadmeu employed by the council shall be increased from 63 per day to 6s 6d per day."