WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE SOUTHERN MERCURY [WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 1906.) THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2722, 16 May 1906, Page 47

WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE SOUTHERN MERCURY [WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 1906.) THE WEEK.

• Vuoqutni *Uad nmtura, aliad upiratia Jlxlt.'/— J»tikil. ' 'Oood nturt tad fo*d leuts mist «»«■ jeln."— T »m.

Dr Truby King, whose services to the

community are already Education ai.d considerable, has called atJlriiUh. tention to a serious defect'

in our present education system— a defect arising in many cases out of the anxiety of masters to get the best possible results out of their most. brilliant pupils, in consequence of which* they lead them on to achievements which are beyond their physical capacity The two sad examples quoted by Dr King — of a dux in the Boys' High School and of a dux in the Girls' High School, who, in - consequence of the severity of their, studies, had both become mentally afflicted — are happily exceptions to the general rule. But it is from these exceptional cases that the danger to the community at large may fairly be de- - duced. Briefly put, Dr King's impeachment amounts to this : that twentieth century education has fallen far below the ideal of the Greek system, which was first and foremost a physical education. The Greeks recognised that it was not possible to have a perfect mental development apart from a perfect physical development. This is an old text from which to preach a sermon., Fotfr hundred years ago, Michael, Lord of Montaigne, devoted much attention to the subject, and in his essay on " The Institution, and Education of Children," we read :— " The mind which harboureth philosophic ought by reason of her sound health make' that bodie also bound and Kealthie.; it ought to make her contentment through shine in all exterior parts; it ought to shapen and modell" all outward demeanours to the modell of it; and by cona&-. quence anne him that doth oossess it with! a gracious sto'utnesse and lively audacity, with an active and pleasing gesture/ and; with a settled and cheerful .countenance. 3 *^ And the same /old sage, in a subsequent*, portion of the same essay, remarks :—,: — , ' ' All sports and exercises shall be a par. j of his study ; running, wrestling, musicke, dancing, hunting, and managing of armety and horses. I would have the exterioj} demeanour or decencie, and the dispose* tion of his person to be fashioned t#«[ gether with his mind; for it is not£** mind, it is not a body that we ercpi

but it is a man, and we must not make two parts of him. And as Plats saith, - • They must not be erected one without another, but equally be directed no otherwise than, a couple of horses matched to draw .in one selfe same teeme.' And to heare him doth he not seeme to iinploy more time and care in the exercises of Ms bodie; and to think that the minde is together with the same exercised, and not the contrarie?" It is passing strange in an age when the complaint is frequently heard that our youth devote too much time to sport and pleasure and do not give sufficient attention to the serious duties of citizenship, that it should be Necessary to hie back to the maxims of the ancient Greek philosopher. Bnt the Very insistence upon the necessity of physical culture, and the craze for muscular development, deep breathing, and the like, is surely evidence of the shortcomings of our educational system. For if the right principles in regard to the care of the body had had their proper place in the school curriculum, the rest would have followed in natural course. The tendency of the time is for all athletics to become' professional pursuits, and for the multitude to content themselves with Cheering on the professional few rather than take part in bedily exercise themselves. And in this connection we may • profitably make one more quotation from the Lotd of Montaigne. "If it so hap- ' pen," writes the famous essayist, " that ..his disciple prove of so different a. condition that he rather love to give care "to an idle fable than to the report of some noble voiage, or other notable and "Wise discourse, when he shall heare it; that at the sound of a drum or clang of a trumpet, which are wont to rowse and Wme the you'thly heate of his companions, tarneth to another that calleth him to

see a play, tumbling, juggling tricks, or other idle lose-time sports; and who for pleasure's sake doth not deeme it more delightsome to returne all sweatie and wearie from a victorious combat, from wrestling, or riding of a horse, than from a tennis court or dancing schoole, with the prize or honoure of such exercises; the best remedie I know for such a one is to put him prentice to some base occupation, in some good towne or other, yea, were he the sonne of a duke ; according to Platoe's rule, who saith ' that -children must be placed not according to their fathers' conditions, but the faculties of their mind.' "

in America, the land where power — the * power to amass wealth and Xo kmerictn to acquire position — is more • View of eagerly sought after than Edaealiott. perhaps in any other part of the world, considerable attention has been devoted to the problem of health and education. One writer on the subject starts out with the , assumption that the people of power are the people who have not only the strong motive force of a conserving passion, but in addition a keen and efficient tool for carrying out its purposes. Adopting this point of view of the unity of man, it clearly follows that it is impossible to attain power save through the development of all the faculties of the body, the five senses of sight and hearing and touch and taste and smell ; the normal appetites for food and exercise; the habit of free intellectual play; and the healthfill life of the emotions. This conception of man as a unit necessitates a pro- j cess of education which covers the j thorough-going culture of all sides of a | man's nature, practically the regenera- i tion of his organism. This way of look- j ing at life renders all activity which militates against the health and sanity I and completeness of organic power posi- j tively criminal, whether the wrong be ] committed in the name of education, or i industry, or art, or religion. Knowledge j ia a poor thing unless it be the instrument for power, and knowledge gained at the expense of power stands condemned already. " One cannot recover from one's surprise," says one writer on the subject, '" to find so self-conscious a process as education, a process which we all admit to be a means and not an end, ignoring its own material, the sensational world; ignoring its own process, the wholesome all-round activity of the organism ; ignoring its- own end, the ot power and turning to the cheap • substitutes of outward fact." The same writer then goes on to point out how illusory is the modern method of rabstituting inventions for personal power. Little or no trouble is taken to develop the distance-carrying properties of the human voice, but the telephone is rapidly becoming an indispensable adjunct ; a boy kt school ruins his sight by over-study, but he can see the moon "through the jreat telescopes of to-day ; a man may De hard of hearing, but with the aid of Vhe microphone he can hear a fly walk ; jis breathing apparatus may be so deacient that running is out of Che question and walking a difficulty, but he has Lhe electric tram at his door. The modern man has not an attractive appearance, but he is a great collector of brie a brae; he has lost his wholesome appetite, but he boasts a French cook ■who tickles his palate; he fails in democracy, but he gives alms ; he denies himself fresh air and pure water, but in an emergency turns naturally to the sanitarium and the doctor. These modern substitutes are poor trinkets to be offered in exchange fov human power and beauty and excellence, yet modern education largely neglects the root-principle which would remedy these errors in life. It lamst first of all be recognised that we can do little for the betterment of the outer organs — the eye and ear and the rest. We can help out these with certain mechanical devices, which do but Berve to^ correct certain anatomical defects. The real educational field is in the interior of the man, which brings ns to the point that the basis of all organic culture is good health, the health t»f sound body and red blood. Properly tmdersood, the right way to cultivate the ienaes is to start at the "brain end. Sense "'vltivation is in reality a branch <*i

mental culture and not bodily culture at all ; and this is where modern systems of education are lamentably astray. There is a painful disregard of cause and effect even amongst the thinking portion of the community. This is seen in the way people eat and drink, in the way they dress and have their being. Dr Truby King evidenced the shape of a lady's shoe as a shocking example of the degeneracy of the race. No woman, he said, could walk a mile in such a shoe, and the woman who could not walk a mile was not fit to be a mother. There is small hope of reform in these respects until there springs up amongst us a race possessed of sufficient sturdiness to defy the curse of custom and to revolt against the tyranny of fashion.

A simple illustration will show how far removed we are from a

The Secret system of education which of Happiness, makes the good health of the children the first and most absolute condition. When once this is realised a careful mother will say. "My child is ill; I must send him to school" ; for the school, being the institu- , tion whose peculiar province it is to carry ' on the educational process and realise the '. growing perfection of the social purpose, ' should stand for health and vigour and life. But does not the mother of to-day say the very opposite : "My child is very ill ; the doctor says I must take him away from school"? What a terrible impeachment — a nd yet the logical deduction from the sad cases quoted by Dr Truby King. What dreams are we indulging in, what fetish of false culture is being worshipped in our midst, when the fact- that our present system of education is crippling the health of the children is received with , expressions of mere mild regret? The j explanation of this seeming anomaly is to be found in the fact that education is not yet conceived by the majority of mankind as a redeeming and saving process, the regeneration of the organism. Lack of ■ health is still largely regarded as a • mysterious dispensation rather than as a j result of definite and controllable causes. , When health once is regarded simply as ( a mark of intelligence, and both as a private and a public duty — indeed, as an essential part of the moral life, — and when sickness is considered an immoral and quite unpermissible thing, then an important step has been taken in an educational process which proceeds along the line of cause and effect. And following along that line will be found a permanent solution of most, if not all, of the social ills of the present time. With a strong, beautiful body and good red blood a boy may start hopefully upon the culture of his senses — the seeing and hearing and touching and tasting and smelling. The good health oi the body means the integrity of the sense organs, ' the efficiency of the neural processes, the soundness of the brain tissue. The real work of sense-culture then becomes a process of mental discipline. Nor should such a system be deemed too Utopian for practical everyday life. Men look for I perfection in their ideal pursuits — in art and literature and music. In these realms they have been taught to expect the greatest charm and delight and ( beauty and excellence and power. Sculp- < ture creates strong-limbed men and noble ' women and beautiful children, people of i power ; Architecture works for subtle pro- j portion and fine suitableness, for the trangs of excellence; Painting makes permanent the magnificent colour and pure | lines of our dreams of beauty; Literature has for its avowed purpose the produc- j tion of those perfect art fornis and that rich imagery and that genuine emotion which constitute human delight ; and I finally, Music realises its high office in ' speaking most directly and most touch- ] ingly to the human spirit. Now, these are not idle words. They are not pretty playthings for the imagination to dwell lightly upon and then pass on to the solemn affairs of trade and business. On t the contrary, they represent that more permanent achievement by which the men | of a later time judge whether the age has been worthy or unworthy. It is the record of the best that men have thought and done But art can only be created by the artist, poems can only be composed by the poet, symphonies written by the musician. The solemn affairs of trade and business, about which a great many j men speak quite reverently and impres- | sively, have no genuine contribution to make towards the abiding wealth of the \ world. This wealth is a human wealth. It is made up of beautiful men and beautiful women and beautiful children. The practical concern of life should be with human charm and human delight and human beauty and human excellence and human power. To this end an ideal system of education should move towards the saving of the human soul, redeeming it from the taint of commercialism and the charge of incompleteness, from oiganic defect and all uncleanness; then all else that is good will be added unto it. Then, and not till then, will the monument of the rich life we have faintly outlined be an art and literature and music which will proclaim its own excellence. But the beginning must be at the human end, with the perfecting of the human organism. And, as Dr Truby King has so pertinently pointed out. without health there can be no proper i education, and without proper education | there can be no great future for New Zealand. The health of the children is, ' therefore, the paramount consideration which should engage the attention of the nation.

The first test pile in connection with the duplication of the Mosgicl railway line will be driven this wre'e, piobabh on Thursday next. The object is to find suitable bottom for the foundation- ot i lie proposed high-level railway bridge at Anderson's Bay crossing. This being done, the dining of the required piles will follow.

The secretary of the Otago Harbour Board has issued a circular convening a conference of members of both Houses of Parliament for Otago, members of the board, the committee of the Chamber of Commerce, and the Mayor of the city and suburban Mayors to consider the action of the Railway Department in extending the railway yards from Anderson's Bay road to Logan's Point, thereby prejudicially affecting the> board's endowments. The circular says: — '"The board's ability to continue improvements necessary to the port and reduce dues is largely dependent on the conservation and development of its endowments, and it is within the rights of the board that such endowments should not be depreciated or interfered with by further extension of the railway yards in the manner that is proposed to be carried out." The conference is to be held on the afternoon of Friday, 25th inst.

Last Sunday 114 patients remained in the Hospital. During the week 30 were admitted, and 29 discharged. There were two deaths — Robert Brodie Wilson and Emma George. Patients remaining under treatment, 113.

Our Alexandra correspondent telegraphs that two men, named Paget and M'George, were arrested there on Friday charged with stealing a box of butter from a carrier's waggon, and also some bottles of whisky from one of the hotels. They were brought before Mr H. Schaumann, J.P.. and remanded till the 18th inst. Several cases of petty thieving have been reported lately, and Detective Cameron (from Dunedin) has been in the district during the week making investigations.

At the usual weekly meeting of the Dunedin Progressive Society, held on Sunda} evening, Mr Dawson presided, and there was a good attendance. Mr G. A. Rawson, the speaker of the evening, took as his subject '' The Law of Natural Selection," which he partly illustrated by means of a diagrammatic chart. He quoted largely from Darwin, Russel Wallace, Huxley, and others, and in concluding quoted from Professor Romanes, who wrote : — " Therefore we might suppose that all species would eventually reach the condition of perfect harmony with their environment, and then remain fixed. And so, according to the theory, they would, if the environment were itself unchanging. But forasmuch as the environment (that is, the sum total of the external conditions of life) of almost every organic type alters more or less from century to century, it follows that the process of natural selection need never reach a terminal ph?se." At tho close of the paper a large number of questions were put and replied to.

The Drainage Board reports that rain fell on five days last week, as follows : — 6th, .030 in; 7th, .070 in; Bth, .210 in; 9th, .140 in; 10th, .020 in ;— total, .470 in. The total rainfall for 1906 to date is 10.045 in.

In another column will be found particulars respecting the proposed issue of 125,000 6 per cent, cumulative preference shares of £1 each by the Drapery and General Importing Company, better known as the D.I.C. This step is taken in consequence of the recent death of two members of the firm of Messrs Hallenstein Bros, and Co. This firm has hitherto to a large extent acted as bankers to tho company, but as the estates of the two deceased partners have to be distributed, the proceeds of the proposed cumulative preference shares will be used to pay off the indebtedness of the company to Messrs Hallenstein Bros, and Co. As the company paid 6 per cent, on the money so advanced, the issue of the shares does not mean any additional burden on the company. The certificate of Messrs William Brown and Co. (public accountants) and the company's auditor (Mr A. J. Ker) as to the past profits shows the profitable nature of the business. Applications for the preference shares close on Saturday, June 9, or earlier at the option of the directors, who will only proceed to allotment on a minimum subscription of £100,000. The directors pnd their families, who are large holders of ordinary shares, have subscribed for £70 000 of the proposed issue. Preferential consideration will be given to tho applications of ordinary shareholders. The shares are preferential both as to capital and dividend. The Dunedin brokers are Messrs Quick and Smith and Messrs Logan and Vivian.

We have received 3s for the new Art Gallery Fund, collected by J. Cockburn. Clinton.

In connection with the letter of one of cur correspondents on the fubj-ect of the vi lute pine borer, we wish to warn everjone \> r ho may be tempted to try the remedy of washing or painting affected articles of furniture with benzine that the use of that substance in rooms where there may be fires or lights i» attended with serious danger. The vapour, when mixed with air, is highly explosive, and there a^e many records of terrible fatalities from ignorance or neglect of this fact,. Benzine and other light potToleum products should be used only in sheds or in the open air. and no articles to which they may have been applied should be replaced in living100ms until the smell of the liquid has (.■eased to be noticeable. An indiscriminate application of the benzine process to interior furniture and fittings, should such result from our correspondent's suggestion, v oul J 'not improbably be followed by deplorable con-,cqwn(xs in some instance^.

1 The treasurer of the Public An Gallery Building Fund acknowledges the following subscriptions: — Messrs Haggiit. Brent, and Williams, £2 2s; Dr F. Stanley Batchelor, I f.\ In.

This week's Outlook says:— "Just as we

are going to press the R-ev. D. Borrie (Modeiator of the General Assembly) sends a welcome message through the telephone. This was to the effect that a Sovth Canterbury farmer has promised the sum of £500, payable in two years, towards the Residential College Erection Fund The generous donor expresses the hope that this will set the ball rolling. This prompt resp"on;e to the Rev. A. Cameron's appeal in last week's issue will gladden the hearts of aI! who are interested in this sple.-idid project. The other six donors of £500 each will surely now be forthcoming m order that the £500 conditionally promised by Mr Bullen may be claimed "

An eight-roomed dwelling-hou=e, owned and occupied by Mr W. A. Pullar, farmer, Katea. Catiins, was destroyed by fire on Saturday morning. The building was insured with the New Zealand Insurance Co. for £75 and a cream separator for £25. The latter was saved.

Our Tapper Taieri correspondent writes: " The Government has ppgged out and taken cno level for a race to cany 100 heads of water, to be taken out of the Taieri River above the falls, the race to be constructed on or around the Linburn side to irrigate the Manictoto Plain. The estimated cost is £180.000. Messrs Laffey and Co. allowed their rights to lapse a few weeks ago, with the rrsnlt that the Government promptly pegged it out, and is applying for it in the Warden's Court at Naseby."

A meeting of householders on the Moa Flat settlement was held on Friday evening at Mr Brinse'.l's residence to discuss the matter of education and also to consider the question of procuring a mail service. There- are some 14 children who would attend a school if it were in touch with their 1 omes, and a petition is io be sent to the Board of Education with a view to obtaining facilities for their training. Immediate steps are also oeing taken to secure a mail delivery for the benefit of tho residents. Although only a year has elapsed 6inoe the estate was cut up for settlement rapid progress has been made by the settlers in the way of improvements to their land, and all of them seem well satisfied with their choice.

The Mines Record says: --'"A settler in Otago, who reports that he has discovered a few small diamonds of a beautiful shape and lustre, and inquired if a regard is available for such a discovery, has been informed that the Government has not offered a reward for the discovery of diamonds."

The treasurer for the Art Gallery Trustees acknowledges receipt, on account of tho now building fund, the sum of £80 2s 6d, the result of the Orchestral Society's concert, and 10s from Mr A. Moritzson.

The Port Chalmers Borough Council leeeived on Friday some interesting trophies of the late South African war. The trophies comprised six Mauser and two Martini-Henry rifles, and were forwarded to the council by the Defence Department, Wellington. The council has undertaken all responsibility for their proper care, and has decided to place them in the Courthouse and Council Chambers.

Entries for the practical examinations to be held under the auspices of the Trinity College of Music in November and December will clo«e on June 27. In addition to the senior, intermediate, and junior exhibitions and the national prizes offered by the college, five gold medals have been presented for competition. Lord Plunket has presented a medal, which will be known as the Plunket medal, for the best candidate chosen by the examiner in New Zealand, and Messrs Chas. Begg and Co. ha\e offered a medal, to be awarded to the candidate gaining the highest number of marks in the centre. The best candidate in senior division will receive a medal presented by the Dresden Piano Co., and the best candidate in the intermediate division will bo similarly honoured, the nitdal in this case being awarded by the local committee. A medal for the best candidate in the junior division has been presented by Mr Walter Wyatt.

A fire broke out in the furniture warehouse and manufactory of VVm. E. Burley and Co., Clyde street. Balclutha, early on Wednesday, 9th. The building was of wood, and was completely destroyed within half an hour. A large crowd rapidly assembled, but they were power'ess in the absence of any fire-extinguishiiig apparatus. Fortunately the safe containing the firm's books was saved. There wa« no wind, and, as the burning- buildins: stood by itself, the nearest of those adjoining beincr the Farmers' Co-opeiative. little diffieitlty was experienced^ in localising the fire. Only one lad had be-pn employed in tho work room during the day, the others being- engaged at outside work, and when Mr Burlev and son locked up the premises at 5 o'clock everything appeared all right, although there was a small firo burning in tho open fireplace used for heating the gluepot. It is surmised that a spark from th ; s ?ot among the shapings, and caused (he conflagration. Mr Burlev states that the insurances on stock, buildintr, pud nlaci>inei-yn l aci>inei-y will approximate to £1000. but ho was unable to srhe details. He estimates the loss at £2000 o\er and abuve tho insurances. The place was packed with furniture, and the plant had lately been added to.

At the adiourned monthly mating of ihe Otago University Council on Monday tho annual ropoi't by Prof^or Paik on the School of Minos was pi-ranted. It, showed I lie att-endanro at the Mm.ng Sohool for th^ jear ended Defcmbev last t<> by 34 students, 31 of whom wcrw matriculated students of the Un'voraity of Xow Zealand. Of the 3*, 25 were entered for the full cour-o pieacrilx-d for the B.Sc. in mining or metallurgical engineering, and 9 for one =übjoct onlv — \iz. general geology Pioftssor Park, di&fi sii' jn^Utd a p!as pi

a new building for the School of Mines. Ho" considered it would bo a waste of money to renew the present building, as the roof was rather far gone. In submitting the plan for a. new building, he suggested that it might be possible to combine the Mining School and the Dental School in one structure with a view of savins expense. Professor Parker's proposal and plan, together with his report on th*j school, were deferred for , consideration to the special meeting on May 28. Tlie Dunedin police received information to the effect that the Presbyterian Church at Merton was turnt down on Thursday morning.

The Taieri County Council notifies that the 1/Giigridge road has baen declared a district road, and the district road, from the junction, of the Halfway Bush to Whare Flat road snd tlie Longridge road to the Whare Plat Schooihouse. has baen declared a county road.