EDUCATION AND CHARACTER.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 300, 19 December 1922, Page 4

EDUCATION AND CHARACTER.

It is not easy to say whether the English spirit has decided the firm which education in England has taken in the past, or whether this education itself has been the main factor in forming the English spirit and character. The English people are distinguished before all else for their strong common sense, and at first sight a system of education which placed dead languages before the more practical claims of science, the mother tongue, and spoken foreign languages might seem to be the very opposite of common sense. In practice, however, th c educational value of modern subjects is not found to be as great as might be supposed. Ruskin says that a classical scholar could never be called uneducated, while the same could not be said *>f one who had merely learnt to chatter like a courier in six languages. The English have seldom consciously set out to achieve anything; they have rather seemed to stumble upon the best way to do things. A writer in a recent issue of the "Times" Literary Supplement, in discussing the four reports on the teaching of the classics, of modern languages, of science, and of English, says tliat "watching facts as they are instead of demonstrating what ttey must and shall be, we have built up our Constitution, our Empire, and ail those astonishing combinations of the theoretically senseless and the practically sane and sound which everywhere go ivy the name of English. - ' Character is reflected in language. We read the Roman character in the marshalled order of the Latin sentence; 'Hebrew is almost monotheistic in the manner in which it attaches suffixes and affixes to the one root: Creek, with its infinite capacity for expressing the subtlest shades oi thought reflects the creative and critical spirit of Athene •rnder Pericles. French is lucid, logical and precise: while English i- " a tissue of accommodations, a thing with which order, method, and all that the developing mind first apprehends and rests upon have nothing to do—in a word, a kind of miraculous flowering of man's maturity and still unconscious wisdom, preserved to us as a compensation for our raanv blundering*, as a reward for our patience in confusion and our fundamental faith in life.'' This very unconsciousness is our characteristic national note, and for this reason the writer we have quoted holds that there is very danger that in thc well-meant effort of educational reformers to endow us with pushfulncfs.

to make us self-conscious anil aware, irreparable damage may be indicted on the English mind. There is always a temptation to make all things new, and this is especially great when under the impact of some great shock, such as that of the war, men's minds are not in fit mood for clear, coherent, and unbiassed thinking. Theoretically the German system of education was almost perfect; practically it failed. Theoretically the English .system was illogical, confused, and out of touch with daily needs; practically it gave us our Empire. Reformers are always lor pulling up the tares, and in so lining they have often rooted out much wheat al.-o. The English have let both grow together till the harvest, and who will say that the harvest has not been good'/

Some people seem to think they can do things very economically. 1" ill" Police Court this morning a woman who wn.s called on to explain why she was some £IS in arrears toward- the support of two children who arc in State institutions, said she only earned :lo' a week and she was trying to get "a bit of furniture'' together so that she could have the children home, as, she considered this would be lesr% drain on her finances than paying ■>/ a week each for their maintenance outside. "If you think you can keep them for ">/ a week each, you are mistaken," observed Mr. Poynton. s.-M. "It will be far cheaper for you to leave them where they are." The woman

-aid she only worked three days a week. Doubtless s'.c could get work every day hut slip wanted some time to herself. She was ordered to pay 10/ weekly and 2'6 a week off arrears with due regularity, or go to prison for six months.

"1 have honestly tried right through my school life as a teacher to make school what 1 think it should be—a happy place for boys and girls. I hope I have been successful, but that 1 have not altogether failed you show by your presence here." said Mr. T. I'. Wells, who is retiring from the position of headmaster of the Richmond Road School, at a social gathering of old boys nnd girls held last night in order to make a presentation to him. He went on to say that he had been asked why he had gone in for school teaching when he could have made far more money if be had gone into business or adopted some other calling. It was quite true that there was not a fortune to be made at school teaching—there was not a great deal of money to be made—but there were other compensations, and he knew no better compensation than the training of boys and girls so fliat they would develop into upright, conscientious citizens, who could go out into the world, take their part in life's battles, and uphold the best traditions.

As a sequel to the grounding of the scow Hnere at Ahipara last June, when a cargo of timber, valued at £7Htl, was thrown overboard, an action was set down for hearing at the Auckland Supreme Court to-day. The action was by Bert May (Dr. Fitehett and Mr. Greville), Surfdale, claiminT £ls interest from Cleon Mervyn Newman (Mr. Richmond and Mr. Butler), Hokianga. Plaintiff had sold a property to defendant and the timber shipped was part payment. The question for the Court was whether plaintiff or defendant should bear the loss of the timber. "They would have blown the destructor up," said a police officer in the Ohristchurch 'Magistrate's Court, on Saturday, when two fully-charged shells for a six-pound gun were handed over as exhibits, along with thirteen rifle cartridges, states the "Lyttclton Times." The case was one In w-hieh Mrs. Beatrice Elizabeth Frost was charged with depositing explosive matter in a dustbin. Mr. \V. F. Tracey (counsel for defendant) pleaded guilty. He said the shells and cartridges had been left in the house by a previous tenant, and Mrs. Frost, to get rid of them, put them on top of the dust-bin, intending to tell the collector. However, she missed him. The magistrate, Mr. Wyvern Wilson, in imposing a fine of 10/ and costs, said that defendant's act had been one of thoughtless foolishness, and it was just such acts that the by-law was meant to prevent or restrain.

It is apparently a great rarity to see a man or woman with a complete natural set of teeth. During the course of an address at the Rotary Club yesterday afternoon Mr. L. Taylor mentioned that last week a man who visited his surgery had a complete set. They were perfect, and there was not an irregularity. "Was he married J" inquired a member, amidst laughter. Mr. Taylor replied that he was. He had travelled all around the world, and on inquiry it was found that he was not fond of having his meals in the conventional style. He liked hard food, and was very fond of bones, which he picked up in hia fingers and cracked with his jaws. When he was in camp, after enlisting, he was ordered to parade sick, and could not make it out, but was informed that it was his teeth, which made him more surprised than ever. When he visited the dentist's he found that the dentist just wished to let other military dentists see what a perfect set of teeth were.

Mr. Richard S. Hellafey's "Amershain" is one of the finest landscapes in the annual exhibition of the Goupil Gallery just now, writes the "Star's" London correspondent. The subject is admirably selected, with its strong shadows thrown on rolling country from a bank of clouds, the luminous shadows on which are rendered with great skill- Mr. Hellaby's smaller picture, "A .Swiss School," is one of the delightful mountain landscapes he has been exhibiting lately. Edith Fry has an oil painting, "Sunset After Rain." which catches a fleeting effect of light on a bank of drifting rainclouds over a stretch ot harvest fields. Four Australians are exhibiting. Bess Norris has some charming red chalk drawings, a study in wash, a pencil sketch of a woman and child, and a larger water-colour, "The Spark Coil," all full of artistic quality. Raymond Mclntyre is showing two portraits, in a technique somewhat more finished than the sketches he exhibited last year. The larger one. "Denis," is striking in composition, with its Hat blue background, while the "Head of a Boy" is effectively posed against a background of dull :>reeii.

Mr. P. V. Morgan. Director of Geological Survey, who has been spending a few days in Waihi. left for Wellington yesterday afternoon. A further bulletin dealing with a re-survey of the Waihi goldfields is nearing completion, and Mr. Morgan expects to place it in the hands of the Government Printer earlv in the coining year. It is. however, not expected that it will be published until three or four months later.

Th<' Waihi Borough Council ha- received from the Government £12,000, representing a loan :n conncoLfeti with antecedent liability i CUOOOI and Waihi Reach Reserve' i ttSOOO). The money will hi' pair! over immcdiatelv to Mrs. Shaw and to the trustees in the estate ■-! til." 'at ' M". i: V,■ -.-■■

What is understood to be the iirst application to the Court under the recent amendment of the Companies Act, which empowered the Court to sanction a compromise between a company and its creditors, was made to his Honor -Mr. Justice Chapman at New Plymouth by Mr. K. Campbell Spratt, on behalf of the Patea Farmers' Freezing Company, Limited. J)irections were given for the calling of a meeting of creditors at an early date, and the appointment of a chairman, who is to report to the Court the result of tlie meeting, upon consideration of which the Court will be askvd to sanction the suggested scheme. Mr. James A. MePlierson arrived in England on September <l. via Suez. He went, straight into harness for a two years' course of training at the Royal Hardens. Kev. After working eight years at the Dunedin Botanic Gardens, he was accepted, on Mr. D. Tannoek's ■recommendation for a position as student gardener nt these world renowned gardens. Kew is the "hall mark" to good gardening, says Mr. Alcl'herson, and its students are scattered over the whole world, many of them holding high Government appointments in various nations. Mr. MePlierson says while visiting Melbourne on his way over he was shown round the gardens by Mr. K. K. Preseott, acting director. Melbourne Botanic Gardens have some of the finest landscape work of any big botanic gardens, and he adds: "A tree wl»icli took my eye, and I am sure New Zcitfandcrs will be interested to hear about, was a srflendid specimen of kauri (Ajrathus Australia), 120 feet high and fully ]H inches through at the base. Melbourne is very proud of its specimen of kauri, and well it might be. The kauri at Kew is only 20 feet in height and four inches through at the base." Before leaving for New Zealand in 1024 Mr. MePlierson intends visiting the Continent to study landscape gardening in \ all its branches.

"Admiral Halsey, whose retirement from the Navy is announced, had already become completely a courtier, and it'was unlikely that he would again go to sea," writes the "Star" London correspondent. "It ought not to be forgotten, however, that before he gave his services to the Prince of Wales be had a very distinguished sea career, and ! might easily, had he gone on with it. ultimately nave become commander-in-chief. He was Lord Jellicoe's captain of !of the Fleet, a post which is equivalent to Quartermaster-General in the Army, and made him responsible for the victualling of all the ships at Scapa Flow. Heforethat he was captain of the New Zealand during the long voyage she made to the Dominion which presented her tu the King, and he made, T believe, more speeches than any naval officer had done before or since.''

The recent decision of the Telegraph Department to abolish the office copies of delivered telegrams, numbering from 1.-> to 20 millions yearly, will, in the opinion of a Palmerston authority [states the local "Times") save an annual expenditure of £IOO,OOO. The public expenditure has grown to such proportions that very few politicians can appreciate the effect of such small savings as single sheets of paper. Possession of a house within seven days, together with £77 17/10, damages, interest, etc, and costs, was granted to Lizzie C. Serjeant (Mr. Goulding) against Wallance Harrison, at the Auckland Supreme Court to-day, his Honor. Mr. Justice Stringer, presiding. It was stated that the property, which was at Dargaville. was purchased by the defendant in 1920, but he had only paid £6O that year, and plaintiff had had to pay rates and interest 6inee he took over the property.

It was suggested by •Mr. .?. Clark at last Tuesday's meeting of the Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce that steps be taken to bring about the establishment of municipal abattoirs in Te Awamutu. After a short discussion it was referred to the council of the Chamber to make inquiries and bring forward proposals in the new year. A Taihape sheep farmer states that owing to the rabbit pest the sheepcarrying capacity of New Zealand farms has been reduced in ten years by 2,000,000 head, which is approximately equal to 10,000 rabbits. In Taihape sheep are estimated to have decreased by at least 150,000 on rabbit-infested areas.

Some time ago the Papatoetoe Municipal Band being in need of a site on which to erect a band room approached the Manukau County Council, and were offered a portion of the Papatoetoe Public Hall grounds. Subsequently a lease was drawn up between the council and the band, which included a clause "forbidding the band to make any noise so as to cause a nuisance." At to-day's meeting of the Manukau County Council a letter was received from the hon. secretary of the band stating that such a clause destroyed the utility of the lease from their point of view, and that they could not see their way clear to sign on that account.

Brevity in the Law Court is not unusual in these hustling days. To-dav a witness at the Auckland Supreme Court had only two questions to answer. One was as to his name and the other was whether he produced the titles to a property which was under consideration. For taking a package—a motor-car spring—into a railway carriage, without paying for it as excess luggage, H. H. VVhitaker, of Hamilton, was yesterday fined 10/ and costs. Defendant said he intended paying the excess, but he wa never asked for it.

Tn the Grammar SchooJ prize list, published yesterday, the name K. A. Gilliam I fourth form) division B, certificate for mathematics) was misprinted "(HLtillan.''