The Press. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1886.

Press, Volume XLIII, Issue 6369, 17 February 1886, Page 2

The Press. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1886.

Few Colonial Ministers have been able to retire from office with a better record than the Sebyice Government, which .has just come to an end. Coalition Administrations have not, in the past, been complete successes. Their policy either lacks vigour, or is characterised by an entire absence of clearness of conception and definite-, ness of aim. But the Service Ministry was a remarkable exception to the general rule. For years prior to its formation the colony of Victoria had been the scene of the most bitter party fights. To such an, -extent had, these conflicts ~ been carried, that the prosperity of the country was being seriously imperilled. Enterprise was paralysed, and capital was being frightened from the country. Yet so\ evenly were parties balanced that neither had any very strong hope of gaining the ascendancy. The Con : etitutionalists, fighting for the safety ot the colony and its institutions, were only able to hold their own against the Badicals, who threatened afl sorts of revolutionary schemes. At length the people began to realise what must be the inevitable outcome of such contests, and the result was an arrangement between the party leaders on both sides. The Cabinet which was formed contained an equal number of Ministers from both sides of the House,- and when the Assembly met' for \the first time alter the union had been effected, the extraordinary epectacle was witnessed of a Ministerial party without an Opposition; In time, of course, a number of discontented members took up the position of an Opposition, but their number was small, and they were individually uninfluential. This setting aside of party Government was constitutionally wrong, as party Government has heretofore been understood, but in practice the plan worked with great advantage to Victoria. .There were a number- of important domestic reforms .which had to be effected, and the presence on the Treasury Benches of an overwhelmingly ■ strong Government enabled those questions to be dealt with in a satisfactory manner. The railway' administration had got into fearful confußion, while the Civil had been converted into a refuge for. incapable frjends of mem-hers.-who]were e "able to exercise any influence upon the Ministry of the i*4 kji ''■ 2The■ of l Apolitical -patroiiage, aifd£i.W flx>: tU ,«**•' nrinistration Of; |he rail ways beyond reach of the same influences were triumphs of ""which .the Service Ministry have just reason to be proud. But his Government did more than that.. It gave the colony political' peace, and enabled the population to pursue their ordinary callings free from the fear of any disaster occurring. It is true that during tbe last year of its existence, the Sebtice Government were guilty of making several serious blunders, but their: -far outweighed thenf The experience of the last few "years has t&ugnt the petfpie of Victoria - the necessity of guarding against the bid state of things. They insist on the coalition system being .continued; and although itia too much !ba expect that inferior men will guide \ the affaire of ihe, colony Vmth that prudence and foresight which has! characterised the career of the retiring Ministry, it is unlikely that eelfjjeeking politicians will be able to restore the old state of things again. Mr. Service, in Bis retiring address, to his constituents, contended that it was impossible to resuscitate the old two parties. They would, he said, call from the graves, not their; ghosts, but their "putrid Pie experiment which Victoria is now making in seeking to do away with party Government will be watched Lwitlr /great interest by the other colonies, where the'pepplie «c equally j lick of the wrangles and disputes of party leaders. - :'.'!■

I , The Deaf-Mute Institution at Suni- ■ Her ie one of tae institutions of the Colony of which the public Jiave a just" reason to Bβ .proud,' It is now some five years sirieei mainly through flic exertions of Mr Kolleston, the school was commenced, and the report laid before Parliament during the late session bears testimony to the remarkable progress which has been made in ! the interval. At the close of the first year it was reported that there were ten pupils in attendance, whereas $jt the date of the laet annual report before us there were thirty-six pupiEjt in attendance, of whom twenty wer& boys and sixteen girls. Of thescf seven hare come from Auckland, onei from TaranaM, four from one from Hawke'a Bay, ten from Canterbury, and twelve .from; OtagoJ There was also one pupO, a deaf-mute girl,from Adelaide, South Australia. v . The Minister of Education, in his annual report, speaks in the highest terms of praise of the'ability and seal of the Director, Mr. Yak Asch\ They are, he says, deserving of the " highestcommoadsUon," the "results of las labours are surprising and gratifying, and he has been well seconded in hut efforts to promote the welfare and comfort of the pupib by Strs. Y±tsl Asch and his assistonta." The Medical Officer, Dr. Pbtns, speaks of the institution as beihff admirably managed. The work, oe cays, is carried on in an "orderly and satisI factory manner,'and'the buildings are mddels of neatness and cleanliness." All tins is Wghly satielactory. The deaPmute inetitution at Sumpejcis one which is a great boon fo the colony, method of instruction there is JWhat is known as the "articulation method," by which deaf mutes "are trained to the use of the organs of

speech, and learn both to speak in the ordinary sense of the word, and to understand from the motion of the lips the speech of andbthe use of finger signs is The resultayof the Byet<em^Te«urprusing. Az number of rery striking illnstratione are given in the various reports of the wonderful success which has attended the training of some of the pupils. A recent visitor to the Stunner institution has communicated to the Otago \ Daily Timef a most interesting paper on the work which is being done there. Looking, he says, at the children's " animated faces and bright eager eyes as they watched the lips of a speaker, and hearing them audibly express themeelves, it required an effort to realise that I was in the midst of a crowd of ' deaf and dumb' children." The writer explains at some length the methods pursued, beginning at the lowest, and gradually ascending to the highest class. It is unnecessary, in this article, to go through the details. The plan of education includes, in addition training in the art of speaking, instruction in writing, geography, history, arithmetic, English composition, drawing, elementary science, and the most satisfactory results ara arrived at. Although the school has been in operation only a few years, it has already been the means of conferring an inestimable blessing upon a considerable number of unfortunate children, who, but for the advantages which the institution, provide would Oβ condemned to spend dull, dreary, lives, cutoff from the world and its interests and amusements. The education of deaf mutes has naturally attracted a very large amount of attention in the old world, and many fine institutions hare been founded for the purpose. In America, especially, those institutions are liberally supported by grants from the State, and many gifted and highly trained men have devoted their lives to the task of teaching. It'says something for the forethought of the Government of this colony that we have such an institution as the one at Sumner.