EDUCATION IN NORTH CANTERBURY.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14344, 2 May 1912, Page 6

EDUCATION IN NORTH CANTERBURY.

The annual report of the North Canterbury Education Board shows that in several respects education is making satisfactory progress in this district. The number of children on tho roll, tho average attendance, and the percentage, of attenance last year wero all the highest on record sinco tho education district was constituted. It is curious to note that tho second highest number on tho roll, was recorded as far back as 1895, when it stood at 21,444 against 21,551 for last year.' Ten years later the number had dropped by some 2000, being down to 19,492, and two years later it was even lower, Tho rise has been remarkable, for tho ground that was lost, in twelve-, years has been more than regained in four. The: average attendance has shown almost as striking fluctuations. Tho percentage lias not, for more than twenty -years, sunk below 80, but for tho last few years it has steadily improved, though, as wn« pointed out last year, North .Canterbury, in this particular, has not compared favourably with some other education districts. Wellington during tho past year attained a percentage of attendance of 90.1, the figuro in the March quarter being as much as 92 per cent. Epidemics pulled it down subsequently, but the year's percentage is extremely good. It is probable, in view of tho higher attendance in both theso districts, tliat tho new law requiring the attendance of nt child "whenever the school is open," is responsible for the increased regularity indicated by tho above figures. The cost of education continues to advance. As wo have made a comparison With tho year 1895 in the matter of attendance, it is of interest to compare the total salaries then paid to the Board's teachers with the amount that they now receive. With 21,444 children on the rolls. and an averago attendance of 17,998, tho teachers in a total of 187 schools were paid then altogether £55,109 Last your, with 21,551 children on *tho roll and an average attendance of 18,920, the'teachers in the 212 schools in tho district were paid £77,493. The number of teachera has, of course, increased at a greater rate than the number of schools, but even taking j this into consideration, the increase of j 40 per cent, in the salary list is a j gratifying proof that tho value of the teacher in the community is rated more highly than was tho case somo seventeen years ago. The report of the Inspectors, wo aro glad to see, bears out the claim that the quality of tho j teaching is improving. Wo aro not so satisfied as one member of the Board seems to be that the "days of cram" aro over, but they certainly Keem to be disappearing. There arc, in our belief, several defects in our

system of education, but they are defects, for which tho teachers are until; all cases rosponsibi-*.

The retiring Mayor, iv his address last night, followed tho customary course in giving a review of the municipal work of the year. Such a statement necessarily consists largely of a quantity of figures and detail.;, somewhat dry in themselves, but furnishing, nevertheless, a -useful summary of the many and varied matters in which a modern municipality is concerned. One or two passages in tho statement indicate flu* steady progress that the city is making- Permits have been issued during the year for the erection of now buildings to the value of closo on a quarter of a million, and the popularity of the tit. a-Mbans .ward is shown in the fact that it is ro*sponsiblo for two-fifths of this amount. Projected extensions and improvement•> in various parts including two or threo of t*omc importance in the Central Ward, should mako the current year's figures quite as satisfactory. Although the city was well roaded afc tho time of tho creation of Greater Christchurch, the development of the suburbs, owing largely to the institution of the electric tramivay.s, has increased the street mileage from 118 to 142 miles- Apart from the water thrown on the streets traversed by the Tramway Board's motor tanks, the City Council's carts distributed no less a quantity of water than twenty-two and a-half million gallons in the effort to keep down tho dust —and this in a wet season!

In concluding his address Mr Dougall referred to several matters of importance,, which ho has handed on to his successor to deal with. One oi' theso is tho proposal that the Council should tako over the Public Library, which is at rresent in abeyance pending the declaratory judgment as to the share, if any, of tho College endowments to which tho Library is entitled. A question of moro vital conscqlicnco to the city and district is involved in tiie Canal Commissioners' recommendations as to the improvement of tho railway facilities at Lyttelton and Christehurch. This is a matter upon which Mr Dougall felt strongly, and wo trust Mr Holland will show tho energy in bringing Canterbury's claim in this respect before the Government that tho lato Mayoi gavo promise of displaying if he had had the opportunity. It is a bigger question than the condition of the streets, bigger even than the urgentlyneeded Town Hall—to which too brief reference was made last night—and there should be no delay in securing the backing of all important local bodies to the representations which must be made to tho Government.

The Titanic disaster has made of immediate and vital importanco tho question of boat accommodation oil passenger steamerJij and lias shown in :t painfull)* tragic way tho inadequacy -of j tho Board of Trade regulations on this subject. It is quite safe to predict that. as one consequence of tho appalling calamity, these regulations will be materially altered, though eiich action hns been anticipated by a number of steamship companies, whose vessels aro now to carry sufficient boats for all on board. Tho Board of Trade's regulations ' regarding the minimum number of boats to be carried under davits are as follows:— No. of TJ. cubic conboat;!, tonte of boats , ' Gross -tonnage. (ft.) 100 and under 200 .. 2 '150 500 and under 600 .. :i GOO 1000 ami under 1250 ~ 4 12*) 50C0 and under 5250 .. 10 .'ISOO 8000 and under SSOO .. 14 SO-'Vi 9000 and upwards .. 11 32^) 10,000 and upwards. y .. 10 5500 Steamers with passengers' certificates must, if tho boats under davits do not., provide accommodation for all persons on board, carry tmch other boats, Hfo- 1 rafts, buoyant deck seats, or other buoyant deck-fittinas -which, with the boats under x davits, shall provide 50 per cent, jnoro iicoommodation than is required ■in tho abovo table, and emigi"iint passenger ships must have three- , fourths more cubical accommodation -\ than tho abovo minimum.

Tho Titanic was probably elas.*,ed ua an emigrant steamer, and under the abovo regulations would bo obliged, to carry boats aggregating 9625 cubic feet of accommodation; which at 10 cubic feet per passenger, would provide for &62 peoplo. As has been stated several times, she carried more boats than wore required, but, as the event showed, not nearly enough. It seems from what Mr Havelock Wilson said at Auckland, that the question of • tho Titanic's boat accommodation was actually discussed last year l>y the Advisory Committee -'of which ho is -i member) of tho Board of Trade, but nothing was done because, as ho said, everyone believed tho ship wa_ really unsinkablc. Ho agreed that it would bo well to provide more boats, "but there was an old gailorman's adage, that it was wise never to leave tho -ship as long as she could float, for men were safer aboard than in open boats in mid-ocean." Jt has been proved that this is not always the case, _nd the demonstration has emphasised the imperative necessity of providing amplo means of escape from even tho safest vessel. Life belts, rafts, and buoyant dock-fittings are well enough in their way, but "they are practically useless in cold latitudes. They may eavo people from immediate drowning, but only to let them die more slowly from cold and exposure.

It was mentioned recently in our cable messages that a Trade Union for Chorus Singers had been formed in England- Judging by somo particulars given by the music contributor of London "Truth." it is high time some such organisation was formed. Hitherto, it appears, that the hard-working class refer red to have been paid starvation wage.**, which have been further reduced by unjustifiable commissions paid to agents. They have had to work very long hours, to give rehearsals without payment, to put up with 'intolerable dressing-room accommodation, and to submit to arbitrary fines and deductions. An instance is mentioned of pantomime performers engaged at 21s a week, two houses a night—no play no pay—provide their own costumes, find their own fares, and pay 10 per cent, agent's commission. Some of the West End theatres, it is stated, after engaging performers, actually send them to a socalled agent, who shares the commission with the management.

Tho system of requiring rehearsals without nay £oems to havo *. cen I)art -_ cularly m.-, lst ■„ the cast . of tlxc IK?r . lormcrs or *'The* Miracle'" at OlymPi.n. where, a very large number of rehearsals was neccssarv, and it is said that heart-rending stories could be told or the straits to which some of the per-u-rmcrs engage.! wero reduced before thoy began t0 earn a penny. Absence from a single rehearsal rendered the performer liable to a forfeiture of his engagement or a fine of a week's salary. Chorus singers agitated tor:—(1) Abolition of agents' commissions, (2) payment for rehearsal*, (3) payment for matinees. <j> payment of adequate salaries with the adoption of a minimum wage, (5) proper aud sanitary dressingrooms, (ti) adoption of contracts with clauses fair to lioth parties. Accord- I ing to our cable message, the mini- j mum wage asked for was 30s a week, j which seems little enough, and tho other conditions are so fair and reason- | ablo that we hope the new "Union will j be able to secure their adoption. I