CORRESPONDENCE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16408, 31 December 1918, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE.

£EUCATIONAL- RECONSTRUCTION. TO THE EDITOR or "THE rBESS." Sir,—ln view of the educational meetings usually lield in January. and of the raanv heads of schools probabn passing through Christclvurch. during tho holidays, may I venture to repeat niv pica that more attenhou should do paid to' the leaching of history m New Zealand? The many problem? arising out of tho war and the peace r.urely demand a well-trained judgment, a controlled imagination, a sympathetic attitude towards mankind, an intelligent, patriotism and Imperialism from every citizen in the dominion and tho Empire. A thoughtful study of history gradunllv trains tho mind and character towards a, right perspective, and helps a man to deal with new problems as tlicy arise. Tp deprive the children ol Now Zealand of the training offered by history, apart from the inlioiont inforest of it. is to deny them their .rightfill heritage. Could not something be done to provide more time in the school time-table for histotv, and to train history specialists to teach it? ■ A ('hart has been begun' to help the teaching ot" history, meanwhile, and Part T. of the '•Study of History" can he hod now from \Vliitconibe and Tombs, its preface states: " The case for. a more thoughtful treatment of history in New Zealand schools." —Yours, etc., A. 31. "WINTER. St. Margaret's College.

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION. TO THE EDITOR 01' "TUE TRUSS."

iSir, —As an Australian at i>resent in. Now Zealand, I read a report in your paper of a special moating of the Christchiu'ch City Council, to consider tho repeal of the present method of electing representatives to tho Council. The present method of electing councillors is the only sane and equitable one, whereby each section of tho community get the representation they .ire en- i titled to; any method that does not do that is an unjust one. As a stran- I ger liero, I do not know who consti- j into the City Council, but, as the Old Book says, "by their fruit ye shall know them." L can only draw one con- v elusion, and that is that a majority* of tho present councillors are a rank Tory and Conservative crowd, and do not wish a large proportion of ratepayers and electors to be represented at all, and to return to an antiquated method is beyond the comprehension of liberalminded persons. The first thing wo should consider is "whether the method is a just one; and tho only just one is that one whereby each section of tho community get the representation they arc entitled to, whoever they may be. What I cannot understand is how the Council can alter tho method. I represent a. riding in an important shiro in X.iS.AV.. and we as.a. council have no power to alter tho existing method. To get an alteration, a requisition signed by one-third of the electors on tho roll "would have to be submitted to the Council. Then the Council would have power to take a poll of ratepayers on the subject, and if a majority wero in favour of tho alteration it "would bo brought in, in accordance with certain regulations. If the Council of Christchurch have the right to alter an important- matter such as the method of electing councillors without reference to tho ratepayers at- a poll for that purpose. it goes to prove one thing: that the Tory crowd here in Parliament are the same as they were and are in Australia, and make laws so that they can be turned in one direction only, andi that in their interests, you may be sui'e. I may state here that I never votccl a Labour ticket in my life. . At the samo timo 1 believe in every section getting a fair deal. "This is mv only object in: writing this letter. IF I were one of tho ratepayers, I should have petitions signed and presented to the proper authorities beforo any alteration took pUicj. The whole thing is an insult to ihe intelligence of sensible people.— Yours, ctc., W. It. CTJTTENDEX. N.S.W. "Wellington, December 27th. 3>liESs REFORM FOR WOMEN. •O THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS." Sir, —I have heard one of our.popular preachers rail against the disturbing influence of the drapers' window shows. Women are kittle kattle, and it is hard to foresee how tho cat will when they grasp the reins, which will he before 2000 A.l>. We men are probably to blame for their expensive dressing proclivities. I agree with "Aloralist" that tlie tinic is perhaps opportune j'or them to abandon tho hampering corset and skirt, but will they liavo tlm courage ? Because there area certain proportion thai/ have certain proportions. So it would require much courage on tho part of somo to adopt the W.A.A.C. costume for street wear. —Yours, etc., IMMORALIST.