General News

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22183, 28 August 1937, Page 14

General News

New School for Ross A grant has been approved by the Education Department for the erection of a new school building at Ross, according to advice received yesterday by the secretary of the Canterbury Education Board (Mr L. E. Rowley). The new school will be of two rooms and of the open-air type. The present school, which was built in 1876, has four rooms, as it was "built when Ross was a much larger town during the gold rush period. Obligations of Pedestrians An increase in membership during the year from 36,355 to 46,008 is shown in the annual report of the North Island (N.Z.) Motor Union, which states that an unsatisfactory feature of the traffic control enactments of the Dominion is the incomplete definition of the obligations of pedestrians on highways. Reference to road accident statistics shows, states the report, that cyclists and pedestrians were concerned in accidents to a greater extent than others. The control of these road users was regarded as being so important as, to warrant the urgent attention of the traffic control authorities. It was hoped, therefore, that these matters would soon be subject to legislative enactment. The English Public School "In New Zealand the English public school is often regarded as something of a joke, an institution turning out what is termed the 'dude,' but this is generally incorrect," said Mr A. L. M. Perry, of the staff of the Christchurch Boys' High School, who has been abroad for two years on leave of absence studying education. He taught at Winchester College, the oldest English public school, for a month. Winchester had a very high standard of scholarship, higher than that of Eton. There were 470 boys at Winchester, with a staff of 50, and the school would not exceed that roll number. At Eton there were about 1100. Mr Perry found secondary education in England similar to that in New Zealand, but with a much hieher standard. But only about 7 per cent, of the children took the traditional type of education, as compared with about 55 per cent, in New Zealand. Fellowships in Education Notification was received at a meeting of the executive committee of the Senate jf the University of New Zealand yesterday, from the University of London, that the Carnegie Corporation of New York had extended for three years its grants to permit of the award to two New Zealand University students each year of fellowships in education. The fellowships are of a value of approximately £llO each, and are awarded to assist students to continue their studies abroad.—Press Assn. Study for Citizenship Opposition to any scheme of education makl ing study for citizenship a definite subject on the curriculum was expressed by Mr A. L. M. Perry, of the staff of the Christchurch Boys' High School, when discussing yesterday what he had seen of such efforts in the United States. He said that when abroad he received reports that in New Zealand a jettisoning of the present methods and the substitution of elaborate schemes of social studies were considered desirable. Such suggestions savoured too much of thought which arose periodically in the United States and which was being shown to be specious. In that country educatjon for citizenship was an essential part of education, but Mr Perry held that the English approach was much more sound. He said that rather than make a definite and self-conscious study for this purpose it would be preferable to make training for citizenship a part of the study of other subjects. The study of ancient Rome, for instance, could be more than a mere study of history and literature; the study of citizenship could also be included. Heifers Sent to Shanghai A trial consignment of heifers sent from Auckland in June arrived in Shanghai in excellent condition, according to Mr W. H. Garland, of Papakura, who returned to Auckland from the East by the motor-ship, Sydney Maru. Mr Garland and Mr B. Rumkin, two farmers, were in charge of the stock during the voyage. Selected from the herds of Messrs R. and A. Crawford, of Onewhero, the consignment comprised 35 Jersey and five Shorthorn-Jersey cross heifers. One of the heifers died on the voyage, but the shipment was augmented by the birth of five calves. A shipment made by Mr A. S. Tetzner, of Patumahoe, was carried by the Sydney Maru on her last homeward voyage from Auckland. The stock has been added to the herds of two leading Shanghai dairying firms.—" The Press" Special Service. £5,500,000 in Motor Taxation "It is understood that the revenue from motor taxation reached a new record level in excess of £5,500,000 during the financial year," says a paragraph in the annual report of the North Island (N.Z.) Motor Union. Although the aggregate number of motor vehicles shows a very considerable increase, the yield of taxation a vehicle continues to increase, adds the report, rising from £l4 9s 4d in 1927 to £22 12s in 1936. The main advantage of such taxation increase was enjoyed by the Consolidated Fund. When it was considered that motorists as ordinary taxpayers were called on to meet their obligations in State taxation, it was apparent how inequitable it was to tax motorists as such for general revenue purposes, says the report. The Policeman's Lot "It has been said that the policeman's place is between the law-maker and the lawbreaker," said Inspector C. W. Lopdell, in an address to the Hamilton Rotary Club. "I have found in a lifetime association with both that it is difficult to define either of those two classes." (Laughter.) Inspector Lopdell added that most criminals made no attempt to condone their own crime and they realised that the law under which they were convicted was essential for the welfare of society. Lighting Charges Reduced In common with other local bodies, whose street lighting charges have been reduced by the Auckland Electric Power Board, the Mount Eden Borough Council has received advice that a reduction of £ 217 14s 6d to the borough had been decided upon. Emphasising the importance of the reduction in its relation to an "all" night system of street lighting, the board letter stated that the council could change the entire system to an "all" night basis, and the annual street lighting account would still be approximately £97 less than last year. An Important Department "The Department of Agriculture is regarded as the most important Government department in the United States," said Mr Lloyd Williams, addressing fruitgrowers in Hastings recently. Although manufactures were large, the agricultural products of America were one of its largest industries. The Department of Agriculture was therefore given an importance considerably greater than was accorded the corresponding department in New Zealand. Methods of Education "At Stanford University I found complete records of government in New Zealand which were impossible to find in London; but there was a woeful ignorance of other countries. They have the material, but they do not use it," said Mr A. L. M. Perry, of the staff of the Christchurch Boys' High School, when discussing his studies of education abroad yesterday. He said that in the United States there were admirable school buildings and very fine libraries, but the product they turned out contrasted very vividly with that of the English public school, although it was difficult to say to what extent family and surroundings might be responsible in the latter case. He mentioned the huge schools in America —one in New York had 10,000 pupils and worked in three shifts, the school being emptied at one side while the next group of pupils came in at the other—but he was not impressed .by their methods of teaching every subject in one school. A pupil might take one term of French, one term studying millinery, and another studying mechanics. He was then considered to have "done" these subjects. With the schools combining these varied subjects there were* very few purely technical schools in America.