PRESS OPINIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 89, 8 January 1908, Page 5

PRESS OPINIONS.

, . SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. ' ~ Tho. year that has now run it 6 course almost iloaervos to be memorablo in New Zealand history as a period of marked manifestation of .interest .in scientific research. It is: ; highly satisfactory to find the tide of exploration turning so assiduously to the Antarctic, and the fact that these Britich expeditions'to which New- Zealand is able-to' 1 lend:practical assistance, make' tho Dominion iti.a sense their base, brings New Zenlandersto some extent/ into', touch with important ainder,takings that have about them an element of, tho heroic, and adventurous, and agreeably lack:'the savour of -.commercialism. Enter* prisp 'of this .kind has a stimulating, effect w.ithq.Ut doubt 'in encouraging tho'conquest of.-jother, fields, more or less unknown ,to Koience. ' Not the least ; interesting , event ..of the .year from a ; New Zealand standpointwas.'the criiise of-the HmeTnoa,-with-a representative, party-of scientists, oil' board .to tho Auckland,'.and . Campbell.lslands. .■; . -The rgq.ord...of .the.year has, .however! included: a , scientific- expedition of. purely; New. 'Zealand origin,; the. Hinemoa, -..which sailed |rom Auckland last;week, having on board.an exploration" party,/.modest, .in - numbers,' but evidently: rich, in. enterprise and enthusiasm, bound'for 'tho' Kermadecs, the little group of isjands,. tlie largest pf/theni"but a-score of miles iin circuit—lying • some '' 600 odd miles riorth-CRst- of the Bay; of Islands.:, That tho Undertaking, domands enthusiasm may bo judged from the fact that the Kermadecs are at.'the-prcseht. time'aboiit the most inaccessible .portion; of the Dominion's' possessions, the drily .provision' for their., visitation being by tile Government steamer which tbuclics .at thorn,'at-' intervals of about' a' year,. for: the purpose of relieving .shipwrecked' mariners, should s thero be any,, arid \pf replenishing stores.< .During .the past it-hp islands hayonot been entirely neglected froni a scientific -standpoint, hut tho'brevity of the. time at tho disposal of visitors on tho occasion of the itqamer's annual' call has militated against collections being made. > Thus all that ii: yet. known of the vegetation and ■ animal apdbird life of'the group is somewhat, inconsiderable. Moreover; ,tho geology of. the islands , ,is . a; : .-field 'awaiting . careful study,; and/to thoroughly. investigate their geological structure wjll be'one of tho chief aiftisl'of the expedition. The botany of the GrpUPi; igain, will bo ;of. tho greatest importjaP.6R,;;,in ; attempting : to. 'furnish theories to ;aijc.oiunt for their origin; Theories of absorbiiig.;intqr<<Bt attach to 'the-possible-history of oUr. own land; a'nd its condition in days when the;: world ...was a : fcw ages younger, and links' : finding! New Zealand to the-outlying islands aje,:/invaluable, in• determining conclusions in rpgjn} to; tho; fascihatiiig: problem' to which scientific;•speculation has 'givcri' prominence, and. which -has to .'do.with:the,great lost continent which is'supposed to Tiave included Nefyrr Zealand m its embrace.—"Otago "Daily Times."' '• - r.y-:- >; ;y ■, .r

SEASONS AND PROSPERITY

/,'Wcy might well', apologise, for constantly reiterating :tho 'apparently .''self-ovident', truth that/prosperity depends -; pia'irily" upon procluctipn . did' we Hotrlican so jregularly" from .pdlificians: that: the 'prosperity- of New Zealand• l|ds-,biei6ii>bought' about;by: the 'Vifdom of-its■» GoverrirrteritV f.'TJnle'ssj h owelty,lhe..expqnohtß of; thispeculiar, political are. prepared. /to/assert - that; tho bfeneficcnt'soasohii latterly ' enjoyed :by. our' •Australian : neighbours/have /:beon' : / lirbiight aboutby,'the enactments>y of -the" federal Parliament and tlio.' cleverness of thc.Deakiii can hairdly (iony';that in tho'' Commonwealthataili r'atp/, u ational prosperity; .'depends', uponcauses/beyond • administrative.control... -For, the' magnificent financial '■ returns'. • shownthis Now/ Year by eVorvAustralian, .Stat'6 'are' the' ribviouV anil lnovitablb! scquoric.o of : a'. fun / of'" good' seasons.'. • '

, V|o are..justified; ■therefore, .in •ngsin »insisting upon the., fact .that production': is. at" the: rory 'fpunclation .of' national* velNb'dnig, and that our ; Nc# f Zealaiid ■Government "can best ftih'iinc'o'pcbspontr hv/relieving'.production from existing :disa.biltties.' > The Native Laiids of tno 'North Islandj comprising .millions of fceres"bf.thQ-Ver'y best cbiintrr,'-might' almost as well b'o swept 'bimv bv an Australian. drought/for all the good -tW are "to either pakeh&.-.or- Maori.- :lo''throw theip opon to ■ industrious . settlers, would ; ho like atlmittirig-.tb •.drought-stricken'.'lands, 'genial and favourable' seasons', would bring them ■ into, production,' and- Would swell national revenue and; foster' national industry just as r.ain and-suii -have swollen , rtvonucs and fostered' industries'amniig'' our neighbours. It is'; true that an Act'. has been passed • enabling the Native Lands to-be opened, but whether, the-Act .is onforcod or not depends tipbnthe attitudo of'tlio Government.- Nor }s ! this all ! ' IjaifJs that aro'inaccessible beqauso ■ of. lack -.of . railways - and absence of roads and' bridges* may • with' equal 'forco bo compared to' drought-stricken- wastes, as railways , and <'roadS> to-'-.rain iaiid' sunshine. Theso .disabilities may bo, and ought' to bo, and thetf removal affords sqope for ndmi.nistra'tivp.'action . which ', would bo< far liioro bofteficial than 1, much - much pretentious displays of authority/. Nature- has done' for us'iregularly .what'slio; only.does for the Australians spasmpdically., -A. ;long; series of' good seasons, a. most .fortunate run' of 'good prices, with' the. notable : energy' of -our colonists;' have 'made' Now Zealand' prosperous: ; But-if we.imagmo>that.prosperity can M/mado. by . officious ! legislation and.- haphazard' administration, and that wo-can with impunity• neglect -tlio'sources- of wealth,' wo lay;.in . pickle ,a : rod;v for our own backs.— Npw Zealand-Herald.

SCHOOL -ATTENDANCE AND/SALARIES.

: It was' almost' ineritnblo. that the I'resi- . dent's address Vt 'the ; annual conference of. tho'Educational Institute would-refer to the quostion schooliattendanqo.': as. 'Effecting the ■• salaries,;- of ', teachers. matter is one of deep and. perennial interest to teachers Qf': #11' grodcs; ind; it"is', of moro importance thnn 'usual brcau.in of tho disastrous' offcct'of Bu6co3Birc,,.ipideniic's;iam6rig children ; upon the',' attendance _ in .many iStato . schools throughout Nov?" Zealand- during last year. the' President of the Institute, was assured, ■' therefore, .of the close attention .of Ijis.hearers .in his remarks upon the subject. It is,' of course, an''entirely "WTbng principle" that-. a .teacher'ssalary should bo reduced, by 'any; circumstance so .utterly beyohd his, Control aSjan-outbreak. of measles or wh'oopjng epu'ghj among" his" scholars.' .Mr. Aitkbn '.referred* to "even'' niore' trivial, and: temporary''incidents,'; such as a' shower ' of), rainj or- a flower'show,: or 'n : 'circus, as affecting', so,: in juriously-:thd avorage. ; attendance, 'a teachers, salary .is. largely, calculated, as, ( tb' reduce "the'unfortunate' man's income'for a,year;. The.ease against tho" syshardly. strengthenwl' the'-, quotation of :what.-,wc,.iinagiiie .must. be .extreme, and infrequent dnstanccs ,-of: the;:,hardship it. inflicts ;■ thcro'.aro |)lehty .of instancos' of a'moro oviwfc-day character '.to' supply >n: atiiple 'basis for 'the* agitation wh'iclv. the teachers ; have for "maintained. .;That: they, have-.right on .their .side, few-'will, deny.: There is room fo^.Vefpnn'.jri■:a,■system-that gives "tbjcrabk satisfaction • only, so-■ long 'as. nothing occurs' tb; disturb';the: conditions' of I'thb [community, and that;if-.'apt: to; • graye;. injustico whon'oy.er,,anything; happens to'., chongo .'thoso conditions. , .Mr. ■ Aitken would make' tho' paymentiof-a',tcach'or, 'dependent- on tho roll numbcr .of liis" school-instead ■ ;of.:on'tho-aver-age attendance''for -the-'precwling yoar,- taking precautions .against roll-stuffing,, and it cortainly seems that this would bo a fairer method, ospccially in tho case of a school suffering a 'temporary diminution in its attendance through a local outbreak of illness.

• • . . . It is only a matter of timo, wo belieyo, when such a system will have to give place to anothor—probably to one yet tp be devised—by which a tenchcr will not he penalised or compelled to accept a lower salary for anything oxcept loss-of efficiency. When that change is. made teaching will become a more popular profession than it is today. In the meantime the Educational Institute will do well to keep the question well to'the fore. Nothing is lost by persistent agitation, and, as we have often seen in New Zealand and elsewhere, a good deal may .be gained by it.—Christ-church'"Press-