PRESS OPINIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 127, 21 February 1908, Page 5

PRESS OPINIONS.

UNIFORM SCHOOL BOOKS. We aro not concerned with n defenco of the uniform system, for it has doubtless a weak sido as ivell as a strong one, and it tends towards a centralisation with which we have no sympathy. But when provincial and local authorities' fail in thoir duties they must expect, in the 'Twentieth Century> to encounter that appeal to Caesar which Caesar loves to hear. And if Education Boards/refuse of thoir own initiative to rectify a notorious abuse and to restrain that habit of cliango which , lias no real justification, and which imposes an unnecessary burden- 1 upon parents, cannot logically complain if the reform is forced by public opinion through Departmental control. One has only to see some of the books which are huiried like tourists through our public schools—all paid for by parents—to realise that they have often absolutely no intrinsic merit, and-aro rarely "deserving of permanent acceptance. What with editions and re-editions, new books and altered books, there is a constant claim upon the parental purse, care for which is so belittled by'the Christcliurch inspectors. Yet everybody must know that the best citizens in the community, these' who are roaring families to tho best of .their ability and to the utmost of tho opportunities open to them, can frequently not- afford to .wasto pounds or even shillings upon nonsensical and resultless changes. It is a pedantic lack of sympathy with thoso deserving aud self-re-specting people who havo to earn their money by hard work, and to whom every few shillings means a day's labouring, which lias beon tho cause of tho whole trouble. .Nor is any such sympathy evident'in the reports wo have been dealing with, though we venturo to believe that it will bo, found very widely spread among the teachers' - themselves, as it certainly is among members of the school committees. —"New Zealand Herald."

. ... To a proposal 'of this kind the educational experts as a., whole are, we may presume,- strongly, opposed. . Tho objections aro set out exhaustively'in the reports that were submitted at. the meeting of the North Canterbury Board of Education this week by | iho .Board's .inspectors. and by a committee' jomposed; of somo of its own membors. It is impossible that any intelligent person can fail to .bo struck with tho cogency of tho arguments, admirably presented in theso reports, in favour of a diversity of reading' as a factor in. the 'broadening of tho mind, tho widening .of tho outlook, and- the extending of; tho sympathies of tho reader. ~ Tho effect of. tho introduction,of a.uniform set of books would,; wo''are told—and we have no doubt of tho .general, accuracy of the statement,—. 1)8 to blight and stunt tho mental growth' 1 of the pupil and to restrict tho teachor seriously in tho choico! of the implements he' uses .in instructing his classes and to rob him. to a , great extent of the initiativo }io should .possess. On tho other hand, we cannot ignore tho fact .that under existing conditions' the cost of school books has bccomo a serious tax upon many parents of modest means. To theso people it is a legitimate grievanco if, having, through stress of circumstances, to. romove from ono district 'to another, they find that the books, thoy.have provided for the' uso of their children aro no.longer required-and that they must provide a fresh ,set.. . Again, there is apparently a necessity for tho protection of poorer parents .against tho caprico of inconsiderato teachers who 'may heedlessly multiply the number of books that aro in uso in ••shoir .-schools. Theso aro considerations which it is impossiblo to overlook.' . The Minister for Education is himself, wo gather, .loubtful whether . it. would : not bo in tho interests'of education;foi* tho. country to faco tho cost of supplying tho necessary books, free rather than to liavo . all tho: children in'tho public, schools turned out after ,0110 stereotyped fashion through the of a limited r.umbdr of booksi"Wo arc afraid that tho expenditure it would involve' condemns such a.'projcct ; as .this.'•'•"But. it: is.' not, unreasonable to suggest that, tho'complaints of tho parents, upon whom tho cost of providing school books prosses. as a burden, might be met by providing- for . uniformity in tho lower standards and for. allowing for diversity in' tho reading books' only in' .tin?.' higher standards, where the .pupils are so far. advanced : that their minds aro actively receptive to tho influences associated with a wide »hoic» of reading.—"Otago Daily Tinics." ; INSURANCE PROBLEMS. , Government lias so affected the local nsuranco business by opening tho Stato Firo DiEce, that it is matter of common knowledge •that insuraneo rate 3 throughout tho Domi'nion liavo for years beerf generally unprofitable, besides allowing no reserve to bo accumulated] ■ for "conflagration risks." Our Now. Zealand. companies prosper becauso of their great oversea business, but that can lrardly bo regarded as justifying the attitude of tho- Government.' The''chairman 'of tho Now Zealand Insurance Gpmpanv pointed, out in a rccent- specch that an. additional burden had been placed upon tho companies by the amonded Eire Brigades Act of last session, pml that to meot -tho tax it imposes rates i.ill liave to bo raised. This, of course, is a r.attor of company management; but whiit is of public concorn is the attack which was ratio upon the insuraneo companies simply uccause the -idea got afloat —an idea encouraged by tho Government —that extravagant profits were being mado upon the business done in Now Zealand. Wo all know what happened. v Reasonable rates wero cut in an unreasonable manner, and it' has beojmo.ovident thatj with rates as. they exist in tho Dominion,- tliore must, averagely be a dofi.cit upon tho business done. The Stato I'ire Oflico.must .inevitably encounter this doficit—and the public will be required to mako it ; good. A Stato_ Eire Officd ought, .sirely, to be self-supporting, unless the pri•v.ite companies are ,to be driven out of -business and fire insuraneo carried on upon philanthropic lines as a new form of State Socialism lvhich .wo may" fairly term revolutionary and. dangerous. This is certainly inot intended; but since to mako the Stat© '.Viro Office or any other fire office self-sup-porting on its New Zealand business,. rates .must bo raised to somewhat as they were before it was instituted, wo may fairly ask what is the good-of a State.Fire Office at all?— "N.Z. Herald." _____ AN 'IMPORTANT MEASURE. The Hospitals and Charitablo Aid Institutions Bill, which has been-circulated, by the Government, will be one of the "pieces de. resistance" of the coming session. A comprehensive scheme for tho : administration of theso institutions and of charitablo aid is an urgent and growing necessityi and there, will bo general satisfaction if the united wisdom of tho Minister, the,lnspector-General, and tho bodies concerned in tho matter can produoo an acceptable measure. .The principle of combining the management of hospitals and charitablo aid institutions is not new, foT it has been working in Auckland for many years with • apparently quito- as much, success as has . followed the work elsewhere, where the responsibilities are divided. One prominent feature of-tlie measure is the effect it will have in checking, the- spread of separate institutions. Under the present. Act a few people \v securing voluntary contributions to the; amount of £100, and obtaining the sanction of the Minister, can establish a separato charitable' aid- institution, and can come on the local Charitable Aid Board for such funds as they need for-its maintenance beyond the voluntary contributions and the Government subsidy that t-licy carry. Under the new Bill such an .institution can only be established if 100 persons each subscribo not less than £1 yearly, and tho Charitable Aid Board cannot be called upon for any of the cost of maintenance, the Government contribution being limited to the subsidy of 245. on every 20s. voluntarily subscribed, and a subsidy of 10s. for evory £1 of bequests up to.a certain sum.. By theso provisions tho creation of separate institutions is not prevented, but their cost, except for the amount given by the Government, is placed upon the shoulders of those, who .want them. There is little doubt that tho number of separato institutions will thereby be diminished, and tho overlapping which now exists will be greatly reduced. "The Bill involves such radical changes in existing conditions that it will, no doubt, be keenly discussed both before and during the session. . ;In the-mean-time' it is clear that the measure has many valuable features, and if it reduces the present chaotic condition of affairs in connection with charitable aid administration to a properly organised system, it will be ono of the most useful measures that Parliament has cMt with for. a Ion?, time.—Chch "Pnvm "