DAILY NOTES FROM WANGANUI.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 620, 24 September 1909, Page 9

DAILY NOTES FROM WANGANUI.

: ; '; ; .BIBLE''iSSTBUCTi6n IN SCHOOLS.: ; ." lily Tclcirnpii. Upci-I.aj .■OorroiinimOpiii ■' '..'.'..; .'.-'• ,' Wanganui. September 23...... -'■ K-cgarding the'recent mandato of- tho Education .Department that no more railway posses .be issued to teachers' travelling to instruction classes, the Board of Education passed a resolution expressing' surprise at tho action of tho Department/which is detrimental to tho m.'terests.oil.thft.jrounger teachers, espccially.those. in country., districts; or places far remoyed from the.'educational centres, who should re-, ceive special consideration. It was also re'Gohfd'' thE.C." representations bo made to the, Uopar'tment-to-recbnsfder a. proposal so.detn-: montal: to .the.best interests of education. , At :last night's meeting of tho Education Board a'letter \was read-from . tlio., College Street '(Palmerstbn) School' Committee as. to a proposal .to ; deduct-,a.half-hour iper week from the hours'"set- apart for; secular, education for the. purpose, of giving Bible,instruction.- The; Rev. J. Jolly waited on tho board' on behalf of the Pahherstoii Ministers' Association,-; He stated that the aEsqciation.thought.' tha time was opportune, for the hoard to take step's to mate .provision for Bible./-.instruction duriiig school -hours'. Ho read a letter from tho,Hon. C.C. Bowento: tho. effect that when the Act was passed, it. was intended ;(hat committees should l>a nblo to proviilo for such an emergency..-/ Mr.. Jolly: complained .'that the children' -would-.not attend regularly; if : tho ; classes .were held aftor.school hours.-,■ Mr._ 1... 'Pirani '(ohairman) contended that shortening, the hours would-be a subterfuge to/get out! of tho': Act, which was passed to ensure secular bduoatiou.a.nd the action' of' other boards_in, this direction, was. an cvnsion'of tho Act, .Xhe• only'system that could be allowed'.was thattho committees could'start, school, hours, half an hour later: :orio day: in tho week: - and ex-, tend' the- closing',time- similarly. ■ ilho board .■decided'to. allow ; 'tho College Street .Commit-, tee. to-open the school'half an hour.later ono ; d»y in the .week, and close half an'ihoiir later, bnfit was decided to holdover consideration; of the MiniSte«' , 'Association's request till after tho : cotifercnen of sohool. inspectbrs. ■":,;• •;■ ; The promoters of : tho. proposed professional. 'soulling handicap here at Christmas time haveabandoned the proposal, owing to -the la«K:ot< p'ublio: support, but n. few, enthusiasts intend; to sticks to/ their-guni ; and .run,.a\ handicap, their 'own." -.',': : : . .-;•: " : ... z^., ,, ; 1- ■'; A gathering of volunteer .officers and■ ex-, 'officers"was-h'eia last night taniake>a-.presenta : ' tion to Lieutenant-Colonel John P. -Watt, v.JJ.,. .on his ; retirement .from tho .cpmmaiid.of..the Wanganui Battalion. / Major Hughes, who bresided,' , proposed tho colonel s. health in fell-, citous terns; and, ; on behalf of, tho various units of the , battalion and ex-officers, presented. /him 'with\;a .-purse. of. sorerelffns-fpr.l and a silver Mrs; Watt., '. Other: speakers referred in. eulogistic terms to the ;s!rvices-rendered..to. .the.■'.volunteer service by; Colonel! '.Watt,' who,.-.in. a feeling reply,, said-. 'that what he had.-done had: been a labour of; love and 'duty: as! a British citizen.■-.His. £evor-j ance from a movement which' , had claimed 43-. •years'of ! .his.'life.'waß .very trying and■ pamfulto him, bnt'ho : fclt4ono.tfred, f bj>.the;p,roposal l s .that.ho'should retain-his connection with, thp/ /battalionr by,;,he'ing.-appointed: Us, colonel. also,taken ■._ hy, fflo ' gaflieriiig 1 - tyCgive'-ft •.•?end-off:.. to MaiorJ ,'HugffSHvhoVff to-day for to-take-coramand'of thovNew Zealand rifle, team for,! Q-' : left /for'. Wellington' by| to-day's^mail;train. ■■■::■■■: ■';'; v\: ■''■;■ .'.^t'-