THE Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXI, Issue 5578, 13 July 1875, Page 2

THE Daily Southern Cross.

LUCEO, NON URO. If I h»v» been oxtlngnUhed, yet ther« Hit A tliousaud beacon* from th« ipark I bor*

TUESDA 3 r . JUL Y 13, 187§.

The great question of national education, which lias during the last few years excited so much attention in every civilised country, presents some curious problems for solution. There are found in every country those who deny the duty of the Slate to provide for the education of its children. It is true this class has much diminished of late years. Formerly no one dreamt of promulgating tho doctrine that fc-iyone beyond the parents of children had anything to do with their education. It was taken for granted that not only was the duty confined to the parents, but the interest was theirs and their child*

ron's nlon«\ 11 is one of rho dehti which European civilization owes to Prussia, that she has c insert them to reconsider this idea. The extraordinary progress of that country during the last fifty years in all the arts of peace, quite as much as hi the triumphs of war, hits opened the eyes of thoughtful men by showing them the practical bearing of the abstract question of nationality. It is to education, as all critics admit, that Northern Germany owes her progress. Blessed with no specially fertile country, with no special advantages of climate or of position, the progress of the people had not Up to half a century ago been a rapid one. Neither arts nor sciences were particularly flourishing, and certainly in the arts of production Prussia took no leading position in Europe. The last fifty yeai's have made great changes. In every branch of industry the advance has been remarkable : agriculture is flourishing, arts, commerce, manufactures have all felt the impetus of a new motive power, and have surprised Europe on grounds even more substantial than her military successes of the last few years. The change is directly traceable to education. In Prussia this has been made the work of the State, and its effect on the State has been marvellous. Tims the question has been raised in a double form. It is asked, is it not to the interest of every State to make education a national matter since it has produced such good results in North Germany. And, on the other hand, some have asked must it not be the duty of every State to undertake a work which, when undertaken, produces such good results ? The answers to these questions have not, of course, been all alike, but in effect they have come to the same thing in the end. Whether as a matter of duty or of interest, every considerable State in Europe is now taking up the work of education, and endeavouring to give it national proportions. One great advantage c<f this is that much valuable light is thrown upon the subject by the variety of persons now more or less directly engaged in the work. The merits of various systems are not only theoretically discussed, but are subjected to the test of experience, and the results are available for the guidance of others. In England, the problem which is engaging the most engrossing attention is one which specially interests ourselves. The attempt" to make education a really national matter has disclosed the wretchedly inefficient condition in which it has hitherto been left. It is found that the supply of teachers is a wholly inadequate one, and that the training of teachers has been, if not wholly neglected, very nearly so. These evils are very difficult to rectify in any country, and hardly less so in an old and wealthy country like Britain than in a young and poor country such as New Zealand. Writers on the subject trace the difficulty mainly to two causes. They do not deal with the present staff of teachers, because they cannot be dealt with. It is too late to train a teacher when he has charge of a school. He, or she, may, indeed, train himself or herself under these circumstances, but that is all. The State can do nothing in such cases beyond holding out adequate rewards to success, and so creating emulation. But, for the future, it is acknowledged that more must be done. The teachers of the future must be of a higher class than the mass of existing teachers. They must have a higher culture, and they must have special training for their duties. It is felt that to teach a man or woman who desires to be a teacher, all the branches of the education they will be called upon to, impart is but a portion of what is wanted, 'ijhe second part is to teach them how to teach. For this, special provision must be made as well as for the other ; and, for both, far more adequate provision is required than that which now exists. The want of this provision is one grand obstacle in the way of the perfect success of a national system of education in Britain. The other obstacle is found in the social position of teachers. Hitherto, the teacher of a parish school has been regarded in England as little better than a menial. The disposition of mind which has made the position of the governess an unhonoured one has made that of all teachers, except those of the very highest class, more or less one of social degradation. How to alter this is the problem, and it is a very difficult one ; because it involves not merely a change of sentiment, but a change of that which has created the sentiment. To say that teachers of common schools are not ranked as persons in as good a position as the clergyman, the doctor, the merchant, or the lawyer, is at present only to say that they are, for the most part, ranked as what, in too many cases, they are — not as what we should desire to see them. Of course, there are many praiseworthy exceptions, but even those are not fairly placed. Itwouldbemost desirable to have the office of the teacher (and, as a consequence, the teacher *lio) esteemed as —what it really is— quite as important as that of any other profession, if not more important in its effects than any. But so long as teachers ore not, cither in learning, efficiency, or sooial position, equal to the other classes named, this is simply impossible. The publio instinct judges rightly of the esteem due to most people, and, as a rule, gives them that which they merit. How to raise the standard of the teoohers, while the office of teaching is still looked down upon . by the mass of people, is, therefore, the most serious part of the problem. Nothing but offering special inducements to those who are required for the work can enable us to obtain a superior class of teachers/ and nothing shoi-t of special provisions for their training can on any large scale produce tho class. As we have said, the question has special interest for us. We have deliberately adopted the principle of national education, and we are bound to do what can be done to make it successful. Here, as in England, all difficulties are but trivial ones, except this difficulty of providing suitable teachers. This is largely experienced, both in the case of male and female teachers, but especially the latter, and it is an evil which will not rectify itself. Something must be done — and must bo done soon — if the want of proper teaching is not to be allowed largely to interfere with the benefits of our national scheme of education. The subject is of such importanco that we shall return to it, and siy something of what has been suggested in England, and what appears feasible in New Zealand.

Wr. doubt whether ever before a more ofl'octive addieas was delivered to the students of the Auckland College and t«rammar School than that made to them yesterday by his Honor Sir G forge G REV. Starting from the eaily days, his Honor referred to the fact that neaily a lifetime since, he was, as it were, the planter of tho tree of knowledge, the goodly fruit of which ho be held in the hundred and seventy intelligent faces whose owners occupied the benchei before him. In plain and simple English he sought to stimulate the youth in the direction of careful study, and laid stress on the fact that to them, and their compeers in the other scholastic institutions of the colony* the future expected the men who would one day rule its destiuiwj From among them, and

MU li as Hit}, would be cho->ui nun win ■would aid in collecting abus s that occasionally aiiso in law ai cl forward the ciuw "f mil fir.jdom, pronidtC education, adv.uioi' the piogivss of hi'-tortcat ntud\, inipiitM' tie li.ims ol tlio si-cnce of reasoning, tin- mathematics, fiuthcr olassio.il leaining to sound legitimate and practical limit*, to assist in adding to the u\e J'cnces of law mid litciuturc, by iinjuoMug to the best of their mental capacity the, ouportuuities which their College studies bestow. The address was admirably suited for tho boys— clear, fluent, easy, and effective ; and yet, as we have shown, embrcting m its simple language much which iti heareis may well treasure in their memoriei.

Mr. J. A. Tole, who, we 'believe, is the coining chairman of the Ponsonby Highway Board has written us a letter impugnbig the accuracy of certain statements and conclusions which appeared in our issue of yesterday, respecting the non-payment of " old debts" incurred by the District of Ponsonby. The letter appears in another column. Our reporter adheres to the accuracy of his report of Mr. Toles statement, as quoted by vi, at the meeting, and as an accomplished shorthand reporter is a better authority as to what * man says than is the speaker himself, we adhere to that statement. But, after all, there is very little difference between what Mr. Tole is reported to have said and what he now records as his own version. What we wished to show it that by some legal technicality the Board seeks to escape payment of debts justly incurred and morally due. The justice aud morality of the debt is frankly admitted by Mr. Tole when he generously-proffered to pay out of his own pocket, in conjunction with other ratepayers, all the accounts which, can be justly claimed. The Board changes, but the ratepayers and the district which benefitted by the work performed "go* on for ever." The great point, which has not been denied, is that the Judge has declared that the work was done, and ought to have been paid for. A legal technicality intervenes, aud it is not paid for. Of course, the proffer of Mr. Tole-- for private persons to pay a just public debt — cannot be accepted, and no body of ratepayers we know of would submit to such a thing" We throw no slight on the private probity of any member of the Board. That is out of the question. We contended for the principlo of the liability of the public body. What we maintain is that the " Corporation " of a district, as we may term it, in certain years incurred liabilities admitted to be just, and for the benefit of that district ; and practically the debt has been repudiated. There is no getting out of that, and in looking to the public crodit of a public body we thank Mr. Tole on behalf of the body of unpaid creditors of the Ponsonby Highway district for his admission of the debts by his proffer to pay them ; but, we repeat, We do not think that any of the creditors would be a party to an injustice so gross as to accept from a private pocket the debt due by a public exchequer ; neither do we think the ratepayers of Ponsonby would permit such an unjust transaction. The Ponsonby Board and ratepayers may act in the matter as seems to them just, according to their lights ; but of this we feel assured that this much good will come out of thisuntoward business.lwe shall hear no more qf' Boards incurring liabilities and leaving them unpaid.

Tim persistency of the attack by a " robuttious periwig-pated " legal politician (the phvose is Shakespearian and apt) who hat in mo replaces than one achieved some notoriety, made on the Post Office Savings Bank would be perfectly laughable for its dense ignorance and impudent assertion, were it not that people who are innocent of finance, and ignorant of the law and practice iv banking affairs generally, might be misled by the grots misrepresentations which have been made. There is, and we appeal to every banker in the colony to prove our statement), no surer guarantee for repayineut of deposits iv the Colony than that offered for the Savings' Banks and Annuity and Insurance funds. These are, at we stated, a first charge on the Consolidated .Revenue of the Colony, and no persons however malignant, can point to one solitary instance in which the best of faith has not been kept by the Government as respects these departments, or in which payment or regular demand has not promptly been made. The charge is a calumny so grots that every financier and businett man while surprised at its temerity, it lpughing at its absurdity. If it is intended to allege the possibility of all the depositors in the Government Havings Bank applying on one day to draw their money it is perfectly true that they could not obtain it that day, aud every depositor kubws the fact. Small turns are paid at once. Regarding the withdrawa ', of larger tumi, the period of notice ranges, we believe, from a few days to a fortnight, and in tome cases a month, on the tame principle that banks for fixed deposits ranging from three to twelve months give varied rates of interest, because of the certainty of the deposits for a special period. Of course, investments for certain periods of the funds deposited in banks are made by the banks, which are custodians of the money. Time it the essence of the bargain ; and such banks cannot on a day's notice realise their good and Erofitable investments, although they may c worth 40*. or 60s. per £1 of their liabilities. So with a wealthy man, who may have property well worth a quarter of a million with £100,000 mortgage on it. If this mortgage were called up at a moment's notice he might be unable to meet it, and .therefore he arranges for the continuance; of the debt for a certain period, on the good security he gives, and is prepared to liquidate it at the time it falls due. So with the Government and other Savings Bju^ks. They require time — in the case of the Savings Bank the time is brief —and arrange at! the out* set of the opening of the account ol the depositor, certain terms of notice for payment. All this is well known and hat been known for years. But, assuming the absurdity of all Savings' Banks depositors applying at once for the turns at their credit, there is time for making the necessary financial operations, ana within, for instance, a month, Government could either pledge debentures or at once issue Treasury bias to pay the depositors to the last farthing. Every one who knows anything of the banking system, whether of Savings Banks or other institutions, knows full well that this is so, and nothing but dense political ignorance or reckless malice could have sought to unsettle the minds of depositors by asserting what is utterly untrue respecting an institution which, as we said the other day, has shed a gracious influence on the provident habits of the people, aud whose security is "as safe as the bank," as every depositor knows. The public of Auckland, however, know how to appreciate wilful nusstatements fof this kind. We write chiefly for those at a distanco, who, not knowing the nature of the source whence these calumnies sprung, may give them a temporary attention uutil they are better informed. But for this we should have taken no notice of the calumny nor of the calumniator of an excellent institution. Indeed, had the same thing been said of a private banking corporation we shoiild not have noticed the slander, and fear at the law, would prevent «yen the most reckless demagogue from hazarding such a statement respecting any of these institu-

All the throe wire* south of Napier went down at 8 p-m. last night, consequently there were no telegrams from the southern I rovinces last evening. The Civil Sittings of the Supreme Court were held yesterday before his Honor Mr. Justice Gillies. There was only one ease set down for hearing, that of Mr. Charles Clark, a settler at Hokianga, and Ins wife, Fanny, against Captain Casey for injuries sustained %y Mrs. Clark by being scalded, alleged to have been caused by the negligence of defendant or his servants on board his steamer, the 'Lily, 1 on the 22ud January last, during the passage from Otamatea to

]fe]pns\illc. A good deal of interest appeared to lictakenin tlie case, and someof the leading practising banisters wcie engaged. A npeei.il jury «ai eltt})aniiclle(l to try tha issues. The c.ise lastt-il all day, and ultimately a verdu t «',n returned for plaintiffs fur i'4oo. A coi respondent Mipplics another iiibtancc of what he calls " the cmious ways of those railway people." He btates that a farmer near Dritry has contracted for th supply of butter to throe grocers in town and he finds that the three packages are forwarded and charged as one parcel. But it was found to be inoro convenient for one of the grocers to have his package of butter dropped at Newmarket, and the charge on that parcel was m much as had previonsly been paid on the three carried to Auckland station. He thicks life would be too short to reason this should be thus. The meeting of the Improvement Commissioners did not take place yesterday as had been intended. The reason was that several of the members, and especially the secretary, had arranged to be in the District ( \mrt all the afternoon, in the matter of the disputed right to a part of the old drillshed. As will be seen in the report of the proceedings at the District Court, the hearing of the case was postponed till Wednesday (to-morrow). The weekly rehearsal of the Choral Society takes place this evening at half-past seven sharp. A considerable amount of business was transacted at the Police Court yesterday morning, where Messrs. O'Neill and Marshall were the presiding magistrates. • Yesterday afternoon a man, named Ryan, was arrested in Queen-street, near the wharf, for riotous conduct. .Rendered quarrelsome by his potations, he attacked all who came in his way, and became a terror to those about him. One after another did the drunken fellow assault, until the arrival of Constables Mulviile and Graham effectually quieted him. The man is said to bo usually of a most quiet and obliging dispositioujkbut when maddened by drink, a very little of which takes effect upon him, he is perfectly ungovernable. At the Prince of Wales Theatre last night, " Under the Gaslight " was repeated to a very thin house. It went off with great spirit, nevertheless, the various performers identifying themselves with their respective parts as thoroughly as though the house were crammed, and the audience were most hearty in their plaudits. To-night the entertainment is " Nobody's Child," in which Mr. Collier will take*the leading rdle. A restive horse succeeded in bolting down Wyndham-street and along a portion of Queen-street yesterday morning. The wheel of the dray he was attached to was duly locked" as provided by the city bye-laws. Fortunately, no injury was done to anyone, aa the horse was soon stayed in his mad career.

The secretary of tho Waikato Steam Navigation Company makes a very discouraging confession through 'our advertising column*, to the effect that iii consequence of the company not being able to make satisfactory arrangements with the Government for through freights to the Waikato, they are compelled to discontinue receiving good* in Auckland, and that in fixture they will receive them only at their itoroa at Mercer. The company ask shippers of goods from Auckland to make their own arrangements with the railway department, and also ask shippers of produce from Waikato to make arrange* menta with the same department for the conveyance of goods from Meroer to Auckland. The monthly meeting of the Fire Brigade was held hut night at the ratine-station, Albert-street. Superintendent Hughes presided. Excuses were received from several members, stating the cause of their absence at the fire in Wyndham-strtet. The fine in each case was rescinded. Leave of absence for one month was granted to James Campbell. Five candidate* were proposed as working members, and an investigating committee appointed to reporton candidates. Mr. Edward Hill was eleoted an hon. member. A. Fargie was elected foreman of Hwk and Ladder Company, vice H. Piper, resigned. The officers reported that since the hut monthly meeting they had attended at the engine-station every Wednesday night, and instructed the new members in their duties. The meetings had bsen well attended. The Superintendent informed the members that on next Monday night th« monthly practice would b§ held, when he hoped to see every member present. After finishing 'other business, the meeting closed. A correspondent asks if it is on record that any racehorse ran a mile in 1 minute 35 seconds ? No such time, we believe, was ever accomplished ; 1.40 has, we believe, bten recorded, and not long since an American horse was proudly boasted of as having done a mile in 1.42 i. The following is' history as respect* Fljing Childers, a great horso 100 ye*rs ago :— Flying Childers was bred in 1715 by the Duke of Devonshire, and was allowed by sportsmen to have been the fleetest horse that ever ran at Newmarket, or that ever was bred in the world. He ran four miles in 6 minutes 48 seconds, or at the rate*of 364 miles an hour, carrying 9st. 21b. He died in 1741, aged 26 years. Of Eolipse, another swift horse, it is written that he " was the fleetest horse that ran in England since the time of Childers ; he was never beaten, and died in February, 1789, 'aged 25 years. His heart weighed 141b., which accounted for his wonderful spirit and courage." In consequence of the prevailing inclement weather the monthly parades for the month of July will take place in undress uniform, and without arms or accoutrements, as follows:— Tuesday, 20th, 7.30 p.m .: Artillery Company, Victoria Company, Hobson Company, and Scottish Company, in the Market-house. Thursday, 22nd, 7.30 p.m.: Engineer Company, No. 2 Company A.R.V., No. 3 Com pany, A:R.V., and Naval Brigade, in the Market-house. Saturday, 24th, 8 p.m. : Otahuhu Rifle Company, Otahuhu. Tuesday, 27th, 12.80 p.m.: Grammar School Company, Albert Barracks. Tuesday, 27th, 7.30 p. m. : Engineer Cadets, and St. Matthew's School Cadets, at St. Matthew's School. State of her Majesty's Gaol, Auckland, for the week ending July 10, 1875 '■ On remand, 3 males, 1 female ; awaiting trial, none ; sentenced to penal servitude, 36 males ; hard labour, 85 males, 35 females ; imprisonment, 8 males, 0 female; default of bail, 10 male* ; debtor, -1 mal« ; received during the week, 18 males, 0 females ; discharged, 24 males, 7 females. Total in gaol, 143 males, 3G females. Our Waiuku correspondent writes: — No. 1 Co., Waiuku Rifles, under the command of Captain Hamlin, paraded on Friday and Saturday for two consecutive days' drill. They were inspected by Major Lusk, officer commanding. The capitation grant was paid, and the Entield rifles ordered to the magazine, prior to the issue of Sniders. The woodside ratepayers held a very business-like meeting at tho Ferry Hotel, North Shore, yesterday, Mr. Sinait being voted to the chair. A few items m regard theieto will bo found reported in another olumn. Tho annual meeting of the ratepayers in the Graf ton Rood highway district is to be hold this evening in the schoolroom, Carlton Road, at seven o'clock ; and the annual meeting of the ratepayers in the Maketu district is called for the 31st instant, to bo held at the Ararimu school-house, at one o'clock. In the watch-house, lost night, there were six prisoners. Two charged with assault, one with larceny, one with drunkenness, aud two with desertion from the trainingship. These lost were brought in from Howick yesterday morning. Great complaints are made about so many cattle being allowed to roam at large in th« Devonport district. In nearly each of tho suburbs of Auckland the some nuisance exists, and the suburb of Newton especially, is pestered with goats, which are tied up during the day, but are permitted to roam at largeand do what ; mischief they like during the dark hours of night.

I The annual soiree of the Loyal Orange Institution was held last night in the Choial H.ill. The chair w.w occupied by Mr. .T. M. Dargaville,and the meeting was addressed by the Yon. Archdeacon Maunsell and others. A large number (if songs and pieces of music were rendered during the evening to the satisfaction of the audience. It is undctktood that the evidence taken by Major Keddell respecting the fraudulent procural of miners' rights on the opening of the Ohinemuri goldfieid, has been forwarded to Wellington. The result of the entertainment given in the Lome-street Hall a week ago, on behalf of Mn. Sextie,i» that £ls 7s. has own handed over to her. It was stated at the Wesleyan Conference, which has recently closed its sitting in Melbourne, that there are now in Victoria 60 Wesleyan circuits, 373 churches, 152 other preaching place*, 554 class leaders, 717 local preachers, 3,614 Sunday-school teachers, 33,375 Sunday scholars, 10,417 church meml»ers, and 73,871 attendants on public wor-*. ship. Many of the circuits were unable to meet their expenses, some having not more than 60 members, and some only about 30. The grants made to these circuits vary from £20 t» £100)>er annu-n. An ingeriioiisly simple device for checking runaway horses is given in a Pesth paper. Stout rings of sufficiently large diameter are slipped dYer the forelegs of the animal, and close up to the body. They are held in the last mentioned position by lines, which lead up through leaders on the saddle, and are joined to a single ring which is over a hook on the dashboard. The device forms no impediment to the horse's motion, as the rings, though connected together between the legs, are jomed by a sufficiently long bond. In case of the animal's running away, however, the driver has merely to fift the ring from the hook on, the dashboard and thus allow the rings on the legs of the horse to descend lower down. Thfi of course interferes with the horses' stride. ' If necessary to bring the horses to a standstill, the rings can be let go altogether, and thus drop to the horses' feet. This would probably result in throwing the horsM down, but would not be employed except to prevent instant accident to the occupants of the vehicle.

The half yearly meeting of the shareholders in the Union Steam Saw^loulding Sash and Door Company is advertised to be held on tlio 20tU .instant at the office of Mr. T. L. White, New Zealand Insurance Buildings. The following meetings of ratepayers in highway districts are advertised :— At the Commercial Hotel, Waiuku, on the 25th, the annual meeting of the Waipipi district ; and on the 3lst, the ratepayers of the Pukekohe, East district, in the school-house. The secretary of the Waikato Steam Navigation Company intimates by advertisement that in consequence of the disabling of the steamer ' Itangiriri,' the time-table has been suspended until farther notice. It is announced in our advertising colnmns that a goods train will leave Auckland for Mercer every Thursday until farther notice, calling at the intermediate stations. Goods for this train hare to be received by 4 o'clock on the day previous. A miscellaneous entertainment is announced to be given in the Newmarket Literary Institute this evening at eight o'clock, in the reading room. President, vice-president, ami committee will be appointed during the evening.