PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume L, Issue 47, 23 August 1895, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

MATTIES EDUCATIONAL. The Minister for Eduoation made anew departure yesterday in delivering a speed upon the results of the year in laying tfat Eduoation Beport on the table. There was he said, an inorease in the strict average foi six years of abont 2200 per "annum. The in crease last year w.ia 4575, and in the lasl Quarter 6279. Th« striot average— Bo'6 pei cent of the roll — wAu'equalled only onoe before in 1892. The total number was 127.300. The working average was 104,995, and the striol •rerage 103,490. The number, of Maoris at public schools was increasing. Last year i\ rose from 511 to 576 Maoris, half-castei among Maoris from 95 to 108 ; and half 'oastet living among Europeans from 827 to 852, There was a tendency for some years past to • teduoed proportion below the Third Standard class — a good sign — 5222 pet cent, are below the pass for Standard Two.. The passeß it 1894 were 519 per cent, of the roll, -a percentage never before' attained. In 1893 ii was 498. The passes in 1891 were 83*2 pei cent, of the nnmber examined for pass. In 1893 it was 595. The number of schools in 1879, was 791; in 1886, 1051; in 1893,1355; in 1891, 1410. The sohools were not growiog larger, the tendency being the other way. In 1888 there were o:. an average 805 pupils fier sohool; in 1891 the average was only 5*3. The number of teachers increased proportionally to the number of pupils. In 1888 there were 32 pupils per teaoher. In 1894 the number was 321. Teaohera (exolnsire of sewing-mistresses) were 3306 Of these 1016 were pupil teachers (221, boys i 825, girls). The proportion of teachers who had not yet qualified for classification so far as the examination is concerned was declining. In 1890, it was 338 ; in 1891, 217. Schools net the property of Boards wero reduced in the year from 131 to 117 ; schools without residences from 456 to 446. The average attendance at native schools increased from 1585 to 1775. The Department now undertook to arrange for holding examinations of the South Kensington Science and Art repartment, an<i of the City and Guilds of London Institute, in various parts of New Zealand. Wellington (with sub-centres] Wanganni, and OtaKo availed themselves of these schemes, and the Auckland Technical Classes Association was moving in the same direction. THX SCHOOL BUILDING VOTS. In introducing the Education Beport yeßterday, the Minister for Education incidentally mentioned that the Wanganui and Taranaki districts had .£lOO more hist yeat for building grant than they would have reoeived on a population basis. ' Mr. Firani resented this, and read a letter to show that the building vote had been inequitably apportioned. The list (showed the number ol new sohools ereoted in the distriota named since 1889, the amount per new sohool, and the amount per new scholar allowed by th< Department: —

Mi. Fiiani added that Auckland for 63 . schools received only £30,000, and Otago for 12 reoeived .£26,000. Even allowing half ] the amount of the grant for'repaira, the apportionment of the grant required looting into in regard to the requirements of new Bohools and new attendances. Tha Minister j said die figures quoted were singularly misleading. They assumed that all schools were of the same size, while one might ooat five times as much as another, and there was the up-keep of existing buildings. The Department endeavoured to make up in one year to distiiota which had received little in " the last. ABOUT BOOK DIBTS. i ' Under the Chattels Transfer Act Amendment which the Minister for Justice is introducing, the term "ohattels" ib made to inolude " book and other debts." In every instrument relating to book debts each debt is to be deaoribed separately. "Instru- ■ ment" is to include assignments for the \ benefit of creditors, hnt not subsequent * assignments to trustees for distribution. J JOTTINGS. There were 204 prosecutions under the Sohool Attendance Act last year. Mr. Pirani yesterday presented a number of Manawatu petitions for religious instruo- i taon in schools. t Canterbury mechanics engaged in the i manufacture of steam-enginea, ohaff-ontters, y oorn-orushers, and horse-gear, are protest- i ing against the duty being taken off. 1 The Petitions Committee has "noreoom- -\ mendation to make " respecting the prayer t of the 15,400 Catholios for inspection of their i Bohools, as the matter is one of policy. c Mr. G. W. Bussell said yesterday that the j Home should be given an opportunity to debate the Education, Mines, and Bailways reports, just as they discuss the Financial Statement. The suggestion was received with applause. Mr. Allen says Naval Artillery Volunteers are inequitably treated in the distribution of Martini-Henry rifles. Mr. B. Thompson says if the Minister for Labour wants to prevent our' labour market being flooded the Labour Bai-eau shonld not give employment to anyone till he- had been twelve months in the colony. It is Australian labourer*, and not Chinamen, who flood the labour market. Dr. Newman says that as long as we ran i totaUsators and so forth, it is hypocrisy to objeot to Chinamen playing fan-tan. Nevertheless he -would keep Chinese out. Footwarmers are a desideratum in the railway trains, and should be immediately provided for, in Mr. Morrison's opinion. Dr. Newman says it is very sad to see 20 or 30 people Bleeping together in % Maori , wharepuni, one of the number having consumption, and, as consumption can be communicated, infeoting his comrades. ' Mr. M'Gowan thinks the Labour Unions would like to put up a fence round New Zealand and keep everyone else out. -Dr. Newman say s this country has nothing , to fear from leprosy, which was onoe (under the name of " ngeri ngeri ") prevalent amongst tbe Maori,. but is now becoming . extinot. Leprosy was onoe oommon in England, but is bow praotically extinot there. Mr. Bnthie is asking that, ihe ■ Sydney street gate of the Parliamentary Grounds be left open the year round for the convenience of Tinakori-road residents. Mr. Graham wants to know who is responsible for the "egregious blunder" Of omitting Nelson from the schedule of boroughs to be preserved under the Local Government Bill. There are seven boroughs of less population in the schedule. Mr. G. W. Bussell says that last year he wm taken by a constable through " the Chinese quarter" of Wellington, and saw 50 men in a den reeking with opium smoke, playing fan-tan. The Counoil is dissatisfied .with tho pre-sent-mathod or taking votes in divisions. , On the motion of the Hon. E. Stevens it has , asked the Committee on Standing Orders to i report whether any method could be adopted ; whioh would be an improvement on the ' system now in force. , The boarding-out system at the Industrial : Schools is to be largely extended. The member for Clutha has given notice of the following important amendment on the Tariff Bill when in Committee :— That steel engravings, oil and water oolour paintings, organs for ohuroh use, salt, fenoing wire, binder twine, flax sheeting, brown holland, forfar, union shirtings, cotton shirtings, maizena, andoornflour, be admitted dnty free. -

New Bohoolß. Auoklwid 63 Twanaki 10 Wanganui 19 Wellington 18 N.Canterbury 18 S. Canterbury 9 Otago 12 Southland 19 Amount per School. £ 240 •237 312 491 703 412 1100 316 ; Amount per new Soholar. .£ 5.9 3 4.9 48 24 3 10 3 Deoreasu in Attendanoa. 11.9