POLITICAL NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 49, 26 August 1904, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES.

EDUCATIONAL TENDKNCI F.S. In the report of the Education Department circulated yesterday, tho succehs of the new syllabus is referred to with confidence. It is considered that Inspectors will be able to devolo themselves mainly to (he "invoMligatiou of the character of the teaching of the degree to which the intelligence of tho pupila has been developed," while teachers will be more educationalists than " mfcnmnlists." It is admitted Hurt there aro differences of opinion on points of detail, but, it is asserted, Iho lefonns havo been greeted with general a^senl. An adequdto provision for tho training of teachers is regarded ns an essential complement of tho most carefully do\ if>ed syllabus. In this connection it is slated that tho colleges at Chrislchurcli and Dunedin are being brought inlo line with the ideas formulated last year, wliilo nrraugcmcnlß are now under consideration for the establishment of two other colleges, so that before long tho provision will be complete. POT AND KETTLE. Rcpying to opponents of the Coroners Bill, which hact been adversely criticising J. P. -Coroners and J. P.'s generally, tho Attorney-General got back yesterday what he calltod • a "Roland" for thoir "Oliver." lie had, he said, seen in an Auckland paper a statement that tho Coroner nf Auckland, about whom they had heard so much in connection with tho Coroners Bill, had prior to holding an inaucst on a man who had hanged himself, . ordered a post-mortem examination to sco whether ho had poisoned hiuisolf. The Hon. S. T. George (Auckland) said that was perfoctly true, Ho believed that Coroner was appointed by the Government. (Tho Attorney-General : Not this Government). Tho reason of all theso tilings was tho system of payment by results. For every ■ post-mortem held the doctor got a fee^ — what becamo of that fee, ho (the speaker) did not know. The Attorney-General : The doctor gets nothing of that. Tho Hon. Mr. George : How do you know? The Attorncy-Gen-oral: I v don't know. Tho Hon. Mr. Georgo : The system of paying the Coroners is what is wrong. The Hon. T. K. Macdonald defended tho intelligence of Justices generally. If lion, members wero candidates for tho Lower Houso they would not use such language. And if they heard what was said about themselves in the Lower Houso, they would think they were J.P.s all round. CHINESE IN SOUTH AFRICA. The Hon. J. Rigg this afternoon gave notice to move the following motion on Tuesday :—": — " That 'while tho introduction of Chinese slavery into South Africa may bo not inconsistent with the policy of the British Government, their sanction to the Convention ia a menace to the welfare of the self-governing colonies aud against the best interests of tho British Empire." \ JOTTINGS. "I admire the Premier's decision to be no party to extravagant expendrture," affably remarked Mr. Taylor lost night. "But I remember hearing him say on one occasion that the public works expenditure must not be stinted. I'm glad to sco that he is developing the virtue of economy in his old age." "It is my business to tako a fatherly interest in every matter affecting my Government," remarked the Premier last night. , It is almost criminal, says tho Premior, that there should be such a large impor- i tation of foreign conl into the colony. ' "Those that are continually hunkering to do away with juries will ono day find themselves thankful to hfrvo a jury. | — Warning noto from Hon. George McLean. Kcporting on a petition from the Picton Hospital and Charitablo Aid Board, tho M to Z Committee expreasea the opinion that, in view of the Governor's Speech having indicated that tho whole question of hospitals and charrbublo institutions will be dealt with this scwioa, tho Hospital and Charitable Institutions Amendment Bill dionld not be passed. . Leave- of absence from the Houso waa to-day granted to Mr. Hall, on account of family bereavement.