THE EDUCATION BOARD'S LITTLE JOKE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 31, 6 February 1907, Page 8

THE EDUCATION BOARD'S LITTLE JOKE.

TO THE EDCTOB. Sir, — A small boy in whom I am interested has to-day shown me, a circular letter which he has just received from the Wellington Education Board. It tells him th3t he has been, awarded a scholarship, and goes on : — "Thip scholarship entitles you to a free place at a district high school, at* a techidcal school, or a -secondary schools H you agree '^to go "to a district high school or to a technical school, you will have no fees to pay; but in case you elect to go to eitner of the Wellington Colleges (boys' or girls') you may be required to pay the ordinary fees, for the payment of which the Education Board recognises' no responsibility." In other -words, "You are entitled to* one of three different kinds of free place, but if you choose free place No. S, you will most likely have to pay lor. l it." And the signature is apparently Scotch, not Hibernian. I suppose it would have spoiled the board's - little - joke- i£ this intimation had been' given ib"'the children before they sat for examination, or even before some of them presented themselves at the college and had to go home again. — I am, etc., BARMECIDE. Wellington/ sth February.

Mr. J. C. Williamson was the guest of the Mayor and City Councillors this afternoon. The Eon. T. W. Hislop, in proposing the health of the visitor, spoke highly of Mr. Williamson. He said that Mr. Williamson had elevated his profession ; he was not only a master m his own lino, but a master of men. He had heard that the manager's benefactions were equal to the salaries that he paid for services. In reply, •Mr. Williamson said he had been as-, sured by the late Mr. Seddon and Sir Joseph Ward that, he would be warmly welcomed in New Zealand, and their words had already been made good. He thanked- the Mayor for the courtesy and kindness shown to him. Concluding, he humorously submitted that he was willing to be judged not by the companies that he kept, but by the companies that he sent here. Through the Mayor he thanked the people of New Zealand for the splendid way in which they had appreciated his efforts, to cater for them during the past twenty-five years. (Applause). When he was in Hastings last Friday, the Minister for Lands was waited upon by local fruit-growers, who urged that all kinds of fruits should be grown at the Government's Experimental Farm at Arataki. It was pointed out that at present grapes alone were produced there and that the experience gained was of practically no use to the general run of fruit-growets. A number of the deputation stated that apples plant' ed now would not be in proper bearing for seven years, and the Minister then suggested that it would be much better for the Government's experts to g(> into matured private orchards and make exhaustive experiments in the manuring and treatment of trees, than to wait' for seven years. He was sure thai fxnit-growers would give plots in their orchards to the Government for theso experiments. 'This suggestion was received very favourably, most of the growers present offering to allow the experts the run of their orchards. In answer to further representations, the Minister said he had been favourably impresse'd^'by'a suggestion that the Government experts should be open to receive information on matters locally affecting the districts in which they arc. Fruit-growers could rest assured that there would be no relaxation of the vigilance exercised in the inspection of imported fruit, in fact, that vigilance .would be probably increased. Recent surveyß carried out, by surveyors disclose the fact that Lak6 Rotomahana is considerably higher than it' was seven or eight years ago -(says the New Zealand Herald). At that time it was 65ft higher than Lake Tarawera, while at the present time it is 96ft 6ih" higher. Aboutlß months ago, however, Tarawera Lako, it will be remembered, bnrst through its bouadarics, and it wac thought at the, time that the Vratc* had receded Bft, bat it now tranipires, that 'the fall m the lake was lift. Be-adthu; this lift, the -'incr%asd&' height of Lake Rofcomahana is actually Mr.. G. T.. C, Chirnside,.«f .WembcePark'r- Victoria, who makes an annual tour of Hevf Zealand in search of sport, arrived from s Syclney,:by_ the M»h«jo.