NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 7449, 18 February 1888, Page 3

NOTES.

Tin" result of the election of the Licensing Committee is very much what A Close might have been expected. The slum*, ratepayers generally are not prepared to adopt the platform of the Prohibitionists, whilst at the same time they are not altogether satisfied the administration of the licensing laws. This may reasonably be presumed to account for the fact that although there was a close canvass the number of burgesses on the roll who abstained from voting exceeded the total polled by the candidate who headed the poll. Oddly enough, also, one of the Prohibitionists stood second on the poll, although he was the only one of the party who was returned. The voting, it may be noted, was very close throughout. A score more votes would have given the Prohibitionists a decisive victory. It behoves the new Committee not to be blind to the moral of all this. It is their duty to regulate and control the liquor traffic, and not confine themselves to mere perfunctory administration of the statute, Lipenses are again and again renewed where the premises are by no means up to the mark ; whereas tlje opportunity should be taken, wherever feasible, of reducing the number of licensed houses* The sale of liquor during prohibitod hours—especially on Sunday—is notorious, and no real effort is made $o check the dispensing of liquors of vile quality. The' successive Dunedin committees have, as a matter of fact, displayed no intelligent activity, ami have placed weapons in the hands of those who would suppress the traffic altogether, regardless of vested or statutory rights. It is pretty clear that the attention of the ~, .. Legislature will have to be Itii'iinVs Sinil directed to the amendment of School the Education Act in respect to (’oiiiniilliTs. t] le relative position and functions of Education Boards and School Committees. The ruling of Mr Justice Williams that the school committee has no continuous existence opens out very serious issues, and, as pointed out by the solicitors to the Otago Board, “must create enormous difficulties iu working the Education Act.” .As_ to the consultation with the committee required by the statute as preliminary to the appointment or dismissal of teachers, this should most certainly he properly defined, and there should he a distinct understanding whether the committee are to have any voice in the matter at all, or whether they are to 1)0 “ consulted ” with the view of eliciting opinions to which no weight is required to be attached. It would manifestly deprive the Board of much useful information as to the state and condition of the schools if the “ confidential reports ” of the inspectors had to be submitted to the school committees in all cases where the dismissal or transfer of a master was considered desirable ; and we hardly think Judge Williams intended today down a hard and°fast rule to this effect. His Honor probably meant that the circumstances generally on which the Board based their decision should be communicated to the Committee ; and these circumstances would of course include the official reports the inspector. It has, however, beenexplained by Dr Brown —though wc doubt if the fact is sufficiently known—that all inspectors’ reports are open to perusal by the parties interested—'/.''., teachers affected and school committees. Mu A. H. Ross has done good service as chairman of the Harbor Board, A Proper an( i j ia3 c ] a i ni3 to re-election nuDit!’ which could hardly be overlooked. It is a graceful thing on Ids part to decline to be nominated for the office in view of the appointment of Mr ,T. B. Thomson, who is exceedingly well qualified for, and has fairly earned, the position by assiduous attention for a lengthened period to his duties as a member of the Board. Mr Thomson would, indeed, make an excellent chairman, and lias this advantage over Mr Ross himself in that he has not a seat in Parliament, and consequently would be always on the spot, instead of being absent for months together at Wellington, Mr Ross in his place in the House will, no doubt, fight the battles of the Board as energetically as ever, should the necessity arise.