THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1879.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1807, 5 December 1879, Page 2

THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1879.

A RECENT Adolaido papor contains a report of tho first exhibition of a society formed for tho purpose of encouraging floriculturo amongst tho children of tho tho public schools of that city. So far as can bo gathered from tho account of tho exhibition the affair was a complete success. In tho starting of tho soeioty tho aid of tho teachers and tho Board of Education was enlisted, and tho result must have boon most satisfactory and gratifying to thoso taking an interest in it. Over thirty schools competed, and tho flowers wore of excellent quality. Our objoct in referring to this is to advocate tho formation of a similar society hero. Somo littlo timo back a stop in this direction was made in Addington, which was successful, but wo should liko to soo tho idea carriod out on a wider scale, so as to embrace tho wholo of tho public schools in tho district. Hero ovorything is in favor of it. Tho cultivation of flowers is easy, and tho children have ample leisure to attond to them. Such a society would tend to encourage a lovo of flowers, and also habits of industry in the children which would have a vory good offoct upon their future caroor. Wo hope to see the project which has so successfully boon carriod out iu Adolaido imitated horo. It is not too lato oven now to have ono show before the season closes, and if tho matter is takon up energetically, no doubt a vory largo amount of outside support could bo obtained, for such an exhibition would bo most attractive.

A philosophic stranger entering Christchurch for tho first timo would bo particularly struck with the parental care exercised by the City Council on behalf of tho lives and limbs of tho burgesses. At the junction of cortain streets ho would notice boards on which tho following words aro written : —" Notice— Horses must go at a walking pace at the junction of thoso streets. —By order, F. T. Haskins, Town Clerk." Having probably left the crowded thoroughfares of London, whero several minutes aro occasionally spent at certain points in manoeuvring through the string of carriages and whero tho successful man congratulates himself on his passago almost as much as if ho had forded a respectably sized river, the excossive care of our city magnates would strike the stranger with a feeling of dolight. He would possibly walk on in the hope that other boards would be mot with ordering the burgesses not to stand in draughts, to change to the skin when at all damp and to beware of eating welsh rarebit after 10.30 p.m. These further instructions, however, ho would not find, and after a littlo ho would become quito reconciled to the omission, for, as ho would discover that nobody paid the slightest attention to tho first montionod notices, ho would naturally conclude that any further instructions wovdd be treated bnt slightingly. The philosophic stranger would, on tho whole, draw inferences not favorable to the authority of the City Council. And ho would bo quito justified in doing so. Although wo hold that the order conveyed by tho notice uudor consideration is a childish ono, still, if it is left up, it ought to be obeyed. It is not likely to inculcate a general obedience to tho city by-laws if a public notice is every minute grossly violated. Either lot the polico see that tho instructions aro carriod out, or lot, which would bo far better, the ridiculous notices bo takon down and the boards bo used for lighting tho fires of the City Council office. At one timo perhaps thore was some uso in leaving the notices up. The idea was new, and tho jocoso " flaneur " was able to make capital out it, and wile away a few out of his many spare minutes in commenting on its absurdity. But tho most inveterate joker has long ago given tho matter up as stale and unprofitable. Tho boards aro still there, but they do not enforce obedience, and they cannot now even raise a laugh. Why not, then, pull thorn down ?