The Premier at Napier.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 22, 2 August 1887, Page 2

The Premier at Napier.

AW ELOQUENT DEFENCE OF THE

EDUCATION SYSTEM.

LSfeci'l io Standard.] NaPiSb, last night. The best parts of the Premier'» address here on Saturday were his defence of the village settlement scheme, his advooaoy of encouragement to local industries, and hie appeal for the maintenance and extension, rather than the curtailment of the Education system. The Hawkes Bay people have not imbibed to any extent the strong drink of Protection, and though everyone admits the value of local industries, few are propared to admit their necessity, if they sprang tip naturally; like the fern oi manuka well and good,. The premier Was applauded frequeutly while epeaking on these subjects, but there was not the same enthusiasm as shown when he spoke on the land questionThe meeting made the windows rattle at each point on this subject, especially at those referring to the purchase of large holdings, and to native land sharking. Considering the quality of the land the large holding system is a worse evil in Hawkes Bay than anywhere else probably in the Colony. As to village settlements the Premier cleverly turned the tables on the detractors of the system among the opposition by showing notwithstanding their complaints that Government had incurred liabilities £70,000 in excess of what was intended, the Opposition has given them permission to send 150 more families up In September, which at the same rate means a contingency of £13,000 more. There has for sometime past been a growing feeling of dissatisfaction with the management of Napier High School, and the feeling naturally been extended to the whole High School system, the complaint being that the school is only kept up for the rich, and there has been

some agitation in the direction of depriving it and all others of all Government assistance. Sir R. Stout's appeal in favour of the maintenance of the system was most eloquent, and must have considerable effect in modifying the local anger against the High Schools. In reference to primary education he showed that the proposal to raise the school age must mean the employment of illiterate teachers or the closing of many country schools, while the proposal to knock off the fifth and sixth standards will degrade the general educational attainment which is not □early high enough now. He pointed out what has been done in Scotland and in Germany, and said if New Zealanders are not to be hewers of wood and drawers of water from being unfit for anything else they must be given a good education.