AN APPRECIATION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 14 May 1925, Page 9

AN APPRECIATION.

THE LATE M R ALEXANDER MAIR (B. McC. and V. O’D.) We have been asked to contribute a short account of the Hawera School

ed the Government paddock, now occupied by the- Commercial Hotel, post office and water tower. The block bounded by Smith. Road and High Street between' 'Princes Street and Wai hi Road in ’74 did not contain or; f building, and the i proposed school appeared far out of | the town. Finally opposition died out, and in ’75 the school was built oh its present site.” It should be added that Mr. Geo. Syme. of Hawera,. ] was the con tractor for the school building. LITTLE MONEY; M UCH WORK.

Under the headmastership of the, late Mr Alexander Mair. Neither of the (contributors was long at the school, ' and for most of the facts and names they are. .indebted to .Mr Jim Winks and' Mr Steve Adamson. ; It is of interest to note that Mr 1 Winks was the second white child to i be born in Hawera. the first being Mr , Tom Tait. the third Mr Steve AdamIso'n. and the fourth Mr Willie McL’Dowie. now of Matapu. The first • white girl, Mr Winks-informs us, was ' Jenny Livingston (h-ow Mrs Baker). We think;'it Can lie. fairly granted .that Mi - Mair was one of the ablest teachers that any school could have ! had, and in his day the name “Hawera School” stood for all .that was excellent in education. We doubt if any school in New Zealand in those

The school comniitteei-i of those early days must have had a, hard task, for it is assumed, that, travelling, being so slow and difficult they must have been left to themselves largely in the .management of school buildings, and it

may bo considered certain that there’ was little in the Wav of fluids with: which to work. Tli© earliest chair-, man of the Hawera committee was Mri T. Al.iddlemas, He and his brother , were men of considerable character, j and they were . leading men in public. life for .several years. It is l said that it was owing to their intervention the school was not •’built on the situ where now stands St j Mary’s Church. Mr. 1 Wallace says the timber was actually on the ground there. For the first year or two a .sima'll payment was made l»y every resident who had children at (lie school, but in 1877 came into force Air. G. C. Bowen’s Education Act, giving free,; secular and compulsory education to; all children. j In reference to the payment for the j teaching given, it i.s interesting to recall a. tax which must have created >a of feeling. It is cadcd the chimney I tax. Under the old Provincial Conn-j

davs even aproached it for the excellence of its teaching. The then Inspector of Schools, IN'lr AY . H . A T ereker Bindon, was never tired of singing its praises at all; the schools he visited. The school in (those days nearly always topped the lisj, in the scholarship examinations, and one year, 1890, it took the three leading places in the senior scholorship examination, the places being hefd by Bernard AlcCarthy (now j solicitor in Hawera), Ethel George, | later a teacher in the school (now deceased), and Percy Jackson (now headmaster at the Feildnig School). The fourth scholarship was awarded to Patrick O’Dea, of Maiiu-tn-hi (who held , his scholarship the foilowing year under Air Alair). A junior scholarship of the same year was won by George AlrFarland (“Porgie”), one of the ablest boys in the school, who I afterwards entered the medical profession (but now deceased). Scholarships Sat the school had previously been won iby George ' Home (now medical praeti-

Back Row (left to right): Percy Jackson (teacher), Geo. Hobbs, AV. Ogle, Geo. Lareom, Sam Lurcorn, Geo. Ogle, Ted Fantham. Middle Row A. Castle, Asliley Jackson, Wm. Styles, Jas. Cowper, R. Castle, Horace Nowell, J. Hunter, Dew Caplen, Ed. Swinburne, V. Basliford. Front Row: Hector Beamish, Chas. Clements, Major Whiting, J. Mendelson, T. Coffey, G. Clout, A. Sutton, Alf. Barley.

jtioner at New Plymouth, one of the ! leading medicos In the Dominion, and I some time examiner in medicine to j the New Zealand University). Most | old pupils will remember how Mr Alair, when he wished to spur his boys lon, used' to quote the example of Geordie Home. “Geordie Home I wouldn’t have done it like that.’’ j Geordie was his white-haired hoy. I Other scholarship winners were James j Sutton, Henry Babbage, David Syme | (now solicitor at Eltham and for a | time a teacher at the school, whose j eldest son is following in his father’s I .footsteps, if not surpassing him), H. iX. MeLedd, Margaret McFarland. J Alfred,. Tones, Bertha Dixon, and, no ' doubt, many others that the writers do not remember or do not know about.

The name “thorough’'’ aptly summed up Mr Mail’s educational methods, and we doubt whether pupils to-day are being turned out with the same ohorough grounding in the essentials. There is no doubt that teachers nowadays are given wider latitude, which makes for more independence on the part of the .pupils, hut the teaching must he more diffuse and not so thorough in essentials. Alec. Hunter and -Timmy Hunter were pupils under Mr Mair. and the writers can remember that though Jimmy in their time was

wonderful map-drawing;, but the doyen of map-drawers jwas Bill. Well do we remember, how Mr Mair used to go to his table, take from one of his drawers a map made in past days by Douglas, compare it ’with a present-day effort, and say sadly, “I wish I had another William Douglas here now.” . It was always William with Mr Mail - , never plain Bill or any other . nickname. although most of the boys had nicknames. as “Bunny” Harkness, VDarky” Bashfbrd, “Sergeant” McLean, etc., etc. :■ Other old pupils were the Hurleys, the Synnotts, “Paddy” Fitzsimmons, the Petersons, Hollands; Muirs, Hasties (Tom and Edwin), Fanthams. Cowpers, Hutchesons, Smiths. Ecclesfields, Beamishs, Dunns, Blyths (David and Hitchcocks, Boyds (Bob is now chief postmaster at Hamilton), Mendelsons (Julius is now a large merchant in San Francisco), Nicholases, Percy Moore (now a chemist. atWhangarei), Brunettes, Whitings, Morrisseys (Ted and Bill), Clouts. Leo Espagne, Wallaces. Suttons. Ekdahls, Clarson, Frank Caverbill, AliddlemissRoper, Bill Butler (of Nolantown), the Powers, Jack Whitmore. Isaac Williams (“Whisky”), Charlie Duffill, Bill Slattery. Jim Brown. Another old pupil was Alf. Goodson, hut hie time was before the advent of these contributors. No doubt there are many others whom the writers cannot recollect through the mists of the times that have passed. Mr Mair, like a true Scotsman, was devoid of any sense of humour. On one occasion Mr Jim Winks relates that he (Jim) was dared by his mates to go to the school on an April Fools’ Day and make a fool?of Mr Mair. In those days every morning before school, for an hour or more, Mr Mair took his pupil teachers and scholarship pupils at their lessons.; Jim went up to the door (through with fear and trembling), knocked, and when Mr Mair came to the door he said, “It’s April Fools’ Day* Air Mair.” “Is it?” said sfr Mair. “well you just come in here and put in the rest of the playtime in silent meditation.” On another occasion the hoys were marched down to Constable “Paddy” Carroll. They had been smoking, and smoking in those days was looked on far more seriously than now. Constable Carroll pointed, out to the boys the “black hole” in the lock-up that was kept for delinquents. This visit had a most beneficial effect, and Air AVinks assures the writers (and quite gravely) that this stopped smoking at the school. The. present generation is much less easily frightened.

Among the teachers in Air Alair’s time were Messrs Strombom, .Ritehings Grant, Alec. Matheson, Ambler Woodhead. Davy Syme (pupil teacher), and the following lady teachers: Aliss Verdon (a relative of the late Bishop Verdon, of Dunedin), Airs Horneman (who will he still remembered with affeation by very many on account of her Jong stay at the school); Aliss Becky Williams (now Airs J. D. *Scott, of Hawera.), Miss Cornfoot (afterwards Airs Alair), Aliss Hills (who married MrHill, also a teacher), Aliss Annie Hobbs (now Mrs Gilbert AVileon). There were, no doubt, others, of that far-off time whom the writers have forgotten. The writers have had in their possession some of the old log books of the school. The school at the blockhouse was evidently not the first school, there being a private school near where Bennett and Sntton’s store stands. The first entry in the log book is made by Robert Lee, Inspector of Schools. He writes under date April 1. 1875: “This is my second visit to the Hawera School held in in an old blockhouse without any suitable furniture. The 'school is in a primitive state and the results low. There are 29 hoys and 19 girls on the books (nb pupils were|in- a standard higher than standard 2),.” Inspectors! were pretty herd on the teachers in. those- davs. Mr Lee, after stating that the new master, Air Dunne, was not long enough at the school to produce good results, continues: “There is not much evidence at present of his efficiency, as the copy book writing is slovenly and the organisation very unsatisfactory.” Mr Dunne, under .date Alay 13, 1875, reports in the log book: “Business was. commenced in the new schoolhouse today by order'of Mr Afjddlemas.” It is to be hoped he meant business. Evidently in those days the teacher liked to get the parents along to the school to see the' work. Or it may he that Mr! Dunne wished to offset the rather disparaging remarks made by Inspector Lee, because on May 20, 1875, apnears the following entries. in the log book, the first signed by Felix O. CN McCarthy and the other by Air G. Isherwood: “I visited the Hawera School to-day while the master examined the third and fourth classes. Their answering was very good, and the manner in which the business seems to be carried through by Air Dunne seems, in mv opinion, much better than what I have seen elsewhere. I liked much the order with whi-di the business was conducted.” Imagine (he teaching profession being called a business'! This testimonial was in the writing of Air Dunne, but _ was signed by Mr McCarthy. Evidently the teacher was writing his own eulogy. Air Isherwood’s testimonial in the log book reads: “I have great pleasure in testifying to the advance made by the scholars under Air Dunne in nearly all branches, especially in writing.” The next entry refers to a gale blowing down, the chimney (June-16, 1875),; “The iate gale having partially blown down the chimney, I am directed by Air Cowern on behalf of the insurance;' company to see' that no fires be lighted in the room until such time as the chimney is properly rebuilt.” This would refer, to Mr Wm. Cowern, would it not? ' ‘ ‘

only in the fourth standard he was considered fully qualified to play in the boys’ senior team at the school, and he was even then famous for his “corkscrew” runs.' One of the writers can remember that in the schoolboy gam.es he (the writer) was considered bv his mates a good tackier, and used to be put out to mark Jimmy, but the little -beggar used to wriggle through to score his try. Other players, in that team that the' writers can recall were Jack O’Shea (now of OHangai), the Tockers, Donald Duehannn. Rounv McLean and Jim AYinks. Other pupils of a prior or later date were the Livingstons (Fred.' Guy and Heathc.ote), Sam and George 1 Larcom. Henry McLean. William McFarland. Harry ■Hobbs. Jack Hobbs. Harry Elliott (now Hawera’s Town Clerk), the Adam-

sons (Major and Steve), the Partridges N. a’Gourt and W. Noble. Mr Jim Winks recalls an incident connected wtih this latter pupil. One of the teachers § was a Missi Cornfoot (who afterwards] married Air Alair). Noble, who is now a solicitor at le Kuiti (previously at Alasterton), was a rather high-spirited youth, who, being displeased with | Aliss Cornfoot, threw a-bottle of ink ;(t her and bespattered her with ink. |Mr Winks says l that even in those l unruly days they were all awestruck ail such impudence, the more so as this [ was the lady teacher that the headmaster was sweet on. Of course young Noble suffered in adequate manner the penalty for his inisding. One does not nowadays hear of such conduct among pupils.. Is it that the race is losing its .virility ? Another old pupil was Bill Douglas, still of Hawera?; whom Air Alair used to hold up for (his model map-drawing long after he left school The school in those days used to fjirn out some

The log hook in Mr Mair’s time is kept with his well-known neatness and in beautiful writing. Once Mr Mair made up his mind he was adamant. One entry reads (June 6, 1890): “On account of the continued disobedience of .... ( a certain boy) I have resolved not to admit ' him, except he apologise. Mr . . , ( the boy’s father) considers this the proper course.” June 9: “ . / . (the boy) apologised and was readmitted/’ The school committee in 1890 was Messrs Hutchison .chairman (then a solicitor in Hawera, later a magistrate), W. A. Parkinson (late proprietor of the Star), Dive (father of Bradshaw Dive, ex-M.P-.),■ Gore, Jackson (father of Percy Jackson). Sutton and Martin. •

An entry of July 7. 1890., reads: “Hawera School sent three competitors for junior scholarship. All qualified. George McFarland occupies first place with §9 per cent', Martha Carmichael second place with 81.5 per cent, John Kkdalil seventh place with 66.1 per ent. The pupil teachers have passed as follows: Esther Ecclesfield 82.9 per cent, Amy Brunette 66.4 per cent, and Isabel Hutchison 67.8 per cent.’V

An entry on October 7, 1890, reads: “Patrick O’Dea. pupil teacher from Stony Creek, visited school on the after, noon of (it'll. November 28, 1890: “George McFarland and Bessie Ecclesfield gained highest marks ( for month of October, and each received a prize from the head teacher.” December 19, 1890: “Maud Clemqe, TTbr.aeo Nowell and Adan/Vv’al.laceobtained, food attendance certificates of the first class, and jPercy Jackson, Malcolm Brunette, Margaret Carmichael,. Lizzie

Carmichael, and Victor Nowell secondclass certificates.-” , , January 16: “The Hon. ,R. J- Seddon, in company with chairman -rof,;■ X coinmitte, visited school to-day.”. The next entry says they were. -granted two whole holidays. (The Hon. Rich-, ard alwavs' did things well.) March 17, 1891: “G. AlcFarland was ; - awarded first prize and F.-. second prize for mapping at the NoPi p® man by Horticultural Show, and Syme second prize for writing. 5 ’ are one or two. entries of Mr Mair' ex—pelting hove from the school,. and_ this, be would‘have no hesitation in doing -' f he thought it deserved. But he;was - absoiutelv just. After one' entry in the log book of an expulsion- Air Mair , t L" writes: “Mr H. Caplen? solicitor, written stating that the proceedings of the committee (which expelled' the .f&M hoy) are irregular.” (This is the iisufti legal device. Air Caplen had to .do “X something for his client. But Air.•Aiaar, treats it wtih due Scotch cautionpTpr he continues): “However, a.s the boy is not attending school no further action is considered necessary”—the nn*plication being that if the a,ction •of - the committee and himself were' irregular the bov could ask to bo takon back. , A r ery cautious! There are• eral references to Air Alec. Alatheson tgss and Airs Horneman being away on ac- y count of illness. ;

The school committee for 1891 Messrs J. F, Alartin (chairman), Sutton. M. Hunter. AV. Jackson, R® v - ||g "’’•iffin. Dive and- Robbins. Under date May 8, 1891,'. is the following: “In connection with the Taranaki jjaig Jubilee Exhibition ihe following gained 1 nrizes: Standard VI: Finlay 1 — ■Martin,‘first prize (mapping); George McFarland, highly commended (map- v? ping). Standard VII: P.. Jackson ; first, AI. Carmichael second, A. Adam* son third (writing). Standard VI; Hunter and F. Martin first (wrmng)L:g3|fl Standard V: Al. Brunette ing). Standard III: E. Wallace first, - Al. Carmichael third (writing). * May 20, 1891 : “Charles Henry Sutton, Alex. Hunter and Finay Alartin sent in their notices to sit for senior scholarships.” The teack-qqyi ers in June, 1891, were: Mr Mair, 5 Mr Matheson (second assistant), Mrs , Horneman (first assistant), Aliss Pren,dergast. Aliss Brunette, Aliss Hutchison a nek Aliss Ecclesfield. August ; H 10, 1891: “A senior scholarship been awarded to A. Hunter.” 26 1891: Punished Fen. Cooper-'; Alalcolm Brunette for disobedience*® p* each received four strokes on) with strap.” Most* of u s that strap. September 1, 1891: “Emily, (pV George and Fred Synnott m Standard. :; ! VI, Julius Alendelson and Margaret. Dive in Standard V obtained highest marks for month of August.” Sep- V?; tember 4, 1891: Singing lesson—“ The Gj Old Black Cat.” October 9: Singing ■ lesson—“A happy family we.” Januarv 27, 1892: “A. Wallace, H. Hansen L. ; ,and Awatapu punished for fighting in J p]ayground —four strokes. 9 ’ JViost ; the' old boys will remember Awatapu “ Teari, generally called Tapu,, who still graces the streets of Hawera with his presence. He was the first Alaori utiy ■—-j* to attend the Hawera School pi-obabhy one of the first Maoris on the coast to attend school, and one of Maoris from this district to enlist for the front. • , ' ’-4February 4: ‘Mulius Alendelson, s , Fred Jackson. Emily AVhittington, ; Editli AA’hittington. Allan A\allaee s William George and Pearl Brown ob- « tained first-class attendance certificates. and Ida Mendelson, Agnes Mali*, ' David Wallace. Afoses Bernard, Lizzie Carmichael, Alice Cole,. Alaud Lucas, :. - Roliert Carmichael, and James Alair second-class certificates.” Febvuarv 16 1 “Punished R. Oliver') .- fu? Alf. Ur win. and W. Wakefield for dis- (*&: obedience—four strokes, and a© Wafe- 1 field continued obstinate the meat had to be repeated. Air Mai- 1 *- was nothing if not ■ consistent •lour strokes was his usual limit, unless- ‘ the operation had to he repeated.” The committee for 1892 was: Alessrs MaXr tin (chair). Brunette, Fairs, Hutchison, Jackson, Parkinson, Sutton, Whitting- , ton and Veats. On Alav 27, 1892._ AHr.

Mair renorts: “Forwarded iny resignation to board and committee.” ■ • It giv<*s us pleasure to add tliis small f tribute to our old master, and to the nation from which he was sprung. . ; Though neither of the writers are sobs of Caledonia, they recognise that from that nation have come some of' our *. greatest teachers, that education hits there alwnv-s ranked as of the highest. Alexander‘Mail- was a worthy descenß- . ant of the Alexander Bains, SyHfe Dugald Stewarts and all the other / great educationists,, philosophers thinkers that Scotland has “Peace to his ashes.” fIHSB