WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11132, 26 January 1899, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

[special to hawke's bay herald.] [by telegraph.] Wellington, Wednesday. While giving evidence against Captain Altaian at the Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, George Allport, chief clerk in the Marine Department, in reply to Mr Skerrett, said the department gave Jones permission to go up for the master's examination. It was an official letter sent to the collector, signed by witnesses, and written by authority of the Minister in charge of, the department. Mr Skerrett : " Ah, I thought so. Is the Minister in charge of the department subpoened for the Crown ? (A pause). Well, he ought to be." (Laughter). Mr John Hutcheson, M.H.R., in giving his evidence, said that there was as much peculiarity in dispensing with service qualification as in doing without the mate's certificate. Mr Skorrett: "That was done by order of the Minister (Mr Hall Jones), but 1 suppose 'the king can do no wrong.' What do you think about it, Mr Hutcheson ?" The witness's answer was a smilo, ar.d Mr Skerrett, also smiling, said, "Never mind, it doesn't matter." Mr Kenny, S.M., said he thought he should draw attention to a provision in the regulations which gave the department power to give special consideration in some cases. Mr Skerrett: "That refers only to sea service and the possession of certificates matters." Mr Gully to witness: ''Assuming that there was power to dispense with qualifications under special circumstances, you cannot say whether it waS rightly exercised in this case or not?" Witness : " Only as a matter of opinion." The peculiar attitude taken up by the Minister in illegally dispensing with the qualification of Jones is causing a good deal of comment here. There are 14,418 children attending the 143 schools under the jurisdiction of the Wellington/ Education Board, 7517 males and 6901 females. . The teachers number 413, of whom 124 are males and 289 females. This disparity was remarked upon at the Board's meeting to-day, when it was pointed out that the young male teachers absolutely refused to go into the country, preferring to keep to the town schools, where the salaries were higher. The result is that there are schools in the country districts where the big boys dominate the situation, the mistresses being only nominally in charge. When this waß pointed out -to-day, the chairman remarked that in his experience the settlers in isolated country places preferred female teachen because they could generally teach music or sewing. One member of the Board remarked that he had met with women teachers in very uncongenial surroundings, and there were places to which nc self-respecting man would allow a sistei or other female relative to go. The chairman closed the discussion by re marking that in the present state of the Board's finances the only way to increase salaries and encourage young men to gc to the country schools would be to reduce the emolument of some of the more highly paid of the servants of the Board " Hillcoat," the pigeon shot who figurec so prominently in Tuesday's contest here is Sir Gorrick, a Sydney trapsman. He is here on an angling excursion, and is ai present fishing in the Forty-mile Busl ai-.rrtn.ma