The Marlborough Express. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16.

Marlborough Express, Volume XV, Issue 268, 16 November 1880, Page 2

The Marlborough Express. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16.

P, £he promoters of the Marlborough *-'* Arib Festival, which will be held in a ?,\.' T,e:ry few \yeeks from now, have just lv v received the prizes, jiuipberjng, in all > v ftppie one hundred "and seventy; an * Idea' of the value, of which may be gathered from the following, taken ' from the first page of the prize list ; * forwarded to us by Mr J. Allen, of Pic- \ ton :— !%_< * 1 Ladies'Gold-Watch, keyless "' -. \ 6 Gold Brooches .' '' . 5 Silver Lockets 1 6" „ NfcckJets 4 , B'f-otbfS '." , ' 2 ~ Plaier Tea and Coffte Strvictf " 2• ~' „ Tenets •^ -,1• ~ ~ tmtej C<*itr ;r • 1 „ „ Prtser"eH)dt» . ' !_lj^ « »« Mtffi»fctrs -';, 1 Mitrosropt A • 2 itiJtscopf-fc / A 1-aronuttir . • Field btete ''Ald'J-rrei.ieEfiivc autlcspjtai fcdection oT Books.

E\uyGie i ciutiLg ibe lid, v c think, -will tgieo ihr.t lljc H;efctiV»l Ccn^ittee .' 'hfi\e lanhftilij csriied : cut tteir piov - 'jtifees as lar as concerns the value of prizes. Financially, it is possible that speculation may prove unprofitable, but if the idea awakens, a de&ire and taste for something better than a ■life-long study of yellow backs, ihe Jobs will be more than compensated • for. It ib the with oi many persons to

, jtnake the le&tival &n annual afair, and we understand that it is intended '. * to endeavour to carry out this wi&h. - This first attempt at a competitive ex-

hibition is, of course, an experiment.

If sufficient support is received from the public, it is proposed on a future - - occasion to extend the classes of ex-

fcibitsj and to give those, who are now

excluded, the chance of gaining a prize. Several Applications for perto join in the competition, have been made by persons residing

outside the. Counties of Marlborough ,and Sounds7T>ut as the rules distinctly state that persons residing without the districts just mentioned are ineligible to compete, the Secretary has had to refuse them tickets. A number of tickets have been issued, but none for

two or three of the prizes, and we

would specially like to draw the atten--l tion-of schoolmasters to the clauses - r% trader the heading " School Prizes" in ' -the rules. Gaut-e 4, particularly re- ■.' quests that all, masters and ruistresbes of the public schools, who desire to avail themselveß of the offer of prizes " - made by the Committee, should give •',.' written notice to the Honorable Sec- - retary, at Picton, of their decision, *- - v giving at the same time the number of ' joizes that may probably be [required ' for their schools, so that the necessary \ prizes' may be obtained, and disap|ointm«!uta\oidf!d. So for, scarcely *\ aiiy apphcafeions have heen made ibr .'-■*y||pJoL3?i?a» -ma toad, Itomev*?* i^t

our teachers will not show themselves apathetic in a matter, which, if taken proper advantage of, cannot fail to prove of great practical utility, both to their pupils, and to their schools. It should also not be lost sight of that the Festival Committee propose to pay the prize children"s expenses in coming through to Picton on the Festival day to receive their prizes, because it was thought that this trip would be a great treat to the children Should the masters or mistresses of the schools desire that the prizes should be given at their respective schools, we have, no doubt, the Committee would accede to the wishes, and send prizes for distribution on receipt of the necessary certificates. The project of the Festir val, ias we pointed out some months ago when it was first mooted, is an admirable one in every respect, and we cannot abstain from expressing the opinion, that if the people of the Province do not combine and make it a success, it will not reflect much credit on them.