TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVII, Issue 88, 16 April 1903, Page 1

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Some remarks made by the Premier in his "Waimate speech would indicate that the Government are gathering courage to take up the question of improving our education system in its primary, technical and manual branches. Mr Seddon expressed the opinion that the question should be threshed out during the coming session. It was necessary to act in the interests of the rising generation, and he would ask if the syllabus now obtaining was satisfactory. Was it not a system of cram ? Were subjects not taught that were not required in the after life of their sons and daughters ? Full enquiry would ba made, and he believed it would result in the alteration of tbe syllabus. More attention should be given to the imparting of secondary education to the brighter boys and girls jafc the close of their primary education, and if th© parents of such children cjuld not afford to pay tho fees and the board and lodging charges-then those should come out of the endowments set apart in the early days for schools. The need of completing and perfecting our system of technical and manual education was also emphasised by the Premi«r. This is a matter which demands the serious attention of the educational authorities. On the efficiency of our artisans of the future will depend the industrial success of the colony, but so far only the very crudest provision has been made in this direction. The scheme of secondary education now being entered upon is far from being all that is necessary to equip the rising population for the industrial competition with other countries. A classical education will be of small avail to the average citizen of the coming generation. A moro practical basis 13 what is required for the educational system of the Colony if that system i 3 to be of real service to the mass of the people, and it is gratifying to see that this idea holds good with the Government.

The proposal for the interchaage of free press messages between Canada, Australia, and New Zealand was

fir brought under the notice of the New Zealand Government by a letter written from Ottawa by Sir Sandford Fleming, a prominent Canadian official. The letter, written at tho end of January, points out that three months hadpassed sinco the Pacific cable was completed, and as far as was known not a single press message had passed over it. " Canada, New Zealand, and Australia are connected by a first class submarine telegraph, laid at the public expense. It is controlled by a public ( Board, it is fully equipped and manned by first-class operators. It is not half employed, and yet the kindred psople at tho two ends, wibh common sympathies and aim 3, are allowed to remain in utter darkness respecting their daily doings. Why should we nob cultivate acquaintance and know a little more about each other now we have the means ? We think a movement should be made, a? an experiment, to have press messages sent freo of charge for three months, to the limit, say, of 500 words a day. This could be don© without adding to the cost of operating tho cable a single shilling, and by the end of three months those in authority would be in a position to judge respecting the continuation of the service at low reasonable rates. Tho Press Association of Canada meets shortly, and it is proposed io petition the Go-vernor-in-Council to ask the Cable Board to make the experiment. Were it once mado, we feel satisfied that the service would bo appreciated by the public and the presp, and that it would be continued in some form." Sir Joseph Ward has had submitted to him an official statement showing that messages ftom London sent over tho Pacific cable had been received in New Zealand in about an hour, a proof, he saya, that this route is very fast.