To the Editor of the "Evening Mail."

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXI, Issue 324, 22 December 1887, Page 3

To the Editor of the "Evening Mail."

Bin.— The admirable way in whioh the Government has brought forward and bo far curried through their scheme of retrenchment teserves the thanks of every true patriot in x h Colony. Sho only blot upon this hitherto ™ s t»ble fioheme i« the somewhat ruthless nm * *<» Council to turn out of our schools Uiaer x rffefct has passed . the gth standard. everyone ot^ Gt hBS pro bably arisen oat of Ihw rathle. Education, and what in my the abuse of t at ia the destruction judgment it tea, x™ W| j u p in our midst, and «f a thing that ha,. tha upper 6tb< 1 suppose ib umverb fyfo jj^ is no pro . or 7th standard for % .^on Act. Jt is well vision made m the Educ. ards> ce B PCO i a ll y known that the upper n. f w^ amongst the girls, have bee n? p » | rom year (his reason, as girls have stayt v^^rted that to year, and at this time it is * «*jg »i a rfl of there i 8 one yoang person there ot *zIA «ge, and I have been given to under, T?' x£: fe tho truth of which I cannot voul "* UI * there has been a ease or two wh girl has won a scholarship, passed thrc "»*» the College and actually gone back the 7th standard. If this bo bo it i.' ripe for aeßtruction. o?his is too mucQ forlhe country to pay for. If parents wieh for their children a higher education than the State offers in the 6th Standard let them have it by all means, but let them pay *or it. But it strikes me when the State . has finished with them in the 6th Standard private enterprise as in the Bishop's School would meet all further need, and certainly dc

it much better. There is "no injustioe ii taming the youths over |aocbol age out •sohool. after passing the required Standard Where the injustice and jruthlessneßß of thi Order in Council comes in ia meeting out tt the smart boy or girl who has passed tin 6th Standard at the early age of 11 or 12 th< same measure that is meted out to the boy oi ■ girl who has only passed at the school age 15. While these latter ought to and should be made to clear out of the State system, the former to ought and should be left in till the Bchool age is completed. If the injustice to the latter be pointed out by such an authority as the associated teaobers, I do not believe the Government is so lost to reason as to refuse to amond the Order in Council in that particular point. — I am, &0., Pro Patria.

TO THB EDITOB OF THE " EVENING MAIL," Sib,— As a subscriber to the Beading room at the Institute, I should like to know by what right the Committee have thought fit to advertise a notioe (without in any way consulting the wishes of members in general) stating that the readingroom is to be closed from Deo. 26 to Jan. 3 inclusive, eight days in all. Surely, in the event of 'the librarian wishing to take a holiday, a substitute could easily have been found.— Yours, &c, Fair Play.