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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8930, 20 December 1887, Page 4

Fkom an incident which occurred in the House yesterday, it would appear that some of Sir Julius Vogel'a supporters do not cherish much respect for his position as leader of the Opposition. On the House going into committee on the Education estimates, it was intimated by Mr. Fisher that members on both sides of the House had represented to the Government that, if the question of raising the school age were not pressed, they would support the other proposals of the Ministry for effecting retrenchment in the administration of the Education Act. He then stated that the Ministry were prepared to agree to this arrangement. This concession was obviously asked and granted with the view of getting rid of the objection, that, if the school age were raised from five to six years it would practically lead to the closing of many country schools, inasmuch as the admission of children at the age cf five was necessary to secure the number of scholars which is requisite for the establishing and maintaining of these schools. This difficulty the Ministry had intended getting over by making an exception in favour of country schools, and allowing children of the age of five years to attend them. This concession, however, would have interfered i with the uniformity which in this matter it is desirable to observe in all the schools; and, for that reason, as well as for others, the retaining the school age at five would have met with more general favour. At this stage, however, Sir Julius Vogel interposed, and said that he was not aware of any compromise in the matter having been arrived at, and called upon the members of the Opposition not to agree to any arrangement whatever. From this it would seem that Sir Julius had not been taken into the confidence of those members of the Opposition who had been negotiating with the Government, and he rallied them into subordination by declaring hostility to all the proposals on the question of education, made by the Government in the interest of retrenchment. So soon as this became manifest, Mr. Fisher very wisely resolved on pressing the proposals as originally framed and submitted to the House.