SPECIAL INTERVIEW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12713, 16 November 1904, Page 1 (Supplement)

SPECIAL INTERVIEW.

i ; EDUCATION IN ENGLAND AND y CANADA. ■ ; PROGRESS ,IN TECHNICAL TRAINING. A Herald reporter tad a chat yesterday , with Mr. James Muir, recently chairman of the Auckland Board of Education, who has just returned from a trip through England and Canada, Mr. Muir during his travels baa given a good deal of attention to the study of educational methods in the various places ho has visited, and in reply to- our reporter's first query as to the progress of teolinioal education he said: "Technical education is making great prtfgross both in the Old Country and in Canada in comparison with New Zealand, which is only tinkering with the subject, as with the present grants it is impossible for subordinate educational bodice in. this country to take even ft superficial view of the matter. In Glasgow they have got enormous places, and in> all the large cities in the Old Country there are well-equipped technical colleges. Eveni in the country districts technical instruction ; is being tackled., though in a less elaborate way. Both in Great Britain and Canada : ; they are devoting great attention to the agricultural side of technical education. Canada has entered on an enlightened policy of establishing experimental farms, and instituting scientific research in connection, with agriculture, horticulture, and arboriculture, investigating the history and habits of injurious insects and the methods by «Inch noxious weeds are propagated and spread, and the best means for their destruction. ,In consequence largely of these steps the exports of farm produce from Canada have almost doubled in the last seven years. : England is how rapidly regaining the ground lost fry being late ir starting systematic technical education. Through Germany and the United States being ahead of England in the matter oi teohmical education, German and American experts were chosen to fill foreign positions, and naturally, when they required anything in the way of machinery, tiey sent to their own country for it. The ground thus lost is now being recovered, however, because it is still recognised that for turning out a real substantial article there is nothing to beat the British workshop." " How is feeling in England on the Federal question?" ■ "I don't believe Mr. Chamberlain's policy will be carried at the next election," said 1 Mi. Muir. "The Government has passed an Education Act which is obnoxious to .the Nonconformists, and a Licensing Act which is obnoxious to the temperance party, .so that both the Nonconformists and the prohibitionists will vote against the present Government at next election, and Mr. .Chamberlain is still, to a certain extent, identified with the present Government. Ultimately, I have no doubt, Mr. Chamberlain's views will prevail. A great many people in the Old Country now recognise that their adoption is absolutely necessary." " Have yon noted' anything new in the methods of conducting primary education?" " Yes; in England they have abolished the standards, and teachers now have a freer hand. The Education Department has also, I believe, recommended the ; abolition of the raised platforms'* in schools, which I think would be a mistake.. In many country districts they have .a high school '>. connection with the primary school, all presided over by the headmaster, , who hi such case is always a university graduate. Certain leaving certificates from such schools entitle the scholars who ate going to a university to dispense with the university entrance examination." -. THE LEOPARD AS A HUNTER. \f,';'-. .. '■''■•.;■. "••.■■■"■■■■■•-<>-nF---~. ■/;•, ..;l;.'": ,: i. The leopard, whose home is in both Asia and Africa, is more active by night- than by day, but, unlike its bigger brother, the tiger, it kills for the sake of killing, which " Stripes" does only when teaching its cubs.-. The leopard's love of carnage is so marked'that Sir Harry Johnston calls the preying-insect. which has an insatiable appetite, "the leonard of the insect world." The animal is said to be much more dangerous to man than the tiger, which rarely attacks unless provoked ; but, when discovered, the leopard seems always ready tc begin the fray. It generally leaps at the throat, fastening its claws in the neck, either strangling its victim or bearing it down and breaking its back. The cheetau, or hunting leopard, seems to stand midivav between the cat and the dog family, not only in app*arance, but in its method of hunting. It does not lie in wait, but steals up under cover as far as possible and then runs down its prey by sheer fleetiicss of foot. Its legs and neck are long, and the head is carried high so as to give the beast a wide field of view. Once started, oj goes the cheetah at full stretch, the prey—usually black buckflying over the ground at nearly equal speed. But the pursuer gains steadily, a blow with the paw on the buck's flank' lays it on its back, and in another instant grips it by the throat. .If the beast, is hunting on, its own account, :it ■: gorges and then retires to its lair. But if it is a trained beast the keeper hurries up. cuts the throat of the buck, gives the cheetah a part of it, puts on;this tatter's hood, and leads it back to the cart on which if was brought to the field. - Sir Samuel Bilker, for whom the Guikwar of Baroda had arranged a hunting expedition of this kind, says: — y ''I;iievi!!r saw anything to equal the speed of the buck and cheetah we were literally nowhere, although we were going as hard as horseflesh could carry us." yln his expedition to Lake Tanganyika some years back, Mr. J. S. Moore saw a fight between a crocodile and a' leopard. The leopard whilst drinking was seized by a crocodile, winch got hold of its hindquarters, and the poor brute was seen at the water's edge endeavouring to crawl along with the crocodile clinging to its hind legs. Now and then it turned and struck at the crocodile's head' with its claws, and tried to bite. ' ; Th the end. however, one of the leopard's hind legs was -nulled clean off, and he died shortly afterwards upon the bank.