PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13307, 13 October 1906, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—PBES9 ASSOCIATION.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. - Friday. The Council met at half-past two p.m. The Government Advances to Settlers Bill was read a third time and passed. On the motion of tho ATTORNEY GENERAL amendments made by tho House in the Training-ships' Bill were agreed to. The Masterton Trust Lands Trust Empowering Bill was committed, amended, and passed. (The Council rose at twelve minutes to three p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Friday. The House met at half-past two p.m. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Mr. Kaihnu was given two weeks' leave of absence, on account of ill health. EDUCATION. The House went into Committee of Supply, for the consideration of the Estimates. A long discussion took place on the first item of the Education class. The MINISTER FOR EDUCATION said he had listened with a good deal of interest to the remarks made. He hoped to improve matters in the course of 'Jme, but the opposite views expressed shoved the impossibility of giving unanimous satisfaction- The comments about the syllabus he thought hardly justifiable at present. The new syllabus had only been in operation for two and a-half years, and it was unreasonable to expect that teachers and inspectors all over the country wou'd at once fall into line in the operation of the new syllabus. It was quite clear from the remarks of teachers in some parts of the colony, at any rate, that the syllabus had given satisfactory results both to terfthers and scholars. Any failure in this respect had been due to the inability of someone to grasp the "true meaning and intent of the syllabus. He was satisfied that with the advent of new teachers, trained in their colleges, a good many of the difficulties experienced with teachers trained in other methods would disappear, also that the appointment of younger men to tho positions of inspectors would enable the spirit of the syllabus to be appreciated and applied. Then the colony would get the very best results. The regulations he thought, had been in the past too responsive to pressure under unusual circumstances, and whatever troubles had arisen were due to the fact that they had been amended so frequently on account of special cases. Coming into office, « s he had done, on the opening of Parliament, he had not. proposed to submit the srliibus to the Education Committee this year. He did not think it would have been right to throw the syllabus on the floor of the Education Committee, without submitting any policv of his own. He had, therefore," held it over. He intended, however, at the earliest opportunity to go through the syllabus with the officers of the Department. Early in the new year, a meeting of inspectors would be held, and he hoped to have some amendments for criticism by those who administered and interpreted the syllabus. At the next meeting,of Parliament the whole of the results of the criticism of the inspectors would be put before the Education Committee, and he hoped they would be able, to get the syllabus into the very best shape. As .to centralisation, a good deal of this had been forced on the Department. The whole tendency of recent legislation had been in that direction, notably in respect to the administration of the colonial scale of salaries, teachers' superannuation, and the increase in the manual and technical work, whilst even, now members were urging the adoption of a uniform scale of books leading to more cen- ] tralisation. As to the back blocks, lie need only say that he was in hearty sympathy with what had been urged on behalf of the people in the outlying districts. It was very largely a matter of cost.' . The vote of £8069 for head office passed unaltered. Vote .€538,611, Public Schools. The MINISTER explained that in some districts the bad roads interfered with the conveyance of children to the schools; that there would bs a vote on the iPublic Works Estimates for the Auckland Training College ;: that the basis of school classification(not teachers' salary), was the attendance. and that difficulty of transferring teachers was caused by variations of the attendance, especially in limited areas under divided control; that the fixing of the salaries of certificated teachers must depend on varieties of circumstances. It was the ca.se in all professions, in which the best qualified men frequentlv did not get the best salaries. Mr. MASSEY paid a high compliment to the Education Committee of last year and its chairman (Mr. Baume) for the excellent work done. He would like to see better provision made for rural education, after the manner of the Auckland Board. The MINISTER said that special grants were offered to all the boards of education for this purpose. The vote passed unaltered. Secondary education. £15,075, and technical education £33.225, passed unaltered. Public School Cadets. £6085. Mr. FIELD asked if the Department would co-operate with the Defence Department in regard to the camp at the Christchurch- Exhibition. The question was not answered. Native Schools, £21,755. Mr. NGATA advised the Minister to visit the native schools during the recess, and see if the natives would not set apart portion of their revenues for assisting in technical and agricultural education. The MINISTER said lie would do so gladly. The vote passed unaltered. Industrial schools, £25,174; school for deaf mutes, £4154; school for blind, £731; miscellaneous services, £12,935; school buildings', £86,650; bringing with the rest the aggregate of the education vote to '.£783,204, passed unaltered. PUBLIC HEALTH. Class 24, Public Health, £25,372, passed without alteration. HOSPITALS AND CHARITABLE AID. Class 25., Mental Hospitals, Charitable Aid, £97.505. Mr. WILFORD appealed for the betterment of the condition of the female warders. They were poorly paid, worked long hours, and were subject to tremendous and prolonged strain. He sustained his case by quoting from the last report of the inspector, contrasting the cases of these attendants and the workers in factories, who were protected by the factory legislation. Mr. GRAY advocated the separation of mild cases. The MINISTER said provision was being made on the Public Works Estimates. Mr. MASSEY advocated an addition a.fc Waitati for the separation of epileptic cases. The MINISTER said that the whole question of the classification of mental cases was under Cabinet consideration. With regard to the female attendants, he said he had not had an opportunity tc go into the matter fully. He knew the pay had beenincreased, and the hours had been shortened. (Cries of " Too long yet.") He promised to inquire carefully into the matter. He admitted with regret the coming sever- .. ance of. Mrs. Neill'a connection with the Department. The vote for mental hospitals, £83,170, passed unaltered. Charitable, £12,996. Mr. GRAY criticised the inspectorship adversely, and suggested a change. A long discussion ensued on a protest against the strictures on the nurses in the Inspector-General's report. Mr. GRAY moved a reduction of the charitable aid estimate by £1, to emphasise the dissatisfaction with the Inspector-Gene--1 ral's niiihagement generally. The motion was lost by 16 votes to 21. ■' A vote for defectives, £1339 (finishing mental hospitals and charitable aid). Mr. POLAND Vomplimented the Minister in charge on the grip of the Estimates he had shown, and the courtesy with which he had conducted the business. The vote was passed, and the, committee reported to the House. Eight small classes remain to bo. passed. The Hoi"® adjourned at twelve minutes , past oiiij a., in. »