The Oamaru Mail. MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 27 December 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail. MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1880.

The education question comes up in S63SOD an."! out of season. "When so much . smoke is visible it is ungenerous to ridicule those who conclude that there must be Borne fire. In vain Ministerial trumpeters cry "Peace, peace," when there is no peace ; when everything indicates a restless desire for change, and the recent shuffling of the Ministerial portfolios paves the way. We take leave to distrust such emphatic disavowals. We form our conclusions upon deeds, not words. It is in the very nature of things that the transfer of the educational portfolio from the Hon. Mr. Rolleston to the Hon. Mr. Dick should be severely scrutinised. We can discover no great urgency in the alleged motives for making such a change, and unless we assume that Ministers are indifferent, we conclude they would not needlessly alarm the friends of education as by law established. We treat with sDspicion therefore the vehement protestations of Ministerial organs which are behind the sce»es. The change of portfolios was only the first act in a carefully laid plot to attack the present system. But why all this clamor about a Minister? Mr. Rolleston is by no means a brilliant man. He can boast cf little art or eloquence. His los 3, therefore, to the department would b<? of small consequence ! But Mr. Rolleston is-at least a scholar and a gentleman, no unimportant adjuncts to a Minister of Education. He has, moreover, distinguished himself by much earnestness and enthusiasm in defence of the system. No one in the House, or out of it, has been more resolute or uncompromising in its defence. Notwithstanding the cry for retrenchment, the hon. member for Avon stubbornly stood by the system. In hands less firm the vote would have been ruthlessly cut down. Had the Minister been less than enthusiastic —not to say lukewarm or perfunctory—such was the temper of the

House that the system would have been imperilled. On the other hand, Mr. Dick can hardly be regarded by his most complimentary friends as eminently, qualified, on personal grounds, for such .a position. He is doubtless a "highly respectable and exemplary man, calculated to adorn a bun fight or a gigantic tea meeting. He can have no pretentions, however, to either scholarship or ability. Were he even an ardent supporter of the present system, he lacks the force and influence necessary in dealing with, such a question, either in the House or out of it. But, worse still, he is avowedly opposed to the system, and makes no secret of it. And yet we are abjured with wearisome reiteration that the change of portfolios is without political significance. Credulous indeed must be the people who do not see in the waving of so many straws how the wind is blowing. We had indeed'regarded the question of a national system of education as settled for years to conie, and if confidence is shaken ministers and. ministerial organs are to blame, for they protest too much. We shall b.e agreeably surprised if burs fears and warnings are without foundation. .In the ; meantime, however, we venture to predict , that, if the country evinces any symptoms of, yielding upon this question, the system will be jeopardised. To get rid? of a property tax, or an income tax, or a land tax, there is nothing at which the party in power and their allies would stick, and, in consigning the portfolio to such weak,, incapable, and too hostile hands, ministers palpably declare their indifference to the system and offer a premium to those who seek to demolish it. Whilst, however, yielding to none in our defence of a national system of education, free, secular, and compulsory, we freely admit that, without abandoning one jot or tittle of of our convictions, we should be ready to entertain some modifications of our system in matters non-essential to its existence as such. As was so prominently pointed out on a recent occasion by the President of the School Committee and the reverend gentleman who succeeded him, it may be worth considering whether what is called higher education falls properly within the scope and purport of any national system which shall be free. We concede at once that some branches of education do not come within the limits of such a system. We would not draw the line so low down as the three rudimentary It's-, but it is, of coqrse, (juite possible to. go too far in the other direction. All suph subjects as are exclusively availed of by the upper classes of •' society, we contend, are improperly on the free list. That the people—the •whole body of the people—shall be educated and not ignorant; that such education should be paid for by indirect taxation and be nominally free ; and that parents; should be compelled to send their children to school, are what we think the State must insist upon. But that the liue must be drawn somewhere is palpable. A plain English edu-' cation is all we plead for, and we concede at once that neither French nor Latin nor any other abstruse studies taught free in our High Schools comes within this definition. Fees for the higher branches may, under any oircumstancs, be defensible, and in the present condition of the country and of so many schools, to the management of which such fees would be a welcome addition, the question may become all important. We have just another word to say. On all proper occasions we have avowed our sympathy with such a large section of the community as from conscientious scruples cannot, and do not, avail themselves of the State's liberality. It is a standing grievance, and, we fear, a source of chronic irritation. Till that question is settled, one of the conditions of a national system can hardly be said to be fulfilled. We would gladly .support, therefore, any solution of the problem, admittedly a most complicated' and difficult one. Payrpent by results to the Catholic schools coming up to the standards imposed by the State schools seems feasible enough. Fulfilling this condition, what can it matter to the State how muoh besides may be taught 1 We are well aware, however, of the difficulties in the way of such a settlement. He would be a bold, as well as a sanguine, man, who even in the more favorable condition of Parliamentary and public opinion upon thi3 matter would venture to prophesy that tho much-to-be-desired solution of this enigma will be speedily and satisfactorily settled without a severe struggle.

Those who desire to send telegrams to-day should bear in mind that Sunday hours will be observed, the office being open only between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. The Post Office will be open for one hour only to-day for the delivery of letters —between 9 and 10 a.m.

On Thursday evening that phenomenon so unusual at this season of the year, a waterspout, was seen by many residents out at sea travelling towards the land. It appears to have passed over Kakanui early in the morning, for the residents of the township were awakened and alarmed by a heavy fall of rain, which no£ only threatened the demolition of the roofs of the houses, but the flooding of the township. No damage was however done, and the land in the neighborhood was benefited by a large amount of welcome moisture.

We learn that Constable Joyce, who has been stationed here for about four years, is about to be transferred to Hampden. We are sorry to lose the services of such a careful, obliging, and painstaking officer, and wish him every success in his new sphere of usefulness. We have received the December number of the JJe\y Zealand Illustrated Herald, the whole of the sketches in which treat of scenes in the Melbourne International Exhibition. The cuts are well executed.

"Complaints have reached us (Hawera Star) from some of the deferred-payment settlers on the Plains to the effect that they cannot obtain access to their land, or cart fencing and building material on to it, until something has been done to render certain creeks passable. They propose that immediately after the next land sale, a meeting of those interested shall be held, and that a new road board district shall be formed, including the whole of that portion of the northern end of the country not at present contained within any road district. This would include all the land between the Oaungatara and the Waingongoro. The proposal seems a reasonable one ; there must be some L4OO now available for the formation of roads to the deferred payment sections on the Plains, as one-third of the cash payments made for that land is available for the purpose. Quite as much more will probably be derived from the forthcoming sale on the 13th instant, and consequently the new board would be in a position toexefcute the most urgent works without delay. Deferred payment settlers cannot be expected to fulfil the improvement clauses of the conditions of sale without a road to their land." The land is situated in the Taranaki district. An appeal to the Colonial Treasurer would secure what is wanted. Taranaki, the hub of the universe—the fovored child of the Colony—the home of the heaven-born financier —what would not Major Atkinson do for thee ? So long as it can be done by money extracted from the pockets of Colonial taxpayers. Another gentleman (says the London Correspondent of the Ofcago Daily Times) sails for New Zealand in a few days to visit and report to English' farmers. His special destination, I believe, is a property of 200,000 acres, near to Nelson, and Blenheim, which it is intended, if possible, to put into a company, and settle with English farmers. The gentleman in question is a Mr. •Herring, from near Wakefield, in Yorkshire, where he has a good deal of influence. He is a highly respectable man, and has written one or two small books on English agriculture. This step has grown, I think, out of the Grant and Foster deputation, as I know that Messrs. Grant and Foster have been in frequent communication with Mr. Herring. Good must result from such a movement. Mr. Herring will be accompanied by a son of Mr, Broomhall.

Mr. Creighton (the Lyttelton Times says) lias sent "to his Honor Judge Ward a parcel of Mesquit grass, sometimes called "bunch," and sometimes " buffalo" grass. This grass, lie says, flourishes under the sun of Texas, 'Snd ;£etaina- its freahiiess under.' a foot of snow, and is highly prized- on- the 'north coast of America. / •

A., statement; appears in the Melbourne Herald of December 3 to the effect that. Ned Kelly was married immediately prior .to the police murders. ' The woman is now an inmate of the Hospital at Melbourne, suffering from the effect of a snake bite, and is described as a woman of good looks and modest demeanor. The.Btory has every appearance

'The quantity; of land this year under crop (says the Timaru Herald) will„ be, , considerably less than last year, and the quality, except in'places, will scarcely be up to the average. Late sown wheat has suffered much from the dry spring. The late rains have most wonderfully improved their appearance, but most fields are coming into ear with but little straw. Generally speaking the winter sown wheat is strong and healthy and medium in height, but not heavy. The best crop visible-from the line of rails between this town and" ODunedin is at Studholme Junction, on the property of Messrs. Studholme Brothers. On portions of the Kingsdawn; 'Estate, where the land is heavy and able to retain-.the moisture, the crops are very fair, and also on the Waiho Flat, There is likewise-a heavy yield on the Kakauui Flat, between Maheno and Kakanui. Judging from what one can see from the roadside, the harvest of 1881 will not be .up; to what it has been in previous years. Of course the weather from now till harvest time will greatly influence the yield for good or bad.

Our Wellington correspondent (says the Lyttelton Times) writes that, in addition to questions mentioned in his last letter as likely to engage the attention of Parliament of next session, there are abundant signs that determined attempts will be made to amend the Education Act,,so as to arrive at some compromise between absolute secularism and denominational teaching. It is said that views have already been exchanged between recognised leaders of various denominations, and again between them and members known to take special interest in the education-question ; and that the way has been smoothed towards a " platform" on which they can take a common stand. Another matter that is already throwing the shadow of coming contention is the liquor traffic. Local Optionists are working quietly but steadily, and. Licensed Victuallers are not asleep. Altogether the indications ..are that the big fights of the next session—with the exception of the Representation Bill—will be over social questions rather than purely political ones. The following letter is quoted by the London correspondent of the Otago Daily Times from Westgarth's circular Sir,—, — The immediate cause of the present discredit to the Colony was the startling deficiency of nearly one million in the' revenue receipts for the last year, which the present Treasurer had to announce. This was wholly, or all but wholly, due to the bad practice which prevails, I regret to say, more or less with all these Australasian Colonies, of incorporating their land sales proceeds with their general revenue. Theland proceeds suffered a grevious falling off upon the cpiiipletiQn of the railway-making and loans" expending, and hence . t}iQ revenue deficiency. No part of the Treasurer's Statement was more satisfactory than his intimation that the lands sales proceeds were henceforth to be separately dealt with . . but to go, if not directly to pay off the debt, at any rate to increase security. The Estimates for the current year were framed on this correct principle, and they appear thus Revenue, L 3,190,000 ; expenditure, L 3,198,709. The yearly iuterest on debt, sinking fund, &c., is all covered in this estimate. Of course the reduced expenditure and increased taxation to make the' ends thus meet, press a good deal harder than the colonists in the easygoing of a few years past have been accustomed to. But to be convinced that they are quite able to bear it, we have only to look at the vast and increasing extent of their commerce, which in cereals and wool particularly is almost incredible for so young a country." The Daily News, in inserting this letter, does not forget to add by way of caution : of a million last year to equilibrium in the current Budget must not be attributed to an improved prosperity in the Colony, nor wholly to a sounder policy. It arises mainly from a discontinuance of subsidies to local bodies. But while abolishing grants in aid, the Government authorises boroughs, and other local bodies to borrow at any rate of interest the ratepayers may choose to give, and to any amount. On the whole, therefore, we are not sure that New Zealand has turned the corner, or that the local bodies and public works are self-sustaining apart from fresh loans."