The Otago Daily Times. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1382.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6502, 14 December 1882, Page 2

The Otago Daily Times. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1382.

The position and progress of the Boys and Girls' High Schools are highly satisfactory. A steady and constant increase iv numbers takes place, and there is every reason to believe that the standard of efficiency is fully kept up. The figures for the past three fears in both schools are suggestive of the do^rce of public favour in which the schools are held. Notwithstanding the prevalence of scarlet fever during part of the year has tended to keep down the average attendance, the numbers ecrolled in the school books for three successive years show growth. In 1880 the enrolments in the boys' school numbered 233 ; in 1881 they increased, by large admissions to the lower school, to 305, and in 1882 to 3.1.8. In the girls' school the enrolments in 1880 were 176; in 1881, 187 ; and in 1882, 207. Thus we have duriug the past year a grand total of 525 boys and girls on the rolls, as compared with 409 in 1880. No doubt when the new building in course of erection for the boys' school is complete, nnd the present school buildings are handed over entirely to the girls, there will be greater scope for enlargement, and much greater facility for teaching. But even as things are, the schools under their present able management are increasing in public favour, and that is at least one very good test of efficiency. We aro especially fortunate in posssssing so able a lady principal as Mrs Buun, and so accomplished and genial a head master as Dr Macdonald. It would be particularly unfortunate if that jealousy of higher education Uy the State, which now and then find 3 expression in certain quarter?, were jjermitted to grow to an extent which would threaten the efficiency of such noble institulions as the Dunedin High Schools. They are not only a proper link between the lower schools aud the University, but they prepare numbers of boys and girls for the serious business of life iv a manuer which must, as years go on, tend to raise the general standard of education among the middle classes. The fees are suuh as not to exclude the sons and daughters of well-to-do workmen and tradespeople, but we should be glad to see them still further lowered, or, by the increase of the number of scholarships, to see greater facility for clever lads and lasses whose parents are willing to exercise the self-denial of keeping them longer at scliool thati they can well afford, in order to open before them a successful career in the future. But even though the advantages given are chiefly enjoyed by the middle classes, it can at least be fairly said that these classes pay a very large share of the taxation nec.ssary to give free elementary education to the comparatively poor. As time goes on, the valuable endowments provided by the foresight of our former Provincial Councillors will do a great deal to render the schools self-supporting, and we trust these endowments at least will be religiously applied to the purpose for which thny were intended. It is impossible to estimate "the influence which will be exercised on the future of Otago by a school giving a liberal education to over 500 boys and girls, and an entrance as regards a considerable percentage of them to the University currioulurn. Our High Schools for both sexes are institutions of which we have every raasou to be proud, and which we should carefully defend from the attacks of narrow-minded politicians who consider that tlie duties of the State end with imparting a very imp?rf«ct elementary education in the common schooln. If reform is needed at all it is in the. direction of .making our High Schools more and more accessible, even

to tho poorest, who show signs of ability to rise above the common-level, and take rank among those who from year to year enter the liberal professions. True democracy should ■ not aim at levelling- down but. at levelling up, by raising the lower classes, through the means of a high-class education, to. a social level with: those who in a mere money point of view have superior privileges.

Sporting items, letters to the editor, several local reports, and an interesting pen-and-ink sketch of the Rev. Dr Stuart from a Home journal appear on our fourth page. We" are compelled this morning to hold over the account of the breaking-up of Kensington and other schools, also a quantity of correspondence and other matter.

The Taiaroa, with the English mail, arrived at 5 o'clock last night at Wellington. The Southern portion was transhipped into the Wanaka, and sha sailed for Lyttelton at 7 o'clock.

A cable message from Melbourne this moming states that the Union Steam Ship Company intend opening a branch in that city on Ist January, under the management of Mr David Mills. Mr H. S. Fish, M.H.R. for Dunedin South, addresses the electors to-night in the Princess Theatre. Mr Fish's two colleagues (Messrs Bracken and Green) having already addressed their constituents, curiosity will no doubt be felt by the main body of Dunedin electors to know on what points he agrees or disagrees, and no doubt there will be a large attendance to hear the hon. member on this as well a s other accounts. . A correspondent again calls our attention to the inconvenience attending the regulation by whicfi newspapers cannot be posted in the pillar boxes. To persons remote from Albany street or the chief office the trouble of sending perhapahalf a mile to either office to post artewspaper is considerable, and in the interests of the newspapers, no less than in that of the public, the regulation should be altered. The Deep Stream contract, for which tenders have been invited, is for the formation of four miles and 22 chains of the Otago Central railway. The work will extend from a little to the north of Deep Stream to a point 24 miles from the Wingatui Junction. There are two . small tunnels included in the section—one being 27, and the other nearly 100 yards long; and as the country is exceptionally rough the work will be correspondingly heavy, although the grade will be a good one, its steepest part being lin 50. Tenders must be in by the Ist of February next, and 20 months will be allowed for the completion of the contract. We have received £3 10s Gd, collected by Ms James Brown at Naseby, towards the Webb relief fund. At a special meeting of the Land Board on Tuesday next, the question of dealing with about 80,000 acres of deferred-payment pastoral land, which was reserved from the runs sold in February last, will be considered. The land is situated principally in the Lower Hawea, Tarras, Mauiototo, Rock and Pillar, Swinburn, Strath-Taieri, Tuturau, and Slopedown districts. The first general meeting of shareholders in tho brewery firm of Keast and M'Carthy was held yesterday. The balance-sheet presented showed the net profits up to the 30th September to be £2594 0s !)d, and it was decided to pay out of that sum the whole of the preliminary expenses, amounting to £1167 13s 4d, to

reduce the goodwill account by £600, appro-

priate £415 for the payment of a dividend of 10 per cent., and carry forward the balance of £411 7s sd. The directors of the Company intend placing the unalloted shares in the Company on the market shortly. By the courtesy of a New Zealand merchant

we have been permitted to see some letters

from a Home correspondent on the relative merits of gas and electricity. The writer, after careful inquiry, is strongly impressed with the idea that gas will hold its own as to cost against the electric light. It is also now being largely used for heating and cooking purposes, by means of stoves supplied by the companies to tho consumers at a rental of 10 per cent, per annum on their cost. The most economic form of heating requires a gas specially manufactured for the purpose. The average gas used in the Colony may, however, the writer considers, be satisfactorily applied to heating purposes by means of the stoves in question, which cost from £410s to £7 10a each at Home. As regards lighting, he. says by far the best lighting in London—admitted on all hands to be bettor than the best electric—is the Siemens gas lighting of Holborn from Gray's Inn road to the viaduct. The total cost for the whole 22 lamps is enly Is 7d per hour. Each lamp gives a light of about 130 candles, and consumes 22ft to 25ft of gas per hour, or 550 ft per hour in all. The Corporation, after long and full testing, have taken the system off the hands of the Siemens Company with many expressions of. satisfaction. The Edison light has no show whatever against the Siemens gas system, The arc light is the most economical form of electric light, the incandescent lamps requiring seven or eight times the power; but even the arc light cannot show results at all equal to the Siemens system. Writing at the end of August, the correspondent in question says that no electric company has as yet made anything by working. Our Corporation would do well to make inquiries regarding tho Siemens burner for light and the best description of stoves for heating and cooking, as a large revenue is being obtained by the companies at Home for the latter purpose.

Councillors Green, Short, Schlotel, White, Anderson, and Rish worth attended a special meeting of the North-East Valley Borough Council last evening to hear objections to tho permanent levels of the streets within, the borough. There being no objections lodged, it was decided to adopt the levels as planned by the engineer.

An inquest was held at the Lunatic Asylum on Wednesday last, by Mr E. 11. Carew, K.M., upon tho body of one of the inmates named Thomas Bartholomew. Tho deceased, a labourer, aged 40, was admitted to the institution as a lunatic on the 6tli inst., and showed signs of excessive melancholy, and appeared to be in a very weak state. Ho received every attention until the evening of the 11th inst., when he died rather suddenly. The medical evidence assigned inflammation of the brain as the immediate cause of death, and the jury returned a verdict of '"Death from natural causes."

The matriculation and scholarship examinations are now being held in the Otago University building, and are conducted, on behalf of the New Zealand University, by the Rev. Professor Salmond. Eight candidates for scholarships and 43 for matriculation have presented themselves. The examination will conclude this week, but the result will probably not be known for a month or so.

The Board of Trade in England have decided upon holding an inquiry (to be conducted in England) into the foundering of the Austral. The necessary witnesses for it will require to proceed Home.

An alarm of fire was given Bhortly befora midnight by means of the indicator at Bastings' Hotel. The Fire Brigade and Salvage Corps turned out with commendable alacrity, but no sign of fire was visible, and evidently tho indicator had been maliciously tampered with.

The Bruce Herald understands that its suggestion to call a public meeting in order to obtain subscribers in the district for a couple of thousand unallotted shores in the Milton Pottery is likely to be acted upon forthwith. It expresses the fear that the pottery works may be shifted to Dunedin or somewhere else unless steps are taken to make it worth the Company's while to remain in Milton.—A telegram from Milton received yesterday states that at a public meeting at Milton on Tuesday the following resolution was carried :—" That the local shareholders in the Milton Pottery Company express their willingness, if required, to pay up at once the unpaid calls on their shares, to assist the directors in reinstating the works, and to take up further shares if the Company should require the issue of additional capital.1'

The Union Steam Ship Company's fine new steamer, the Hauroto, reached Melbourne Heads at 11 o'clock yesterday morning. She left London on October 25th, thug making the passage in 48 days.

The Bruce Herald says:—" The North Dunedin Presbyterian Church was sorely exercised about getting a minister some timo ago, and there was not a little disputation and inksliuging in the Press before tha' people finally chose a man to ' ait under.' The minister they have—the Key. A- C. Gillies—is a remarkable man. For genuine humility,- for true compassion towards sinners, and for large-hearted charity to all who are not agreed with him, it would be hard to find hia equal. Wo have never heard Mr Gillies preach, but judging from reports of hi 3 sayings, we should say that his sermons are a mixture of the coarsenos's of Jngersoll, the sensationalism of Talraage, tb e

focoseness of Joo Miller, the vituperativenesa of—himself, with just a dash of the imprecatory Psalms Of David, and a trace of Gospel. The other day he' wrote to a reporter of the Daily Times forbidding him to report his sermons, and saying that his presence waa- not desirod in North Dunedin Presbyterian Church so long as he (Mr Gillies( was minister. This meek disciple of Christ added, ' Only Christians, and such sinners as are saved, or are worth saving, are welcome there.' The best of it was, the reporter who received the letter had never heard Mr Gillies proach. Seriously, we do not wonder at the progress of Freethaught in Dunedin. One such advocate o( Christianity as the minister of the North Dunedin Presbyterian Church would drive more men into the ranks of Preethoughfc in a month than Mr Stout, assisted by the Echo, could draw in a year."

The Oamaru Mail hears on good authority that Mr 0. R. Wise, who has acted as judge during three seasons for the principal coursing clubs of New Zealand, has been offered a similar position in connection with the three leading coursing clubs in Australia. It is, however, doubtful whether or not he will accept the offer, and coursing men in Canterbury and Otago will be pleased to hear that there isevery prospect of his services being retained ia this Colony.

A number of casualties from the effects of lightning have been reported in Australia lately. Two houses at Williamstown, near Melbourne, were struck on December 4th, and the inmates had narrow escapes. In Western Australia the wife of a settler named Broad was killed by lightning. She was sitting on a verandah at the time, with her baby in her arms. The unfortunate woman's ear was taken clean off, and one eye destroyed. The baby was scorched and the house shattered.

The London correspondent of a contemporary says:—" An electric-lighting syndicate has purchased the right to introduce the patents of the Maxim Electric Light Company into Australia and New Zealand. Mr L. A. Nathan, of New Broad street; London, is arranging to send to New Zealand all the appliances required to utilise the invention in that Colony. The Company, it will be remembered, successfully lighted up Clerkenwoll recently."

A correspondent of an Adelaide weekly paper, writing from Auckland, makes the most astounding statement that "in New Zealand we have some 250 and odd newsapers, one-half of which are styled the Morning Independent, or the Evening Independent, or the Weekly Independent, or as the case may be." There are about half this number of newspapers iv the Colony, and there is not an Independent amongst them. .

The Shakespeare Club's entertainment takes place in the Odd-Fellows' Hall, Rattray street, to-morrow evening. Those fortunate enough to be present will have no cause to complain of the programme presented, for it is of a very attractive nature. The Rev. A. R. Fitchett, M.A., will deliver a paper on "The Puritan feeling towards the stage," and the Club will read selections from "Othello" and "Much Ado About Nothing." In addition to this, song 3 will be contributed by one of our most popular amateurs, and two pianoforte soloa will be played by a young lady who is well known in musical circles as a brilliant performer. Professor Sale will take the chair.

Mr Maceabe's entertainment at the Lyceum Hall attracted another large attendance last evening. As usual, the audience were thoroughly amused, and Mr Maccabe's comical impersonations evoked roars of laughter.

Mr W. H. Chntton wil sell letter-booka Way. Entries (or the Caledonian Raines at Kaitangata must be made not later than 20th inst. We have received from Mr J. E. Bone a number of very pretty Christmas and New Year cards. " The Messiah" will be produced by the Dunedin Choral Society on Tuesday, December 19th. Messrs Maclean and Co. will soil the thoroughbred colt Alluvium on Saturday. Meiwra Donald Keid and Co. will sell grain to-day. Ada Mantua's " Champion" rapidly filling ; will close about 20sh.— \ Advt.]