EDUCATIONAL STATISTICS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10193, 30 October 1894, Page 3

EDUCATIONAL STATISTICS.

The quarterly returns of school nttendancofoj the period ended 30th September, which have been compiled by the secretary to the Otago Education Board, show that there were 205 schools in opem< tion in th« district, employing 21ti male and 281 female teachers, besides 22 teachers of sewing. The number of pupils on the school rolls at the beginning of the quarter was 22,161, and at the end.of the quarter 22,478, comprising 11,713 boyg and 10,763 girls. The working average for the quarter was 10,027 boys and 9120 girls, making a total of 19,147, being 18!) less than that for the preceding quarter, and SB3 more than that for the corresponding quarter of 1593. The strict average was 135 less than the working average— viz., 19,012, being a decrease of ISI from the strict average for the preceding quarter, and an increase of 1121 on that for the corresponding quarter of The average attendances at the city and suburban schools were:—Kailcorai 737, George street 697, Albauy street l!S0, High street (526 Normal 624, Cavorsham SSI, Maimmirew road 522, Fortuity 492, Arthur street 4SS, Uuiou street 453, Mornington 45(i, North-East A Talley 445, Kensington Sb'3, Rsvensbourne 20S, AnHersou Bay 113 The averages at Oamaru were:—South School 405. North 401, MidtUe 370. At the District High Schools :—Poet Chalmers 523. Palmerston 295. Tokomairiro 272, Lawrence 234, BaJclutha 217.

A young man named Harry Hood was> drowned in the Kakanui river on the 7th inst. Deceased, who was about 23 years of age, waa an employee of Mr G. Macdonald. His clothes and hat were found on the bank of the river, and ou a search being made his body was discovered in a deep hole. It is surmised that ha went in to bathe, and, being unable to swim, was drowned through getting out of his depth, Hood's parents reside at Mount Cargill.

1 democratic loader; and his patent of ] I nobility will hardly serve by itself to ; bar his access to the hearts of the j people. Without laying stress on the j notion that even Radicals have an unacknowledged predeliction for a Lord, we may say that Englishmen, though ; they be Radicals, have too nrueh fairness, too sagacious an appreciation of facts ; and possibilities, to refuse to take the ; reforms they wish for at the hands of ] a statesman who is a legislator by chance of" birth, if they have no sub- j stantial ground on which to question [ his sincerity. Given this conviction of j sincerity, it may be opined that the j irony of the position, so to speak — i the paradox presented by the spec-; tacle of a Radical Earl — proves j pleasantly ticklish to the popular ] palate. And Lord Rosebery does seem j to be giving proof of his sincerity in the j cause of Liberalism, that Home i Liberalism, which, for the most part, j is a thing very different from the j article which has impudently borrowed j the name in New Zealand. There I appears to be no doubt about his determination to mend the House of Lords—to mend it, not to end it,—herein showing his practical wisdom, since, even if he desired the ending, he knows well that the hour for such a revolution is not at hand. English Conservatism is tremendously strong, and the House of Lords, as an institution, has friends who do not call themselves Conservatives. On the other I 'hand, a practical scheme of recon- \ struction—reconstruction as to both membership and power—would not improbably win the approval of many who do not call themselves Radicals. At Sheffield, last week, Lord Rosebery (according to the cable) " declared that it was a mockery that leaders in the House of ■ Commons should be bound hand and foot and be compelled to go cap in hand to the Lords. A revision of the Constitution was inevitable, and in order to achieve this the Govern-. ; ment would at the prbper time pro- : ; pose a resolution that the House of j ; Commons should be the predominant partner in the partnership with the. ; House of Lords, and if necessary would appeal to the- country on the question." Probably the Prime Minister confined himself to an expression of general intentions, and nothing can be predicated concerning the details of hia plan; but it will not be surprising; if he eventually proposes to limit the prohibitive power of the Peers to the exercise of a single veto: that is, compelling their lordships to endorse proposals which have been sent to them by the House of Commons for a second time. Possibly, at the same time, an attempt will be made to remodel the constitution of the Upper - House, though it is understood that Lord Rosebery does not favour a complete abolition of the hereditary principle. Whatever the proposals may be, it is almost certain that an . appeal to the country will be necessary, ) seeing that (as matters stand at present) the Lords are by no means likely to ; fall in with any reforming pro- . posals at all. For just now matters \ stand pretty favourably for the « Upper House.v ; It r.has the full ;' force of Unionism at its back, and; ;) this is a gigantic force. To vote: . against the House of Lords at the next election will be to vote for Home Eule, and a clear appreciation of this . fact will rob the reforming cause of the votes of thousands of electors who," , under normal circumstances, would side '. with Lord Rosebery's proposals. If ; the Lords lose the next election, they; ; need never look to rehabilitate them-; i selves, for, never again will they be so; i generously favoured by the conditions' of warfare. It may. be added that a; cablegram which we publish this morning shows that the Prime Minister fully ; appreciates the almost stupendous ; nature of the task which he has set himself. Leaving.this important.,,matter of domestic policy, we must take occasion to note the high patriotic tone of Lord Rosebery's recent speeches. It is the i. Imperialistic tone, ■ — the tone of a man who, without being a Jingo, ;.. is not ashamed.to entertain fine, oldfashioned ideas of Britain's greatness and Britain's destiny. Or, rather, they are the old-fashioned ideas in a new setting. Here it is that Lord ■ Rosebery's accession to prime power has brought strength to the present , Ministry. What a difference between his tone' on these matters and that' of his illustrious predecessor ! and (we are constrained to add) what a change for the better ! Mr Gladstone's patriotism was unquestionable, but it ■•• was a patriotism which seldom (in regard ■ to foreign nations) knew how to act, t • and which often did not know how to.; i speak. Once in a way it would speak ; out grandly, and then relapse into;, timid silence, as, for instance, at the time of the Eussian trouble, some ten years ago. It was a patriotism spoiled by half-sympathies with the notions of Manchester and the vagaries of the Peace Society. It suffered from the grand old statesman's incessant anxiety for the success (at the polls) of his composite party, and also from his want of interest in the Imperialistic i idea. Lord Rosebery, doubtless, is 1 also anxious that his party should ! prosper, but he has nothing but con--1 tempt for the sentimental "lovers of every country save their own," though they may choose to style themselves ' Liberals; and he is an Imperialist to the backbone. A striking instance of the . difference is afforded by a remark made lat Sheffield last week: Mr Gladstone, | seduced by Sir Edward Watkin's • blandishments, some years ago gave his approval lothe Channel tunnel scheme; Loklßosebery tells the men of Sheffield : that he hopes they will never forge : the tube. Listen to this again: r " Lord Rosebery, in his speech at Sheffield, said that those who advo- ; cated that England should take up a neutral position in the affairs of the world, and so would reduce her to a I small submissive State of no account in • the councils of nations, were dead. The I nation remembered the days of Aginj court, and was determined to maintain j ' the ideal." There spoke Britain:1 "We are a people yet." It is a most ~ interesting and momentous enterprise, _ this of Lord Rosebery's—the attempt c to Imperialise British Radicalism ; and [I this side of the Empire will not be c backward in watching the result, ir -— -——■ —»-■=; (J The Monowai, with the iuward mails, left ,j San Francisco on October 18, her contract; date. The Alameda reached San Francisco on October 26, one day late. The annual meeting of tha Presbyterian ' Synod of Otago and Southland will be opened 5* in First Church thia evening. The opening h service will ba eouduotcd by the retiring y moderator, the Rev. Dr Dunlop. !r Mr W. Earnshsw intends to address his cona stitueate on Wednesday week,

] At a meeting oE delegates of the city and • suburban couacils held last night to consider ! thequestionof drainage, ib was resolved—"That j it waa desirable that a comprehensive system of I drainage should bo adopted, embracing Dunedin and t.ue surrounding boroughs; and that the , councils represented tit the meeting bs requested ' by their respective delegates to agree to pay pro Tata the cost, in accordance with their rate '; roll, of obfcainiag professional sohenie3 and | estimates of cost, such coot nob to exceed ; £500." A report oE the proceedings will be found on psge 7. ■ Mr Paulin sent us the following forecast last 1 evening :—" Light to moderate SUG. to N.W. j winds, and rain showers in about 16 hours." j It ia anticipated that moat of the rifle clubs I in the colony will now join the New Zealand I Rifle Association. The ciccular issued by | Major Sommerville, the gist of which was pub- : lisbed by us a few days ago in our telegraphic ; columns, in which terms are offered, has now ! been received ia Duuedin, and, is regarded | favourably. Clubs having a membership of £0 I can join. Only members of clubs affiliated can i compete at the association's annual meeting, j Each club affiliated is to receive a bronze j medal to be competed for annually by members, [ and a special match is to be included in the association's programme, open only to winners of these medals for the current year. The annual meeting of the Dunedin Amateur Ground Company was held in the registered office yesterday afternoon. Mr J. P. Blaitland, chairman of directors, presided, and upon hia motion, seconded by Mr J. Stone, Jan., the annual report (which has been already published) and balance sheet were adopted. Messrs C. W. Raltray, B. H. Reid (re-elected), and J. Hutchison were appointed directors of the company, and Mr A. Cargill was re-elected auditor. The members of theDunedia Field Club held their first meeting on Saturday afternoon, when over 20 members, including several ladies, were j present. Both sides of Signal Hill were I explored, and the searchers returned to town about 6 p.m. with full collecting boxes. The next excursion will be to Tomahawk Lagoon on November 10. Members are asked to meet in the clubroom (Technical School) on Saturday evening to arrange a further programme and discuss other matters of interest to the club. The Choral Hall was well filled last evening when filisa May Yatss, of London, gave her pictorial monologue oa "The Progress of the English - speaking People." The Hon. W. Bownie Stewart, who occupied the chair, introduced Miss Yatss as a modern reformer, who concerned hersolf with the poor and with providing good food for young people, and who would, he believed, lecture in the interests of health and temperance. Miss Yates, who was well received, plunged at once in medias res and,: ipeaking without notes, and perhaps, on that account, more discursively than would otherwise have besn the case, entered into a glowing ■ panegyric of the Anglo-Saxon race, the progress, of which was, she said, inseparably united with the cause of liberty. The great characteriatie of the English people was, she declared, their capacity for forming organisations by which the strong might help the weak, but there was no common platform on which these met, and she ventured to suggest that they might all unite, in endeavouring to secure the health and strength of ths race. This object, the audienco was led to infer from her succeeding remark?,. was to be attained by the adoption of temperance principles and by the abandonment of flesh as an article of diet in favour of fruit and' vegetables. In connection with the lecture a number of views, some oE which did not appear to have any special applicability to the subject," were exhibited by limslighfc, and Miss Yates delivered a recitation with good effect; j The Rev. E. Bissefi has received a call to thePresbytsrian Church at Woodlands, Southland. The Joint Committee of the Waiareka parish' also decided to invite the rev. gentleman to fill: ; the vacancy there caused by the Rev. Mr ; • Wills's removal to Lawrence, but it ia under- . stood Mr Bisset intends to accept the call from Woodlands. The New Zealand Herald Bays that Viscounti Folkestone, recently in Auckland, said to one of; its representatives that if the tourist attract ■ tions of New Zealand were properly put before,' the travelling British public, thousands who' now go to France, Switzerland, and Italy, would turn their faces to New Zealand, and • visit the lake country of the North Island and; ; the alpine regions and lite country of the, ; Middle Island. He himself had no' conception ■ '. of the wonders to be seen here in volcano, lake,, ; and mountain scenery, and he was sure thai' thousands of the English nobility were equally ignorant. NothiDg worth speaking of, he stated, was being done to familiarise the; British tourist with New Zealand as a route of; travel. It might naturally be expected, with! > the completion of the Kotorua railway to: Rotorua, and its opening in a month or so to; that terminus, that steps would have been takenl to disseminate information .about the lake' country, and to popularise this route of travel,' but so far we have not heard of anything being done in this direction. An incident of a recent cruise of the Sydney steamer Archer amongst the Islands was a visit to the ship of the exiled King Mataafa. It will be remembered that Mataafa was deported first to the Union Group, and afterwards to Jaluit,; in the Marshall Group. After his landing at the Marshall Islands, which are under the German flag, he was given his liberty, and . allowed to roam about the place at will. On the arrival of the Archer in September last, he went on board, and was permitted by the Governor of the group to accompany the shipon her cruise among the Marshall Islands. It so happened that ono of the passengers on the Archer could speak the Samoan language, and; . Mataafa soon got into conversation, and seemed' \ delighted to meet one who could give him news'! about his native place. i The Nelson Evening Mail learns that the' position of nautical adviser to the Government; has not been conferred, as reported, on Captain Sutcliffe, of the Aorangi. The position, which oarries a salary of £W0 a year, has not yet been filled. A watchman named Thomas Heavey, who was' engaged in patrolling at Darling Point, Sydney, at about 1 o'clock on a recent Sunday morning, accosted a suspicious character, who at once closed with him, and as Heavey was getting the better of him shot him through the shest with a revolver. An alarm was given and a constable set off in search of the man. He eventually saw him making off through the Rußhcutter's Bay reserve, and as he seemed about to draw a revolver the constable covered him with his pistol. The man said that if he would not fire he would give himself up, but directly the officer lowered his weapon the man closed with him. He, however, was overmastered and conveyed to the lock-up, where he was identified as a well-known desperado named Grenon. A knife and six-chambered revolver fully loaded wers found on him. The rehearoals of Signor Sqnariso's now comic opera " Fabian," to be produced shortly, j are progressing satisfactorily under the direction ' of the composer, who has been fortunate j enough to secure the services of Mr J. D. ' Stoyle as stage manager. This gentleman was ■ assistant to Mr Wallace, of Williamson and •■ Musgrove's Comic Opera Company, and has ' therefore the required experience. A full rehearsal of the principals, chorus, military t band, and orchestra i 3 fixed for this evening at , the Princess Theatre. We are informed that there is a good dsmand for tickets for the performance of 1 " H.M.S. Pinafore" at the City Hall on Thurs- ' day evening by the School of Opera. ' Cr Arthur, who is a candidate for the mayoralty t of North-East Valley, will address the ratepayers I at Fine Hill this ev«uing\ The Union S.S. Company announce excursion J fares in connection with the Qhrißtchurch show and races. A call of 2s per share is announced by the direc- > tors of the Golden Bay Dredging Company. i Nominations for the office of mayor of Maori • Hill close at noon on Tuesday, 6th November. Tho Dunedm Garrison Band's social will be ' held this evening at the Garrison Hall. I The annual meeting of the Women s Missionary I Society will be held in the Y.W.C.A. Kooms E to-niorro\v evening. ] The s.B. Mararoa -.vill make an excursion trip to d Sydney, via northern ports, leaving Dunedin on <r j l'Yiday, 9th November. The date for recaiviuft nominations for the S office of mayor of North-Kast Valley is Thursday, the Sth inst. The quarterly meeting of the metu'pers of the l" "Working Men's Co-operative Krore, Tort Chalmers, will bo held this evening,

Business depression causes endles3 trouble to our digestive functions, and upsets the liver and stomach. "Wahoo" mends matt-era speedily. 2s fid grocers and chemists.—[Advt.] The success attending "W. Scott and Co.'s tailoring business is phenomenal, and proves thiit people will find tho cash where an equivalent is given. Late HarrHe's Corner.—[Advt.] Large stock of Taylor's bowling green bowls at wholesale prices. (}. & T. Young's, £S Princes street.—[Advt.] Specially prepared sodavvater for invalids, as supplied by Thomson and Co. to the Dunedin Huspital, Union Company's entire fleet, and other public institutions. In imarly all cases of nickness Thomson and Co.'s sodawater is held in hi|;h eateem by phyfiicians for its purity »nd wholesome action in assimilating with jjiilk and other nutritious liquids. Labelled with name and trade mark.—[Advt.] John Hislojt, Watchmaker and Jeweller, 74 Princes street. The oldest established honso in town. Kepairs of all kinds. Good sssortmant Watches,1 Clocks, and Jewellery. Spectacles to suit all sights.—[Aott.] Mecors A. and J. M'Fari.ank beg to call attention to thair advertisement over tho leader. Any orders entrusted to them will receive tho best attention.—[Advt.] We have much pieaguro in drawing attention to J). Dawaon's advertisement announcing that ha is retiring from tho watchmaking and jewellery business, and that he is ffivjng laKjo discounts in order to ensure a speedy and complete sale of his large and varied stock. The public will be wise in taking advantage of this opportunity to purehri?a watches, clocks, and electro-plato at wholesala two days of G. and T. Youngs Great Clearing Sale.—[Advt.]

Railways. Roads. .Railways. Roads. 1890 91...£362 919 £181,112 £179,012 £ 71,«83 [891-92... 4H»,276 204,404 354,416 109,71fi 1892-93... 399,755 231,19:5 220,894 135,339 1893-94... 316,628 244,169 176,255 177,667 L8SM-95... 313,028 316,060 — —