OUR WEST COAST LETTER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10291, 23 February 1895, Page 2

OUR WEST COAST LETTER.

;FnoM Our Own Correspondent.) Kumara, February W,

TJTK LAST OF TUB SEASON,

Everybody went to the regatta on beautiful Lake Mabinapua last Friday, tha weather being fme and the water " lovely," and the arrangements very near perfection, consequently everything went ding-dong a? any helter-skelter raic, pleasantly as any jimketiug or picnic, jolly as a hundred thousand sand-boys. There were six events, the winning or losing of which called forth more than ordinary interest, aud iv une instance— that oi the Waterman's Skiff Rice—3o close was the conteso that during the whole of the time expended over the fcwo mile and a-half course, tUe boats were never more than a length apart, but more frequently in a cluster. I 6haU not, however, burden your readers with a recital of the different events aud who won and who lost; suffice it to say that everyone had a hu?e picuic and tha Bohemians appeared to be profitably engaged, and I am glad to say there was no such thins as an accident to m&r the jollity, whereat I may not say sensationalism received a shook. SABLE ARCADIAN PICTURES. As I returno.l tram Messrs G-raut Brothers'

beef farm, and had just got through a large tract of white-trnuked burnt timber, a queer, quaint-looking little hut arrested my eye, and a sweet, mellow voice from the exterior thereof addressing me said, " A fine evening, sir.' 1 stopped, whereat the voice added: "Wont you «rep inside ? If you do I will show you something." The speaker was a little, merryeyed old coloured gentleman, and who, as I entered courteously placed forme the best eeat the cabin afforded. Then be brought a bird cage containing a New Zssland paroquet which I had noted hunting near the door, and, holding it up for ma to view it, opened the door thereof, and called, " Pater Jackson ! " Peter Jackson happened to be the name of the gaily-plamatr'-fd bird within the wicker-work, aud who, thus apostrophised hopped out oq to the pointed finger of my host, | loa which perch hs commenced, at word of I command, performing a number of strange antics, chisf amongst which were kisoes for fader, mudtr, a colony of sisters, and two for the baby ; shaking hands when asked in French &nd in English, and hopping up imaginary ladders. " I have had Peter for five years, ! and I tansrht him all by myself," vouchsafed mine j host. " But now let me skowmy picture gallery." Immediately suiting tho action to tbe word, hft put Peter back on his roost, aud produced two glass cases, wherein were capital representations of the French frigate Lightning and th« English 74-gun Thunderer in hot pursuit of a slave dhow. In the background a pirate is all ablaze—the work of the frigates. The slaver, ia his efforts to escape, has run her prow up on the- beach, but the men-of-war, not to be outdone, have sent a boat, boarded, and made her fast to the Lightning, one of the incidents thereof being the losing of the dhow captain's head during the seuftLe, which this clever wood carver represents realistically. The forts, the i rock'i, sea, sky, clouds, stretches of wild woodI land, a waterspout, and a bird resembling an albatross, winging its way, are all capitally executed. Another picture repressnts a gallant English man-of-war, in full sail, going to visit a French fort. The whole of these figures were carved out of ironwood by my sable friend, whose name, by the way, happens to be Domenique Alexis Kuohard, and who himself had been a man-of-war's man from his youth upwards. AN IMPORTANT MINING ENTEBPKISE. Mr J. N. Smyth, a well-known Burveyor and mining'expert, has just finished surveying what jin all probability may turn out to be an important miuiug venture for the mining centre of Waimea. For srimfi time the residents of that once-fomous goldfield have been agitating to have a large auriferous flat called Waimea ! Creek Flat drained, and as Government has |in reply to a deputation, agreed to liberally sub- ' sidiae the work, Waimea has awoke to the | occasion, slid intends making a water channel j fiiniiar to that of tbe Kumara. sludge chaunsi. Mr Smyth informs me that the work, when put lin hand, will employ about 40 men, and the

area proposed t-> be drained may provide veirs of profitable employment for trorn BO to 100 gold diggers. MISCHI.LANKOUS ITHMS. Mr Sc.ddon's farew,-ll testimonial is to take all Bovts of (shape*. l'"«r instance, at Kumara a, " Cabinet silver B<j'," whatever that ie, is to be presented to tho illustrious politician by a procession of business folk and gold diggers, the latter to walk in (?umboots and " lsmmies." This is Mr Martin I-'ubuy's idea. A visit to the r-crs farm of Messrs Grant I Brothers is on« uf the treats of Kumara. Their ! delightful ranch h situate on the sunny slope ! of a'huge basin calied tbe Lnmplough terminus, i and tho way (;o it is in itself a pleasure. After ! leaving Sandy's Hill—aa eminence overlooking ! Kumara township from the south-east—thu pedmtrian or eve.list threads his way through serpentine nvenues of forest and ferned terraces, wild flowers and evergreeneries, by rocks and rivulets, tiny waterfalls and clear water and umber-coloured poo's, and on through tbe checkered sunlight of the. great valley of the Kapitea., the sidus of which are somtfunei violently dislocated for three miles or su. Then you walk out suddenly into the open plain, or Lamplcugh basin, and looking backwards tho caps of tbe sno*y sierras glisten above tha pine tree tops. Turning ag-.uii and following tho j plain for a mile or no westward, the farm is readied. The brothers are at home »nd hospitably entertain anil fhow me everything, chief of which ar« trucn 60 to 70 hiv<-s'in full activity. Some he-.* work under "lass globes careiully covered up from the lipht of day ; others are prevented from swnrming by the non-swarmer, a nv>st ingenious contrivance, the effectiveness of which ia fully explained. The Grants combine bee-farming and goidmimDg. They have lived in this isolated spot contentedly

for the past 24- years, and appear to be vei'y happy.

Constable Bennett, of Hokitika, has just earned the bravery medal, and be must guC it too. Last Thursday whilst an elderly lady named Mrs Evans, of the Red Lion Hotel, Hoki-

tilra, was stepping into a row-boat it capsized, turning all the occupiuts into the water. Few of them could svtim, and Mrs Evans after violent struggles collapsed and wat going down

for the last time wh<<n Constable Bennett, without waiting todivest himself of clothing, jumped from the wharf and gallantly rescued the kdy who was unconscious. A number of persons for bathing: last Wednesday in the Hokitika river, were fined by the S.M. Kumara last Wednesday decided to hold an Easter race meeting, subject to the con?ernt of the metropolitan, and to offer £235 in stakes thereat. James Law, a "hatter" at Hatter's Terrace, a well-koown cricket umpire, an old-time digger, and a popular chap of the best sort too, was found dead in bed last Wednesday. He was aa Abcrdonian and 53 j ears of age. A fatal bot-fly ense is reported from Arahura, where a Clydesdale entire named R ibic Adair is alleged to have fallen a ■victim to the psst. There is a feeling of general regret at Greymouth over the premedita'ed removal of that most popular of bank managers, Mr J. P. Will, of tbe Union Bank, he being promoted elsewhere. Greymouth will give him a well-earned testimonial. The feeling all through the West Coast in respect to tbe Government's bald proposal to amalgamate many of the local governing bodies is thut if any such change does take place the We si Coast should not ba held up aa a shocking example; that as county councils are at once tbe moFfc useless and the most expensive of local bodies they should be swept aw.iy; that borough councils being the least expensive, mest effective, and best appreciated instruments in the hands cf a people who love to govern themselves, they should be left intact;; and that as the General Government has now taken over the ms.in roads through the county, road boards should be formed in the various centres, there being do travelling expenses, and the ratepayers of the different ridings would then get the full benefit of their own rate 3in the way of mending and maintaining the roads and trains through their own district. Were a vote taken on the above scheme of local government throughout the colony I venture to say that th« people might iay down the law to the People's Government.

CLASSIFICATION OF TEACHERS. TO THE EDITOK.

Sik. —That the scheme before tha public is an excellent one is evidenced by the absence of argument brought 3gairst it, by the support it has received from many of the best men in the profession, and, above all, by its decided merits. Even those few privileged teachers whose objections are admittedly based on selßsk considerations, and who are most affected by it, hava utterly failed to make a case against it, or to produce another scheme as an improvement on it; and this should be eisy were tneir assertions correct. In the inteiosts of education generally, aud to eecure the necessary scope for its operation, the following provisions seem necessary:—

1. Compulsory retirement of teachers at the age of 60 years, for tho obvious reason that at that age the average teacher's temper and ability have been go impaired that a positive injury is dene to the pupils.

In support of this we need but point to the practice of other countries!. A further benefit would arise from this, for more opportunities would thus arise to secure that variety of experienca in the different grades oi the teaching profession, and which the framer of this scheme so wisely had in view.

2. Its application should be immediate, for if certain teachers have been paid out of all proportion to their work, responsibility, or to the payment received by others similarly situated, surely the glaring anomaly should not be perpetuated. Otherwise this class, notably second assistants, will never be induced to go to the country, and thus one of the principal objects of any such scheme will be frustrated and its working blocked at the outset. 3. A minimum qualification for each position should be embodied, sad this would be a guide to committees and to teachers themselves, with the result that incentives would still be present, and the public would be benefited through their teachers having more extended experience.

Passing from the work to its author, we Isam irom the proceedings of the conference of cooiniLtteeß that Mr Davidson has no degree. We thought not, for this work shows him to possess good common sense, sound judgment, and power to adapt himself to circumstances— I attributes in a teacher which, to my untutored mind, are the most important. Hoping the Education Board will show that high appreciation that the scheme undoubtedly merits, I am, &c, February 21. Kelvin.