CITY POLICE COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10619, 14 March 1896, Page 3

CITY POLICE COURT.

Friday, March 13. (Before Messrs G. L. DennistoD, J. Wright, and X

C. De Lacy, J.P's.)

Drunkenness.—Elizabeth Steel was convicted and discharged

Thieving.—Erneßt Coham (who pleaded guilty) aud Charles Henderson (who pleaded not guilty) were charged with stealing a book, valued 3-*, the property of William Thomson, of Bolleknowes.— The boys want to Mr Thomson's place to sell ferns, and whilst there stole the book. They were cautioned and discharged. The same lads, together with John Carriak, were charged with stealing several flower.pots, two fern baskets, and a garden syringe, of th* total value of 13s, from the garden of Divid John Bews, Koslyn.—Accused pleaded not guilty.—The evidence tendered by the police showed that ' he boys went into the garden and stole the articles from the hothouse, afterwards selling the ferns.—The Bench siid the conduct of the boys bad been serious, and if the bench had the power they would order the accused to receive a dozen stroke* of the birch.—The boya were severely cautioned and discharged. 111-trkating a Wifk. — Donald Doff (for whom Sir Mouat appeared) pleaded guilty to committing a breach of the peace in Canong^te street on the 7th.—Sergeant O'Neill said that the man came home drunk, and meeting his wife in the laae, treated her so badly that the neighbours cried out *' shame" and sent for the pol cc.—Mr Mouat spoke1 on behalf of the accused, stating that the man's wife was greatly addicted to drink. She was going out when the husband met her, aad he tried to prevent her.—A fine of 5s was inflicted, in default 2< hours' imprisonment.

Prohibition Order —A prohibition order waa granted against Simpson Dunn, of Mormneton, oa thfi application of hi wrf*. Breaches Of tiie Bit-laws. —For allowing the chimney of his hous^ to catch tire, John Macdonald was fined 2s 6d : for allowing horses to wander on the railway line, Edward M'Kewen was fined 10s, and costs (7.>); and for driving a vehicle on the footway at West Harbour, James Walker was fined sb.

THE OTAGO SCHOOL OF MINES.

TO THE EDITOE.

Sik, —Could you inform me what r.teps, if any, have been taken by the University Council towards obtaining for their School of Mines the battery and cyanide plant promised by the Government ? As the session will commence shortly, I think it behoves these gentlemen to bestir themselves and endeavour to make our local institution worthy of the name "School of Mines," for there is no gainsaying the fact that a» constituted at present it is far from being perfect, an opinion that is held by a large majority of the leading mining men throughout the colony. On account of the absence to a large degree of any adequate amount of practical instruction none of our students can obtain in the colony, after passing through their conrse, such situations as their education and training at the lohool should give them. As soon as these young men have finished their examinations they betake themselves either to South Africa or Australia, where the shortcomings of the Otago School of Mines are unknown. Some fou* or five who have the hardihood to remain in N>w Zealand are now employed in the mines sa working miners, finding themselves nnable to compete successfully with the students from the Thamos for situations where a thoronjb. practical knowledge of mining is esaeutial. It seem" to me a perfect farce that the Government should subsidise the School of Mines to the extant of several hundred pounds per annum to educate mine managers for other countries. Surely there is something rotton in the state of Danmark. Why cannot our locally-made " mining engineers " obtain ritnations in the colony ? I« H because New Zealand mining men are prejudiced against them ? No, the true reason is that, a high standard of excellency in theoretical subjects being demanded by the authorities, the few practical subjects included in the curriculum are practically neglected. I think the University Council would do well at an early date to dracoes the whole question of remodelling oar so-called Mining School. It must be galling to the gentlemen on that board to find their students (who have the advantage of teaching from foar professors and five lecturers) nnable to compete with the students from the Thames School of Mines (where there are only two lecturers) either for oituationß or for the Government mining scholarship, which has this year again been taken by a student from the latter school.—l am, &c., March 10. Fossil. [Ai the publication of the letter of our correspondent might;, wifcbont explication, do harm to a local institution that has and is doing good work, we have carefully inquired into the statements made and find :—(1) As regards the cyanide plant: Th« delay now taking place is due to the straitened financial position of the University Council owing to the decreased revenue coming in from the endowments; but this difficulty will probably bo got over shortly. (2) As to the alleged inadequate practical instruction, our correspondent is labouring uader a delusion. Students before receiving their certificate have to pro.

duce satisfactory evidence that they h%r« spent at lsaft 12 months in praotio»l study in mines. Some of the past students are certainly working »s common miaera, but with the object of rendering themselves competent to undergo the New Zealand mining managers' examination, which requires for coal mine managers five years, for metal mine managers three years' previous practical work in mines. Students have left the colony, as our correspondent states, but certainly noi for the reason he gives; They have left because they have been: offered better and more lucrative positions than they could hope to obtain in New Zealand. Taking the cases of Messrs Purdie and Hamann (lectnrerß respectively in the Schools of Mines at BaUar.it and Bendigo), Waicott (in charge of the mineral museum iv Melbourne), A. Montgomery (Government geologist and Inspsctor of Mines in TssmanU), perhaps our correspondent could point out where such advantageous positions could be obtained in this colony. Then Meosra'Fulton, Baldwin, Pearson, and Stephens hold remunerative and responsible positions in South Africa—position) attained in open competition with the world at large, which they would not be aide to keep if their training had-been what ia represented by our correspondent. . A former student of ths Otago School of Mines is also a lecturer at the Thames School. (3) As to the scholarship, our correspondent might as well contend that because a clever child taught in a poorlyequipped country school obtains a scholarship the larger schools &raj inefficient. The winner of the Government scholarship this yecr is evidently an exceptionally clever student, judging from the fact that in his examination he secured 100 per cent, in four different subjects, including the difficult one of mine ventilation. Of the three who competed for the scholarship two were from tbe Thames. The winner's percentage waV 881, the Otago studeat's 77-7, and that of the sscond candidate from the Thames 708.— Ed. O. D. T.]