FROM " A CHAT WITH A CYCLING CORRESPONDENT "

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10619, 14 March 1896, Page 7

FROM " A CHAT WITH A CYCLING CORRESPONDENT "

" Where ar« your olher models ?" " Buried, my good friend. We have confined our efforts to the handling of two maohines—one for gentlemen nnd one for ladies. By reducing the number of patterns wo are Able to give the highest value, as our contacts with the manufacturers run np to nearly 500 cycles The wheels we are offerinc are equal to machines at £25 to £30 ; you cannot get better." '• How do you cell bo cheap?" "By contracting for quantifies and doing a hustling business. £23 10a was the price of the ' Coloanl Bt»r,' but we now giva far better valu-i for £20," ■ ■ .

Bond for catalogue. All duplicate parts priced and illustrated., No more costly repairs. < Abams Ctcle Company, Manchester Stroetj Chri?t?h'JMl}.

Bmqeb JUJiO iQßiono, .

A CENTRAL' SCHOOL, TO THE BDITOU.

Sih,—My letter in ydur i«aue of the B>h inifc.. has evoked from therectpr of tha High School a valuable contribution .to the disousßion and elucidation of a subject that stands very ranch in need of such treatment—*1 contribution; let me add, which is wholly admirable alike in point of tone sind of : matter, The subject of technical instruction presents one of the moat difficult problems in education, .and I do not profe-s to be able to solve it; and if Mr Wilson cliobies to retort that 1 have, then, no right to discuss lie subject,l shall be mate. But I had, no intention of entering upon the discussion on technical education, I merely tried to show that, if the High School be correctly described as a technical school, then it could only be in a sonne different from that in which the fcenn is commonly used in the treatment of the subject. It now seema t? me, after HrWilson'a explanation, that the upper qlatsss of our primary schools may be called fceebuical schools in the sense in which he uses the term. If that can be said to ba a correct application of the term, thon I am prepared to admit that I don'jj understand the subject. Here let me say that I had no intention to impute to .Mr Wilson disingenuousness. I took some pains to so express mytelf as to avoid even the appearance of such a suggestion, aad if I failed I regret it, fur nothing could be further from my raewiing. And now as to the Girnm} School. Whon I browJied the subject about two years ago my idea was simply that of » higher grade echcol, of somewhat the name nature a» those that are carried on so successfully in Sh'ffiuld and Leeds. In Leeds the school owes Us exiorencß ■ mainly to the exertions of the chairman qf the School Board, Mr Cockburn, who. fought for it for jes>rs sguinsfc the apsttiy of the public and f the activs opposition of .headmaster*. Shorn of' details, my idea amounted to this : That one of the Dane-din schools'should bo constituted a central school;' that m this school 'should be oolloeted all the Seventh Standard pupils of the city and suburban unhook who do not intend to pass through t.hn High 5«b.ool course. Ifc was mtendsd teat eucb. pupiln should finish their schooling at the Central School, but that tiisy should be induced to prolong their Echoolin;; somewhat b'syond the ordinary jieriod. It was not to bs a High School in any nente, for it was intended toeefciy for pupils deafciuod for callings for which university «tudi<?n are not required. Now, however, that we have mi act making provision for a granb for technical instruction, such a school might have a technical Bide, with provision for purely techEiea! instruction, in conjunction with our School of Design. Drawiug, which is the foundation of a',l technical iuslruction, would be thorouglily taught, and practical, p!sne, and solid geometry would be taught in such a way as to L-n usefnl. But what I hop« to fee some day in Dunedin is au iustitation like that conducted by Dr Sorr in Adelaide, which was described some time ago in ooe of the local papers. lam informed that Inspector Hill, of Nupier, w.ib sent to Adelaide i ■a gborii'timn ago by ,'tho Eriucation Board to report upon that school, a,1 d wa may expect to j have the bcuclit of his report bofcre. lanj:. J

There is one other subj°c>. in Mr Wilonn's letter which r must ;r*far to—continuation schools. He thinks it is an extraordinary thing that I aud others sbori'.i! concern, ouiselves about technical education, CBntril schools, &i., when we might be so ranch b'-tter employed in giving our attention to continuation schools I can fesui-e Mr Wilson th»t this Bubjtct has received a good deal of attention from the. Otsgo ISducatiou Board and otfcets ; but a? the law ntands the beards ara p.->wtrli»«», »un fche Minister for Education, on thn subject being brought before him, refuted to tak« steps to geli the law ttunxded. Hig'acr gißdt< schools ara within the competence ot'.tbe boards, but coatinmifcion schools aro not.—l a-u, See.,

Duuedia, Mtreh 11.

J. MacGhegos.