AN M.H.R. ON HIS TRAVELS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12991, 4 June 1904, Page 3

AN M.H.R. ON HIS TRAVELS

7 SCOTLAND, .-•■..

BrH. D. Bedford. \' :

The men of Scotland will hardly como under tho Biblical dictum of being, neither hot nor cold. They are. pretty thorough in both their virtues and vices. I! you want the most beautiful of cities, tho most enterprising- of municipalities, the keenest educational activity, the oxtremest squalor, and tho most widespread - drunkenness, go to Scotland. I am no poet, and will not attempt to describe E-Jinburgh. The wholehistory of Scotland eeemed to-move in procession through my brain as I wandered ... through Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh Castle, Knox's house, St. Giles Ohurch, and eo on. But I must not dream of tli3 past, for to-day Scotland is the theatre of tremendous effort arid activity in the attempt to solve the universal , 'problems'.'of civilisation. The Scotch aro very nearly as forward as the Yankees in. the matter of education. They are-'so generous with scholarships as to make secondary education practically free to all children of outstanding intelligence. In, many, respects we in New Zealand lag far behind. , Scotland, like the United States, J>as banished the inspector's annual examination in tho elementary schools. Promotion from class to class is made to depead upon the merit of the whole year's work. . I;had.si long and interesting conversation t with the General Secretary for Education ■ in Scotland,, and he assured mo his country would. never return to the old system of examination/!. "The results pt the change have beeriiso liighiy beneficial,"- ho said. "We have found from expedience that many children who do excellent work during the year acquit themselves poorly at an examination'upon, which everything is made to depend. On the other hand, there, aro boys and girls of ready wit, and with the examination faculty of cram, who, at the inspector's,'visit, make a show of merit greater than they really possess." p The same, principle is now appVivJ in the- training schools 1 ! for teachers. IJwxy oxerciso that thestudent'(locs diiriii§ the year is taken into account in awarding tho certificates. So suspicions of the old-timo- examination as '■si.test of kiiowledgo have tho Scottish educational authorities become that they attach no Veight whatever to university degrees in their normal schools. A graduate of Edinburgh," with honours in classics, is not credited • with any iicnowledge of Latin or Greek when he enters a teaming school for teacher's. ■ His degree is utterly ignored, because in so many cases ft only represents a. short period of cram Which leaves very : little lasting effect. \ • Tlie municipality of Glasgow makes the blood literally leap through one's veins: it is working such wonders of reform., Of course,'it provides cheap arid efficient street transportation, lighting, and water. But that is not all. It is beautifying the city : with parks, widening tho streets, turning the 'City's .refuse into a. source of profit, tackling the 1 housing- question, and grappling with, the problem of intemperance. It has built rows of model dwellings, and of lodgii>g houses: where poor men may obtain a bed for, 3d, a nighff Whatever. it touches yields revenue; thus the city rates are for ever running downhill. The employees of the corporation number 15,000. These men have to be reckoned with at every municipal election; they know their power, and spruplc not to use it. Yet alongside all this progress exists'-heart-rending distress. Every night hundreds walk tho streets or seek the shelter o! an archway, being unpossessed even of 3d for a corporation bed. Glasgow has turned out the barmaid and enforces 10. o'clock closing, yet in no other towii have I seen so much drunkenness on the streets. It is positively appalling. The . only trade in Glasgow not now depressed is that of the publican and brewer. They alone seem to flourish in bad times. I , wont -into bar aftor bar crowded with men and women—yes, and women with' babies on their arms. : •The municipal enterprise of Glasgow, its Eplendid tram service, extending for miles in the country, has brought about an enormous enhancement of land values. AVithin the last few years land has risen in value ■sometimes 50 and 100 per cent. The people 'of ' Glasgow "have just sent a tram lino six.miles into the country in order' that workmen, might be able to got away fronv the congested areas. in the city; A big block of land, tapped by the line finds its value increased as a consequence from £350 to £1500 an acre. Bitter experience has taught; the. City Council that rents always rise with improvements in the means of communication. The result is that the municipality' is for ever bombarding the British- Government for power to levy a "rate'on' tho unimproved value of land. Such importance doe 3 it attach to •this reform that it has set up a special permanent committee called the Land Value Tax- . ation Committee. Whilst in Edinburgh I was brought into ■contact with the founder and leader of a most noteworthy, /movement—the. Young Scot movement. It is of quite recent growth, having had is birth in 1900, when, all 'its. guiding spirits were what we call pro-Boers.: It is, in effect,'» society, of young Scots banded together with the 'comprehensive object of promoting everything which tends to national well-being and prosperity. The society has spread over Scotland like wildfire. Its members are to be found in all parts; local branches have been formed in nearly all the towns. The methods of attaining its purpose are mani- , fold. The Young Scots meet every week and study- the best works on political science. They invite leetpres from the most eminent men in every branch of adcial and political learning. They have had John •Burns on Socialism, Dr Macnamara ojl land taxation, Lloyd George on Freetrade. They send their lecturers to all parts of Scotland. They , study everything sociological and political. Every month they „■ publish a magazine—The Young Scot,—which is: a splendid record of their activities. The society, is now national; it is eo-torminous with the boundary lines of the country, and is performing:a splendid educational work, especially among young men. I had not been an hour in Edinburgh toeforo I met a'New Zealander, and on a little boat steaming up Loch Lomond I mot two others. There are a very largo

number of medical students at "Edinburgh University; so that altogether-1 spent in Scotland, one of tho happiosfc weeks of my l trip. ■ Edinburgh, April 7.. • ■