EDUCATION DISTRICTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16506, 5 October 1915, Page 4

EDUCATION DISTRICTS

The commission which was set up last year to define the boundaries of the education districts of the dominion can never

have had any expectation that its report would bo generally acceptable. In arriving at its determination, which is .(subject to such amendments as may be made by resolution in the House of Representatives) final in the matter, it was bound by the terms of the Education Act of last session, providing that there shall be not fewer than seven nor more than nine education districts. In other words, the commission had to reduce the number of education districts in the dominion by four at least, and it was empowered to reduce them by six if it considered it advisable so to do. It has exercised its option in the direction of recommending a reduction by six, bringing the number of districts down to the minimum allowed by the Act. It may he gathered from its report that it would have recommended a still further feduc-

tion if its hands had not been tied by law. As it is, its recommendations will, we have no doiibt, be viewed with a great deal of disfavour in the districts which, it proposes, are to. go out of existence. There 'are the Taranaki district, which is to be absorbed by Wanganui; the Marlborough and' Nelson districts, which are to be in-

corporated with Wellington; the Grey and Westland districts, which are to be included in Canterbury; and the South Canterbury district, which is also to be included in Canterbury. The most arresting of these proposals is that which throws Nelson and Marlborough into the Wellington education district, for it ignores the barrier to communication between the two islands that exists in the frequently turbulent Cook Straits. Yet the arrangement recommended by the commission is less artificial than at first sight it seems to be, because after all there is, greater community of interest between Nelson and Marlborough on the one hand and Wellington on the other than there is between them and any other of the larger centres in the dominion. The Canterbury education district, as determined by the commission, will be about the most difficult to administer in the whole of New Zealand, for not only are the existing districts of North" Canterbury and South Canterbury to be united, as seems distinctly reasonable, but the district is.also to include that long stretch of country on the West Coast which is ■now comprised in two education districts. Tt is clear, however, that no scheme under which the number of administrative education bodies in the dominion had to be materially reduced could fail to present features that would lend themselves- to criticism. That is a circumstance which Parliament must have foreseen when it deliberately enacted that the number of education districts in the dominion should not from the beginning of next year exceed nine at the most. And the disadvantages incidental to the reduction in the number of districts may be said to be much more than, counter-balanced by the positive advantages which will accrue from the existence of larger and stronger districts, and which have been factors influencing the commission in the recommendations it has made.

When we take into consideration the actual age of this community the circumstance is perhaps a little striking that fifty years ago there was an Otago Bible Society. This organisation, now entering upon its year of jubilee, was founded, it is interesting to be reminded; for the discharge of functions slightly different from those it now fulfils. Fifty'years ago. Otago was teeming -with newly-arrived immigrants whom the lure of gold led into its wildest and most remote regions. With the establishment, in Dunedin of, a depot Where stocks of copies of the Scriptures, procured from the Old Country, were kept, colporteurs, paid in whole or in part by the.Bible Society, travelled far and wide with their vans throughout the province, selling copies of .the Scriptures and preaching as well. Those were picturesque and arduous days, and the colporteur's van, it may be imagined, must have been highly welcome to many a settler cut off almost from civilisation. But the time came when the van was no longer required in Otago. Having discharged for some considerable time the very valuable business of meeting the need for a „ supply of Bibles at a reasonably cheap rate for the fast growing population of this part of New Zealand the Otago Bible Society, as the necessity for' its services in this direction disappeared, gradually came to devota itself almost exclusively to the task of aiding the British and Foreign Bible Society and the National Bible-Society'of .Scotland in their great 'work of translating, printing, and disseminating the' Scriptures in the languages of Ihe various races of mankind. To these organisations it has sent, up to the present an aggregate contribution of nearly £12,000. At'the last annual meting of the British and Foreign Bible Society, the year's circulation was announced to have exceeded ten million copies; while amidst „great difficulties the Society had maintained large and adequate supplies of convenient editions for British soldiers and sailors, as well 3s for the ,sol-' diers and sailors of other countries. Th 6 Otago Bible Society's work does not come very prominently before the public, but the steady usefulness of its labours has outlasted many a more imposing activity. In according the Society congratulations on.. the attainment?' of its jubilee it is gratifying also to have the opportunity of congratulating its esteemed president*, Mr William Brown, on the fact that he has occupied that honourable position continuously since the year 1889...N0t every day is encountered such an illustration of longcontinued personal endeavour identified with the interests of a particular organisation.

The spontaneous assumption by Mr HenryChaplin (to whom reference was made by us in a leading article yesterday) of the post of Leader of%, ;very shadowy Opposi-. tion in the House of. Commons evoked much pointed comment, mainly (though, not wholly) of a satirical kind. Anyone who has had an opportunity of observing the portly ox-Minister's grandiose (call it not pompous!) manner, and listening to his rotund periods, will readily conceive the (air with which he would discharge his new duties. In Sir Henry Lucy's, topical observations there, is a happy blending of banter and genuine recognition of merit.

Forty-seven years ago, Harry Chaplin entered the Commons as member for MidLincolnshire. Heldvtho seat for 38 years. Through period approaching half a century has watched slow changes of procedure and manner that have revolutionised the House. Whilst ever preserving the courtly manner of his early generation has tactfully ;;daptqd himself to circumstance. There is no Leader of the' Opposition, for sufficient reason that organised opposition i 3 His Majesty's Ministers still with us; for first time in parliamentary history his Majesty's Opposition has disappeared from the scene. To man of Chaplin's ' constitutional principles (a matter of native instinct), this condition of affairs fraught with gravo danger to {ho State. On reflection, member for Wimbledon Division, with his long experience, his intimate acquaintance with parliamentary men and matters, modestly, but iustly, conscious of possessing esteem of all parties and sections of parties, came to conclusion that perhaps no one'would fill the office better than himself. Accordingly, on first day of assembly of House, under direction of Coalition Government, he, rising from seat on Front Oppos ; tion Bench, in far-away times occupied by his old friend and master Disraeli, of late in possession of Bonar Law, interpreted with the question Leader of Oppowtion is accustomed to put to Ministers on such occasions:

"What business docs the Government proteose to Mce next week ? "

Crowded House, quick to crrapp the s-'tuation, ffeniclly laughed and heartily cheered.

Half a century ago Henry Chanlin was a dandy of the dandies, and at 75 ho is said to be still the best-dressed man in the House. In his youth he was a pupil of Archdeacon Twopeny, father of the accomplished and engaging man who edited the Otago Daily Times from 1883 to 1890, and whose too early death was recently chronicled. /

11' is not altogether surprising to learn that "Gott strafe Punch" is one of the aspirations, at once fervent and fantas-

tical, cherished in high places at Berlin. Ever since the outbreak of the war the great comic weekly (which is so much more than comic) has expressed and depicted the sentiments of British people with a brilliant resourcefulness and a resolute pungency which, we should say, have not been equalled or even approached by any other journal. Philosophic toleration is not/ among the Kaiser's few virtues, and it is easy to believe that the names of Sir Owen Seaman, Bernard Partridge,' and Raven Hill figure on the carefully-prepared

list of audacious offenders to whom he (and Gott) are to administer exemplary punishment on the imagined "Day" of Hunnish triumph. Specific warnings leave Mr Punch unconcerned, impenitent, and more mischievously aggressive than ever. The Deutsche Tageszeitung has issued such a warning, plainly telling " Punch id others" that " their performances are diligently noted, so that when the day of reckoning arrives we shall know with whom we shall have to deal and how to deal with 'them most effectually." . Meanwhile Raven Hill deals with this warning in one of' his happiest cartoons. The furious-faced Kaiser is there with his halter, and tells .Mr Punch that he is going to hang.'him. "Oh, you are, are you? Well, you don't seem to know' how the scene ends. It's the hangman that gets hanged." " Dog Toby" is there, too, with the wickedest and most impudent, of grins on his immemorial face. By the way, the Kaiser's malignant wrath, even if it had any potency, could never reach Walter Emanuel, who wrote Punch's " Charivaria'' for many years, and died, virtually in harness, early in August. " His alert and caustic wit, his sense of nonsense, and his peculiar gift of whimsical invention" (to quote from the editorial eulogium) were mainly devoted for just on a year to the congenial task of satirising the prepos-' terous war-lord. They two will not meet in this world—nor in the next, we take it, seeing that Walter Emanuel, by all accounts, was an amiable and righteous man.

At long last; after ages of twistful experience, that time-dishonoured institution, the French master at English public schools, has come to his own. Systematically badgered and belittled—-good-naturedly belittled if he chanced to be personally amiable, malignantly if he was lacking in cosmopolitan tact, but always belittled—he came back to school after the summer holidays of 1914 to. find himself a hero. He might still be " Mossoo'' to his face and "Froggy" behind his back, but as an institution he was transfigured. The mere Entente Cordiale could not work such a change. The normal schoolboy is not an. observant politician; he recks nothing of diplomatic friendliness or' animosity. But war is a different matter,.and France' is the ally of Britain in war, and every boy is a soldier. Hence "Froggy's" sndden aureole !' His German colleague (if he had one) has been repatriated or interned—, with boyish regret that it wasn't an interment— but,no. honour is too great for "Froggy and France." Let Poppett minimus speak (he is reporting the proceedings on Speech Day, 1915) :— ' Last year we ragged Mossoo;,this year you 'should have heard the cheer when he came in. He's not a bad sort, .after all. As soon a 6 I heard-what those beasts wero doing in the North of France I learnt a lot of. irregular verbs to' show my, sympathy. The Upper Fifth said it was a point of honour to learn all the French we rould. There was terrifio competition, for the French .prices. Mossoo roajle a fine speech in French, and we cheered every sentence. -I understood honneur, cceur, entente, patrie, cheered like mad when they came in. I-didn't understand the rest, as his accent is different and he speaks very quick. Nobody got. the prize for German amid great cheers. , Only 'follows went in for it, and they were hooted by some of ■ tho Fifth.

_ A Press Association message from Wellington states that the* new rates for press •telegrams have been gazetted. Where the former rate was 6d per 100 words, it will now bo Is, and, after 11 p.m., Is 4d, with the exception of parliamentary news, for which it will bo Is until the close 1 of the office. Evening papers will be allowed: 1000 words counted in the Aggregate- and 1500 during the session, but the "special Monday rate is abolished. On Sundays the rate between 5 and 5.30 p.m. for cables will be Is, and for ordinary news Is 4d, and after 5.30, Is 4d for both. On holidays the rate will be the same as on other days, but messages for evening papers will be counted separately. The new tariff will come into force on Monday. ■...'.

Arrangements have been completed for the mass demonstration in the Garrison Hall to-morrow night in support of British trade, -and everything points to a very large meeting. Somo may fool that a movement, of this kind 1 is rather premature, but it must be remembered that action along the lines, of this meeting has been carried'' out in the o}d Country for several months. The people in.tho Homeland, who are feeling .the brunt of the war, roeognise the tremendous gravity of tho question of conserving British trade for the people of the British Empire, and have been doing. their best to arouse the public to the importance of the subject. Wo havo had many patriotic meetings of late, but probably none of a more far-reaching character than that which is to be held to-morrow night. Hie Worship the' Mayor will give an• address, and tho chairman of. the meeting, Mr G., W. Gibson (president of tho. Chamber of Commerce), willmove the first resolution. Other wellknown speakers will take part. No charges for admission will be made. Members of tho Victoria League have been specially invited to attend.

A young Dunedin solicitor who recently enlisted was passed as medically fit in Dunedin and accepted for service with'the reinforcements. He sold his legal business, and* ..after receiving a send-off from his friends, journeyed to Wellington and entered tho camp at Trenthara A.subsequcnt medical examination there (our Wellington correspondent states) resulted in his being rejected as physically unfit, and he is now. out of the force and in Wellington—a very angry man. It is even rumoured that there is-a possibility of legal proceedings arising out of tho matter.

The Prime Minister said in the House of Representatives, last night that he had 40,000 acres of land in Otago and /Southavailable for tho settlement of returned soldiers. A good deal of ~'it - was pastoral, and some of it was suitable for fruit-grow-ing. Irrigation would have to be proceeded with to somo /extent. ' .

In regard to the proposal which emanated from the Board of Agricultures that county councils should constitute agricultural and pastoral bodies known as " Local Committees of Agriculture," the Clutha County Council has received two replies to the circulars from branches of the New Zealand Farmers' Union in the district. The secretary of the Clydevale branch stated that his branch had discussed the subject,, and agreed that three members should bo nominated from the Clydevale district, and appointed Messrs C. F. Overton, D. Murray, and H. Snushall. The secretary of the Clutha branch advised that his branch had approved of the scheme. At the meeting of the County Council on Friday, Cr Steel reported that the Clinton branch would appoint three delegates to a conference. Cr Maginness said that the Catlins branch had approved of the scheme and appointed Cr Christie and himself as delegates at the conference. It was resolved that a conference of delegates bo held at Balclutha on Friday, October 29.

A private" telegram states that the J. C. Williamson Company presented'"The Man Who Stayed at Home." at Timaru last night. The theatre was crowded in all parts, and the performance was received with the warmest demonstrations of approval.

A Press Association message from , Greymouth gives the following as last week's output;:—Blackball, 5436 tons, Paparoa 780 tons 14cwt, Liverpool 2919 tons 3 cwt, Point Elizabeth 2542 tons, North Brunncr 574 tons 7 cwt; total, 12,225 tons 4 cwt.

A Press Association telegram from Napier states that the petition in favour of 1 the remission of the sentence for manslaughter on Alice Parkinson has 62,187 signatures to date, including 10,590 for Hawke's Bay. Petitions with over 60,000 signatures', have' been forwarded to the Governor, and the last volume- is now in course of preparation.

One Sunday .afternoon, last k month, (eayi;, our Wanganui correspondent) a bottle of runv' ; and a bottle of whisky were smuggled into i > the house of a Nativo at Kaiiangaroa Pah.' Several persons partook of the forbidden're- , freshment, and the proceedings ended in a - free fight. As a sequel, Arthur "Duke apr" peared at the Magistrate's Court .yesterday ./; on a charge of taking liquor into the "pah. ■'■■ He pleaded "Not guilty," but; after hear- . ing evidence Mr Haselden, S.M., imposed a fine of £10. W. Hunter, who did not:appear, was similarly charged* and was also fined £10. The magistrate ordered each defendant to find half the costs. " ■ ■ '

Excellent entries hive been received for the annual horse show held under the allspices of the Otago A. and P. Society, which will take place at Tahuna Park on Thursday. ; During the day a quick tram service will be arranged for visitors to the. show, and luncheon and light refreshments will be provided on the grounds-' .The quality of the horses which will be exhibited is expected to be the best yet seen together in New Zealand. Clydesdale stallions entered for, the Wright, Stephenson Challenge Gup will be examined, by Messrs Kerrigan, \ Snowball, and Blair, M.R.C.y.S., at. the .'Otago Ear-. '. mers' Co-operative Association horse bazaar' on Wednesday,'commencing at 9 a.m.'■'■"'' Some idea may .be gathered of the effecta of the continued deartn of rain on the dairying industry when it ie learned that, the ' supply of milk to tho.TaieriandPem'nsula ,':•" butter factory in Oamaru ia at the.present' time only one-third of the amount that \ was being delivered for, the same period .last season (says the North Otago Times).- The. Totara district appears to have suffered-to a ' greater extent than the neighbouring •" centres. During iast'week's rain,, while 51 • points were registered'it Kauroo Hill, only 5 points showed on the rain gauges at Totara; ; One of the most noticeable effects of the dry weather has been to reduce: thoaniountof '. cream sent by some of the dairymen to the factory, from daily to tri-weekly contri-. V. buttons. The outlook generally is'far from promising. The opinion is expressed that" a!n indireot result of the drought will be .to induce farmers throughout North Otago t0..."' go in more largely for lucerne cultivation, '. as it is oh,record that this valuable plant '-,■ has saved the lives of thousands of cattle and sheep during previous dry spells in other. "' parts of the dominion when, other,.fodder "-. plants have failed to make up for the short-, ago of other feed. -

\ The disappearance on Friday of»a resident of Oamaru occasioned his relatives' and friends much: anxiety .(says the North Otago Times). The police were informed of the : matter, and up ■ till late on Saturday, night made exhaustive inquiries, but no trace of the missing man could be. discovered; On Sunday morning; while going through some sheep bn'his property behind the .Gardens, Mr Irwin found the lost man lying In some scrub. He was much weakened by his long exposure, . but,, with assistance, managed to walk to, a place "from where heicolild be taken.home. It seems that the missing man had felt ill, and had gone to the place where he was eventually found to ..rest, until/his recovery, but had: been unable to make. bit < way back to town. '.. '■..'■ j .■:..; -\: It is underetood tha't Mr W.'<Scott : will be v ; re-appointed torepresent.the employers on the Arbitration Court, in place of Mr E. F. ''-, Duthie, .resigned.' Mr Scott \va»; appointed -,' to the court in 1905, and held the position : of employers', representative tillthe end of last year, when he and Mr Duthie was appointed. '■•„ '•'".' ■'"■':•'..:'- : ,.;-- The endeavour; that was made. some time ago by the Mayor and residents of' Mojsgiel . to secure increased .railway facilities Tat the township :station in the way of,providing, better- yarding aocbrnmodation,. appears;-4o , ■ 'have failed for the'present ■.owing/< to: the > fact that the difficulties in the way of-ao-' quiring the block of'.'land on the opposite '.' side of Factory .road have proved insuper- ' able. A letter was received <at the meet- : ing of the local Borough Council'.last evening from the'-,Hon;'W.'-EC Hemes, staiing that the proposal would ; involve 'considerable 'expenditure ; j in removing 'arid.'.re-:' arranging the '.station, .and. thai ■'. rioithpr • the--; present nor the. prospective, traffio warranted the department in incurring ■ the expense at the present time,. ' The* land required also belonged .to. the-Presbyterian Church Board of Property, and, as it was , held at the present time-.,' under a farming . lease, the department would have to compensate the lessee.' In \view of these facts, the. Minister regretted; that the suggestion ' could not be adopted. /The letter was .'re-v oeiyed, and the, opinion expressed .',. councillors that something, should: be; done to improve" matters. The Mayor (Mr

Quelch) stated that the department could quifcd easily acquire the ground if it desired to do so. It was finally decided,. oh, the motion of Cr McLean, that : the Minister should be asked to have a loading bank erected on the site of the station; m order; to provide reasonable, facilities for, those, who had to handle produce. w ;

Apparently,, through the carelessnesa' of a i dnver hi aiioming bottles to fall out;.bf ha cart, a part ot Crawford street," near-;the

Education .Board offices; was a. mass ,of' broken ■' .glass yesterday.-' One; had only to glance at the many sharp, . pomtcd pieces •, lying around .to realise that they would •", inflict severe .damage; on any pneumatio tyre which might pass over them.' Mr A.' ■■.-.' K. M'Dougall (oaptain of the Otago Motor Clubhand Mr Oakdch (the secretary), had '" their attention drawn to the danger, and in- • spocted the locality. They intend to bring up a report to .their chub on the evil of - allowing glass in , such quantity to litter a . public highway. ' . '"''r ','•';■'"V In the' House of .Representatives yesterday atternooh Mr fayne a3ked if the Prime ' Minister, would, before the session. v ended,- • introduce legislation to providefor' a criminal J ; Court;of Appeal fo'r.lNevy Zealand, on. the Lries of tho English institution. Mr Massey' said the matter would be considered ""during., :. the recces, and, if desirable, the necessary ■ legislation would 'bo introduced next session.. On Saturday afternoon, at their. parents' . residence, St. Cla.r, Molly and Patty. Camp- ~'■ bell held a, small bazaar, as'a result of'which -, effort on. the part oft the children, the very satisfactory sum of £8. was realised. This cmount will be handed to' the Young Helpers' League, in. aid of the helpless and, ■ crippled children of Dr]Barnardo's Homes. The late Mr Ralph Ewing has bequeathed to the Dunedin Public Ait Gallery] an oil painting of Highland cattle near Callander, Scptland, by Donovan Adam, U.S.A. It was I reported at a meeting of the trustees of the-'.,. Art Gallery yesterday afternoon that the picture was a decided acquisition to tho , gallery, and that tho bequest would ;bo • greatly appreciated by .the general public. ■ Tho Prime Minister was asked in. the House on Thursday by Mr JiS.tt if he waa ; , acquainted with, the verdict of the Com-; . peiisation Court in regard to the -\Vhito. "' Island claims, that the claims could not be 1 allowed because there was not sufficient evidenco as to the manner in which the men met their death. Mr Isitt thought it .was a"•■"''-.' matter that demanded the attention, of. the ' " Government.: Mr Massey said that it oppcarcd to bo' a legal' question, and he did not see that the Government could take any action in the matter. Ho would have inquiries mnde, however. ; • Before Mr A. Cable, J.P., in tho Police Court at Port Chalmers yesterday morning,;' a first offender for drunkenness was convicted and discharged« Tho following,telegram was sent last night to .the Hon. J. A. Hanan, Wellington:—•' "Ivanhbo Lodge, in meeting assembled, emphatically repudiates the statements contained in the telegram sent, to by Brq, > Larnaeh r'o Friendly Societies Amendment' ", ,, Bill, and further declares that Bros. Haymea , and Shelton had authority to act oiii behalf of the lodge, and tho lodge, earnestly, -re- '}''■■*\ quests'that section 40 be not repealed,, un-.'-'; less it Is provided that branch -funds cannot ->;; bo transferred to a central body without the / - consent of its. memberei—B. ; ; secretary.". .■■■■ '"■' '.-"'••'.',"."■;■.;; i k^" : i\"c'-^ T k

Interesting observations on details of the work at the Dardanelles aro made by an officer of the Now Zealand Forces in a letter to his parents at Wellington. "After two months' strenuous work ashore," ho writes, "I spent a couple of days' holiday on board a hospital ship in the bay. It waa completely staffed with Australian nurses. It is , pleasing to our people to know that New Zealand is following suit. ... There are very few of my old! troops left. Most of them, of course, should be back -soon, as they were sent away sick or slightly wounded.. ... On Now Zealand mail days a spirit of secret, silent cheerfulness obsesses everybody, and it is then you see the far-away looks. ... At present I am 'in charge of the bomb-throwers of our section line and trenches, 15 yards from tho Turkish trenches. Bombing is very exciting, and makes one feci like an anarchist. An Indian mule driver "pinched 1 " one of my bombs -the other, day, thinking it was a lamp. Shortly afterwards there was no Indian. . . . Poor old Captain Henderson was hit tho other day, and may lose his leg. , He. had just gone past my dugout, and was about 15 yards away, when ho was hit by a shrapnel bullet* The bono of Lie leg was broken. beneath the knee. . . . We have had two months of continuous rifle and big-gun fire, and it gets very monotonous keeping one's head down and/ dodging shells. .' * . When in Egypt I could write, every week. . It is impossible . to do so here, but I will write a line or v two whenever possible." - v

A passage in the annual report of the New Zealand Society of Accountants- states that the Investigation Committee has considered a number of complaints during tho year, which have since been dealt with by the council as follow: —One member was struck .off the register, and another was suspended for a period of. one year for discreditable conduct. Eight members were censured and warned in connection with the •issue of unprofessional or touting circulars. In five other cases the Investigation 'Committee has preferred a formal complaint to the council, and these will be dealt with at the meeting to be held later in the present month. . Unremitting" efforts axe being made by the Board of Trade to supply in all British markets at least the goods in which' German and Austrian manufacturers and exporters specialised. Mr W. G. Wickham (British Trade Commissioner) has received advice showing that the foreign samples section of the Board of Trade,, whose duty is to collect samples of- German and Austrian-manu-factured goods and show them to British manufacturers, has held meetings almost every fortnight since September of last year. Nearly 20,000 samples have been exhibited to merchants and buyers, and) there r aro prospects that British goods will replace German and Austrian in a number of cases. - Arrangement have been, or are being, made to hold'exchange meetings in the following trades: —Electrical accessories and ( apparatus, cotton goods (printed and dyed) ( and stationery and printing. Itf-is proposed to deal similarly with the trades in hard*ware and tools. Arrangements have also been completed for* an exhibition of English

furniture, .suitable for export, more particularly ; with the object of displacing the Austrian bentwood furniture. Samples have been received from' South Africa, Canada, Australia,' New Zealand, Ceylon, Fiji Islands > Bermuda, Straits Settlements, West Africa, Zanzibar, West Indies, India, Portugal, South America, Turkish Levant, - and France. *