OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16988, 26 April 1917, Page 3

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

(Conducted by Maqistkb, to whom all communications must bo addressed.) FOR SENIORS AND JUNIORS. m K C rt- BS i ister wiU R"^ to "ooivo NaUlre NoUe, marked pnpere containing educational articles, d agrums, details of experiments, etc., of scholastic iiuerest to teachers anil pupils. Correspondents must uso only one side of tho paper, aud wiiether using a pen name, or not. must send UOtU SAME 4tul .» DURESS.] SUGAII! SUGAK! SUGAR ! A startling, scathingly-written, coldlylogical book, jpaokiv with statistics', has just iu-nved here. Jt is called " Defeat? Tho Iruth About tho lictrayal of Britain." The writers arc Artiuir Meo (so woll known (is the editor <jf the Children's Magazine) and a Dr Stuart Ilolrleu: and a peciaco hi? 3 been written for it by In- C \V Saleoby K.K.S.E. Everybody should read it. Tho price is 6d not, probubly 9d hero—l do not kl-ow, for, as. with many another book, I bought and paid for it without remembering the price. , :Uy main purposo in referring to it hero is to quote what it says on sugar, with tho nope that all will send sugar to our men, for I was told by n. gentleman that they had not boon getting any for some time. What a splendid work schools can do in sending pounds of sugar every week or fort-

night—loaf sugar for preference. Eut I want to quote as an incentive to mail sugar—a pound win bo seut for 4rl—by letter mail, and it gets there sooner than bv parcel post which, 1 understand, rocs bv transport.

Read tins: "It is not true that rum is Ui-:> only thing wo. can give our men in the trenches. There are hot drinks that we can give them—tea and coffee and cocoa, «nd drinks made from meat,—things that spur a hero on with tho sugar that goes to the hero R aid and makes him twice a hero when he leaps the parapet. it is one of the marvellous things about the human body that at a time liko that when a man 1S facing death, the sugar in Ins blood comes to his aid, and makes him twice Hie man ho thought ho was. At the sight of danger, by a law of a Higher Power Mian mnii, (ho sugar in a nun's blood is incTCiised by one-third, as if Mother Nature Know that her son had need of strength; t* •+• i J * then, at that very hour, that tho Jintisn Government gives its men a drink that makes thorn cold, and that can onlv tie made by the destruction of the siifar that would make thorn warm. It is unthinkable, incredible, but it is trne; and it J™ not . fruo , that there is no alternative." I hen follows a fine tribute to thoT.M.C.A tli 't w,II,n S to relieve the Govornmont ot the labour of dealing out mm and supply instead hot tea, coffee, or cocoa ritrht in the firing line. Hero is another quotation on the same article of di«t: " Men lio recovering from their wounds in tho hospital, or stand on pi.ti.i-d in trenches, or no through t.hoir Irau.ing in camps, ami nek j n vain for tho sugar that noed. Wo givo thorn, all too little sugar all the time, fcntf this rxvlo can always get it; it uses up more sugar than the army. A friond of mine has come home pa.ia.lvsod from Jvorvpt, Ho was ready to give his life for Enda.nd. but., eo far, bo has .ffiven only his health and strength. He is hack m a London hospital, not far away from the docks, where sug.ir arrives in thousands of tons- but ho asks in vain for' sugar in his tea. for this vital need of life, is not for him; it is for this enemy trade, which, just ncross tho road from this great nosnital, is dragging -women down, starving children, and killing babies fr.pt." As neither t.he Homo Government nor ours seems to bo able- to supply our hospitals at Jomo and ->ur men at tho front with sugar, which is so essffntiil to health and strength, let our schools paok pounds up and send by mail post. Perhaps, too, the miners on strike can be persuaded to go back, reverse the "go slow" policy, and send the difference in sugar, lollies, and biscuits to their former comrades now at the front. They may think, too, of the others, many of whom arc friendless. The pity of it-f Organise, toaehors, and send what we have in comparative plenty, but wliat they can hardly purchase, for love or money. If Ota go teachers will only organise, the I thing is done, for I know what they can I do. !

I might add that the information that no sugar is supplied camo from an only son at tho front; and I myself have a letter asking that any parcels sent by a. iooaJ society I am associated with should contain sweets.

Just another word The pure hard-boiled common lollies, I am told, are tho purest nnd the bost to sond. Of course, I do not mean that other gifts should not be sent as usual. AN ACKJTO'WI/EDGMENT. A fortnight ago I asked for copiee of Munsoy's Magazine containing the'articles on italy and Switzerlan i. A gentleman ha? forwarded them, but will not accept anything but my thanks. I wish I could reproduce in colour the maps contained in these and other numbers if only to show how nations rise and fall and diiring their lives are added to or subtracted from, according to the vicissitudes of tho times. ° Life is short, and doec> not allow us to accomplish all wo wish; but if I had time and money I should talc? nil our leadinsr magazines and reviews, unbind them, and put tcjrotber the articles I should jike to keep. Most magazines and reviews have 0.0 or more articles worth rescuing from oblivion, and sometimes (hey come in verv Kandv.

THE GLOUCESTER CASTLE. Last week we heard of the sinking cf the Hospital ship Gloucester Castle, and apparently the ixuns did not care whether those on board reached a "place of safety " a euphcmist.o expression Attila's crews have to indicate that they graciously give inmates of the doomed ship a minute or two to take to the boats.

The Gloucester «Jastle calls k> mind a letter I have a copy of sent from England in October, 1915. This is an extract—the letter was written by a nurse invalided homo from Egypt: "At noon we found ourselves on ■ board, the hospital ship Gloucester Castle, a very fino boat of 8000 tons, wei-o received by a sweet little matron, shown to our ward, took off our hats, and wore then ushered to the dinino- saloon for lunch. In the afternoon more sick nurses arrived, until wo numbered 12, most of them convalescing after dysentery or enteric, but none of them severe cases. I should say, as at tho present, we lpol: extremely fit, quite a joke on tho boat; have all gained in weight, and with tho sun and wind, have faces liko peony roses, and all are as lively as crickets Really, with Scotch, Irish. Canadian, and Jwisrsh nurses all around me. goodness knows what my accent will be like on my return. Wo have two Irish girls on board Wb from Tipporary. and their brosrue is lovely. Our ward was really an officers' one handed over to us, a very nice ward containing 14. beds, .floor covered with chrkgrcoii linoleum, seven portholes, electric Ught, wishhand basins with hot and: cold water, hot and cold fresh water baths, and conifortablo beds. . . .. Everything so from . lhe .old Mnhono thonn-V Cnnram M'Lean and his officers are splendid men."

TWO OF KIPLING'S POEMS. Last week, by request, I gave " If." by Kipling; and this week, also by request 1 am repeating .another patriotic appeal' Land of Our Birth." In both of these" poems there is a lofty sentiment, quite antagonistic to the jingoistic spirit eome thoughtlessly cultivate—as rapidly unreasoning m one direction as the action of the West Coast strikers is in the other. The two pieces will form fine recitations for tho upper stnnchrds. On seconcT thoughts I'll arid too, "Lest We Forget" as a counterblast to the prayers offered ur> by the Germans to the Gorman-god. These'* throe (a.ll npplwble to tho present hour) will J 0 , 1 ™ a trl] °gy of recitations not even an J..W.W. can take any exception to.

Land of our birth, wo pledge to the© thir lovo and toil in the years to be i When wo are grown and take our place As men and women with our race. Father in Heaven, Who lovesfc all, Oh, help Thy children when they' calL lliat they may build from age to ago An undented heritage. Teach us to bear tho yoko in vouth With steadfastness and cnroful" truth That in our time, Thy gnu* may give Iho truth whereby tho nations live. Teach us to rule ourselves ahvay, Controlled and cleanly niprht and day That wo may bring, if need arise, No maimod or worthless sacrifice.

Teach ue to look, in all our ends, On Thee for Jndffe, and not our friends Jhat we with Theo may walk uncowed &y fear or favour of tho crowd.

Teach us the strength that cannot seok ily deed or thought to hurt tho weak, lil.lt, under Tb.ee, we may possess Mans strength to comfort man's distress. Teach us delight in simple things And mirth that has no bitter springs Forgiveness, free of evil done, ' Aid love to all men 'ncath the sun.

Land of our birth our faith, our pride lor whose dear sake our fathers died- ' O Motherland, we pledge to thee Head, heart, and hand through the vear* to bo. "Lest We Forget." God of our fathers, known of old Lord of our far-flung battle-line, Beneath Whoso awful hand we hold Dominion over palm and pine Lord God of.Hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget—lest we forget! The tumult and the shouting dies— The captains and the kings departStill stands Thine ancient sacrifice, An humble and, a contrite heart.' Lord God of Hosts, be. with us yet, Lest we forget—lest we forget! Fai-called our navies melt away— _ On dune and. headland sinis the Cre— Lo, all our pomp of yesterday Ij one wrtlj Nineveh and Tyre! Judge of the Nations, spare us yet, Lest wo forget—lest wo forget! Wild tongues that have not Tlieo in awe— Such boasting as the Gentiles uso, T l \ K° T cd without the Law— Goc, ,°' Hosts, bo with us yot, wo forgot—lest wo forget! For heathen heart that puts her frost In rooking U,bn and iron slwrd— All valiant dust that lniilds on dust And giiai'ding calls ~o t Thoo to -,'iard— For frantic boast and foolish word? ihv Mercy on Thv people, Lordl