The Opunake Times. FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1896. STATE SCHOOL.

Opunake Times, Volume IV, Issue 163, 24 January 1896, Page 2

The Opunake Times. FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1896. STATE SCHOOL.

The public school opens again on Monday next after the Christmas vacation. The Board of Education has called tenders for painting it both inside and out, and the ventilation of it is to be attended to at the same time. This is a very necessary work, as daring the hot weather it must have been positively unwholesome for the children attending. The infant room especially has been very much overcrowded for some time past. Although a few will be removed into the larger room after the examination there will likely be a number more new scholars in attendance owing to their coming of school age. The attendance at the school is far from what it ought to be, and wo hope during the coming year that the committee will do its utmost to compel a more regular attendance. If all the children of school age attended with reasonable regularity the school buildwould soon need enlarging, and we should be entitled to an extra teacher. This school has never been noted for, regular attenders, and a part of the'. very inferior education obtained is due to this cause. In order to produce good results there must be regular attendance, and parents are not treating their children fairly in depriving them of the only chance of being educated, so that they may hold their own in the race of life. Carelessness on the part of the parents produces carelessness on the part of the teacher, with the result that the children suffer, and the teacher receives pay for work which he never performed. The Opunake School, although having over one hundred children attending, is about as low down the scale of efficiency as it is possible to get, and although it is satisfactory to know that any change must be for the better, yet the present state of it is very deplorable. The Inspector had to report on the last examination that thorough-' ness in teaching was lacking, and judging by results we think that was putting it extremely mild. Compulsory attendance applies to children under 14 years of age and who have not passed the fourth standard. It is very sad to see children nearly attaining the exemption age and still in what may be called the A.B.C. classes, but so it is in the Opunake School, and so it apparently has been for years past. There are scholarships given for higher education, which would enable studious and bright children to get a chance of a decent start in life, to the cost of which all contribute, but this privilege is not claimed by any child from Opunake. This we admit would be an extra effort, and it is only natulal that it is not made when the results fall so very far short in the ordinary. For the Civil Service again any boy or girl has a chance of appointment as a cadet, provided thenage does not exceed fifteen years and that they have passed the sixth standard, but we do not think one such could be found in the district. This we consider disgraceful. There has been too much altogether of the go-as-you-please system about the school, and it is very nearly time an alteration was made. People should not forget that although education is called free they are paying very dearly for it, as nearly everything they eat, drink, or wear has to contribute its quota to the cost. If they were paying directly for it they would see that they got better value, but as the charge is indirect they wax careless. Wejiope that with the new year they will give the matter serious attention, and by sending their children ns regularly as they possibly can they will have performed their part, and then lame excuses for such wretched results will be sheeted home to their proper source.

A young man wants a situation on a farm. The State School opens on Monday next. A middle aged woman wants situation as housekeeper or general servant. Tenders for various works are called by the Parihaka Road Board. Notice is given of special rate to secure Kama Road loan. A bullock has been impounded in the public pound. John Hally, 65, a stonemason’s laborer, died suddenly while at work at Dunedin, on Tuesday, from failure of the heart’s action. The Auckland Colonial Sugar Company has advanced the price of sugar at 10s per ton.

The Rev. J. \V. Chapman has removed from Oeo and taken up his residence at Manaia.

Mr H. E. Godsal -has returned from England and intends taking up his residence again at Oeo.

A man named Woolley, who escaped from the Wellington Lunatic Asylum, was recaptured at Waipawa on Saturday afternoon.

We give a reminder of Dr Harrison’s visit to Opunake to-morrow, when he may be consulted at Mr J. Reaver’s pharmacy from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

As the annual retreat of the Catholic clergy of the Wellington Diocese is now being held there will not be Mass here till Sunday week, 2nd February. Before Mr Stanford, S.M., on Friday, at Woodville, the licensee of the Commercial was fined £5 and costs, and his license endorsed, for Sunday trading.

Mr 0. Cummins has taken the premises opposite Middleton’s Hotel, in which he intends to carry on his drapery business. He has enlarged the shop and is now busy fitting it up.

Messrs Berry and McAllister, photographers, have opened their studio in Mr Ritson’a premises, Main Street, and are now prepared to execute any orders entrusted to them.

Chemists are exempt according to the decision in Wellington of W. Martin, S. M,, from observing the half holiday, which decision appears to us to be in accordance with common sense.

Mr E. T. Gillon, of the Wellington Post, arrived in Auckland on Monday by the Waihora for Wellington in a precarious state of health. He underwent an operation in Sydney, but it was only partially successful.

The S.M. Court is sitting to-day in the Foresters’ Hall which has been leased by the Justice Department. Alterations have been effected and it should prove very comfortable quarters for all excepting litigants.

Mr W. Pearce, of Pihama, has, we are informed, purchased 340 acres of Mr A. Sutherland’s farm close to Manaia. The price we understand is £l2 per acre at which it must be a bargain as it is the choicest land on the Waimate Plains.

Mr Newsham, the well-known prospector, whp has been working upon a small claim between the Loyalty and Sceptre mines atTe Aroha, recently crushed three tons of ore for a return of 20oz of gold, valued at £3 4s 9d per ton. The yield is equal to per ton.

The Pungarehu races take place on next Thursday, and given a fine day it should prove a very successful meeting. This is always a very favorite outing and we anticipate a large crowd from the Opunake end will avail themselves of the day’s sport.

We regret to have to chronicle the death of Mr Joseph Ramson, late representative of Messrs Sargood Son and Ewen for Taranaki. He was well known right around the Mountain, and his jovial face will be sadly missed. We tender our sympathy to his family in their sad bereavement.

An exchange says : —On Friday last the longest procession of agricultural machinery ever seen in the streets of Christchurch was formed up in Manchester-street. It extended from Scott’s foundary to the Railway station and consisted of 15 lorries each convej’ing a McCormick reaper and binder. The whole fifteen machines have been purchased by Mr John Grigg, Lougbeaoh, and were on their way to the railway station, whence they were despatched by the afternoon train. At Ashburton, and on the road to Longbeach—the last stage of the journey being made on lorries drawn by a traction engine—the display attracted much attention. It was a striking testimony as well to the magnitude of the farming operations at Longbeach as to the opinion of 11 the best farmer in the world ”of the McCormick machine.

Proceedings in connection with the Taranaki Ritlo Association commenced on Wednesday morning. The first range of the New Plymouth Match (200yds) was taken first and then the Patea Matcli (10 shots at 300yds) was fired so as to finish the short ranges at the one time. Taking the first range of the former, in which all competitors except Robinson, took part. Adams, (Patea) was the first to open the ball, finding the spot with a well placed “ centre.” The shooting was very consistent in most instances. Bennett (N.F.), who would have very likely topped the list at this range, had the misfortune to take the wrong target in one of his shots, registering a bull, and even with this miss he placed 28 to his credit. Okey (N.P.) Strahan (Alox. Cavalry), Wilson (Woodville), Chicken (Woodville), rung on 32 each, whilst Maritt, Atkinson, and Kelling registered 31. The next highest are Johnston, McFarlane, and Thorpe (the three Wairoa men) 30; Milne, Adams, and Piing, 29 ; H. Gibson, Barrow, Nelson, Paterson, Bennett, 28 ; Barrett, 57.—Star.

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