EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1911, 6 July 1888, Page 16

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

The sitting of the institute was resumed on on the 27th ulfc. Mr D. White, M.A., occupied the chair, and there was a good attendance of members.

DELEGATES TO THE N.Z. INSTITUTE.

The following gentlemen were nominated as candidates for election as delegates to the council of the N.Z. Educational Institute, which meets in Wellington at the close of the present year : — Messrs Chilton, Rennie, and Wilson.

Several members of the institute declined to bo nominated for various reasons, and consideration of the matter was deferred till the afternoon sitting.

Mr FiTzaERALD then stated that Mr Wilson would be unable to attend the conference this season.

Mr Rennie said he would move that a committee be appointed to consider the matter and report. They had now reached the crisis. He had foreseen this all along. The whole question was in the payment of delegates, and that was why the nomination was hanging fire this time. The plan proposed by Mr Rennie was agreed to. THE NELSON MEETING. The President gave a short sketch of the work which was done at tbe meeting of the instituie in Nelson last year. The principal subject was the retrenchment proposals of the Government, and the institute agreed to wait on the Minister of Education (Mr Fisher; on the question. In reply to a telegram, he said he said he was going South on urgent business, and did not see his way to meet the institute. It was afterwards announced in the press that the " urgent business " was only a holiday he took after his arduous duties. As one of his first official acts, it would have been a graceful thing if he had strained a point to have met the institute.

11 WOMAN AND HER MASTER."

This was the title of an able and thoughtful paper read by JL)r Steuhouse. At the outset, referring to the recent strictures of Bishop Nevill on youthful immorality, he said no one could doubt that the bishop was actuated by the best of motives. As little could they doubt, if they ever travelled with observant eyes certain districts of this fair city chiefly occupied by the industrial classes, that there was abuudant room for his severest strictures. It was no reply to say that New Zealand children were no worse than children elsewhere. There was no doubt in his own mind that they did not compare favourably with the school children of bis own schoolboy days. He went on to show how this state of matters could be improved by parents becoming more to their children in the way of companionship. It was through neglect of this point that the children of reputedly good men often turned out a disgrace to their parents. This he had witnessed hundreds of times, but never yefc without being able to see that the parents, if really gootl, had neglected their children through being immersed in their own pursuits^ or had enforced mistakenly an altogether erroneous method of home culture ; or in other cases parents reputedly good had been nothing but specious hypocrites ; but no parent could be a hypocrite without being .detested by his children, and none turned out worse than tbe children of hypocritical parents. And this w#B the reason why the chi.dren of the clergy so frequently disappointed the expectations of their friends and acquaintance*. They knew that the father had a double characfcef— -a professional one and a private one, and that these did nob correspond. This knowledge in a child destroyed jp a moment all belief in real goodness, all faith— in & typrd, all morality. Good parents, thank God, be added, produce good children. The speaker then proceeded to refer to the necessity of good healthy homes. He deprecated the early introduction of technical education in the schools. A taste for poetry, painting, and music should be instilled if they likedj b,yt for .God's sake, he would say, keep away the workshop and everything that was of the earth earjhy. Technical education, to be of much utility, mgst come later. Coming to the principal part of his address, he proceeded as follows : — The subject bo which I would direct your most serious attention, and which I haye named "Woman and Her JJasfcer,", concerns not only you teachers, but fn a very especial manner the wording classes generally, ana, as you will #cc, strides ajb the very roots of the present science of political economy. In a word, I wish to show that the oompetitien of woman in the work of thn world la contrary to tbg laws of her being, hurtful to the State, and the principal gajjse ot the social disaffection and dis* order that £ireyail3 to so alarming an extent, and which threaten to subvert the whole iabrio ot society. You will observe that in fcajnng. up this ground lam advocating a principle diametrujatyy opposite to that jvhicb tor p. quarter of a century hae 'rated the practice of the world. Within that time, principally tfrrcggh an impulse reae jved from America, the employment of w,omen in jthe business of commerce has prodigiously increased j and notwithstanding this fact the condition of ojjr women instead ot improving has become more and more wrenched and deplorable j 8.0 much so that there exists in London and elsewhere a society composed of many noble and learned and philanthropic individuals' of ,both sexe3, wjiioh has tor its object U*e opening ,up of new sources of occupation and employment to the distressed gentlewomen of t&e land. And apparently Jt has never occurred to any of these phl£oßophers,«tafcej3men,and scientists that the measur.es they are adopting will only extend t&e mjßchi.efj and t&aj; nature l^ersejf,

if they would but listen to her voice, emphatically proclaims, the remedy, which is nothing more or less than to divorce woman from commercial life, and to restore her to that sphere for which only she was made, and in wbich alone she can find her mission and her happiness— l mean at home ministering to her husband, father, and brothers. Ladies and gentlemen, from a very early age this theme has been familiar to my thoughts, partly I suppose from being brought up m Glasgow, where the female sex are so largely employed in workshops and factories, and where it is easy to study the moral and physical degradation that overtakes those who are thus employed. About the same time there were two books which I read which confirmed me in the opinion I was forming that there was something radically wrong in our treatment and management of women.' One of these was to the best of my recollection "Dr Spring's Obligations of the World to the Bible," in which a special chapter or chapters were devoted to showing the very especial indebtedness of women to the Christian religion; th<3 other book was by Angel James and called, I think, " The Young woman's Guide," and in which the same line of argument was pursued. These writers showed that Christianity had elevated woman to the rank of companionship with man, had made her a true helpmeet to man; that before the advent of Christianity woman had ministered chiefly to the passions of man, as she does still in many parts of the world ; that Christianity had created and firmly established the home by makiDg man the husband of one wife, and so by the ennobling and purifying influences of the home had rendered the improvement of the human race possible. • They drew a picture of woman at her best, as she exists in many of the homes of Britain, and then contrasted her lot with that of heathen women, and in Eastern lands generally, where the harem still nourishes. I remember reasoning with myself — This is all very well, but what of the thousands of weraen in our large cities, who are surely as degraded and unhappy as women can be anywhere, and yet who have been born and bred in a Christian community and surrounded by all sorts of elevating influences What other causes have been at work to make them the wretched beings we see they are ? And by-and-bye light broke in upon me. You will observe that the writers I have quoted proved that woman's sphere is the home, and that God made her to be the friend and companion of man. I shall take it for granted that you admit this from a moral and religious point of view. And now I shall endeavour to show you that nature teaches us the same lesson. We hear a great deal nowadays of the disparity of the sexes in point of number, and of the remarkable excess of women. Some of you may suppose that this is according to natural law, that more female children are born than male. Wow, exactly the contrary is the natural law, the proportion being 105 males and 100 females, nature thus providing for the greater mortality of males owing to the dangerous occupations $hey have to follow. Well, what does this prove— this equality of the sexes ? Does it not show that by nature we are intended to consort in pairs— to be companions —to be the one the complement of the other? Therefore you see that neither on religious grounds nor in virtue of a natural law is there any hint of riyalship betwf en the sexes. But if we send out our girls and women to compete with men in the business ot life, do they not thereby become the rivals and antagonists of men — no longer helpmeets as nature made them, but absolutely enemies? We shall therefore hold it proved that the revealed will of God, and the natural law of propagation, declare that woman should be the friend, companion, and help meet of man. Next we shall prove the same proposition in another way — I mean phj Biologically. It has often been remarked that the whole arraugement, structure, and functions of the human body are beautifully adapted for the purpose it has to serve. In man we find that every provision has been made for the exercise of strength and activity ;— the large frame, strong limbs, and capacious brain, and the whole so beautifully balanced that it is impossible to say of him that one part or function is meant to be predominant. There seems to be such perfect balance of sympathy between his various organs that tbe predominance of any one of them depends upon the amount of work it is called upon to perform, and the development of any one of them may be carried to tbe highest pitch of excellence without necessarily inflicting any injury upon the others ; and, on the other band, the disturbance or impairment of any them does not necessarily impair the organism as a whole. When, on the other hand, we turn to woman we find that the same law does not apply, or at least not in the same degree. A. very slight knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the female frame is sufficient to convince anyone that all nature's aim has been to fit and prepare her for the discharge of one central function ; andasif to impress them upon her mind and keep her destiny closely before her, nature has accompanied this central function with a marvellous physiological process, which goes on with periodical regularity through the whole cycle ot her healthy adult life. So imperiously does thiß reproductive function sway the physical system of woman that even a slight disturbance of it makes itself felt through every fibre of her being, and_ any more serious derangement or disease therein destroys all capacity tor enjoyment and all power of usefulness, How often her brain even is overwhelmed by central mischiefs we see something of in the prevalence of hysteria in the Bex ; while of more serious mental maladies let the records of our asylums testify. Moreover the healthfulnesg of this function is maintained by such a drain of vitality tha!; nature thereby practically forbids her to engage in any other labours or pursuits requiring a further strain on her physical powers, which therefore she can only undertake at the expense sooner or later of her more important function ; for I need not remind you that when we exercise any particular structure or function of the body there is an immediate determination of blood to that part, which not only enables it to perform the work it is called upon to do, but leads to its growth or development so that the part thus exercised becomes augmented in size or bulk. Thus for a familiar example, witness tbe arms of a blacksmith, or the large frontal development of the brain worker. Now, when we call upon our women to perform arduous physical or mental work, we so lessen the supply of blood necessary to her superior function as to seriously interfere with its health and vitality, which by-and-bye reacts on her system as a whole, 60 that it too ofteu becomes permanently weakened and shattered. Nature, therefore, we may take it, has sfamped on woman's person in unmistakable language the kind of work towhiih she's called. To perform this mission perfectly, with comfort to herself and with benefit to the race, it is necessary that her education and mode of life should be sDecially directed to tlie purpose in question ; and thisis quite inconsistent with th§ engaging in other physical labours enta ling a continuous and severe strain. Thus I have shown you from the religious aspect that woman has been created as the friend, helpmeet, and ompanion of man, and from the physical that her work is the repro duction and rearing of the human race. But there is still a third argument that tends to tl c same end. The use and wont of society proclaims that it regards the home as the only true and proper sphere of the woman. For ii is only necessity that compels women to 1 resort to foreign' employment. 'Alorf, whether they have means r>r not, enter upon business or engage in public life' for the exercise of their talents' orfpora motives of ambition. But who ever heard of a woman entering a ghnp, or factory, or Bcnool, except from the suppbs&l necessity of making a living, or because her home is' so* cheerjees and comfortless as to be one only in "name ? The upper and wealthy classes do not ask their women to work, hut, on the contrary, take a pride and pleasure in maintaining them as the ornaments of their homes. In like manner, no sooner does a man raise himself in jthe world by making money than he signalises ,his success by keeping pis daughters at home and making ladies of them, as it is called. And conversely, when a man loses his money or position, fhe bitterest consequence in his change of circumstances prises from the necessity of his daughters having to face jfcjie cold world snd earn a living for themselves. He next proceeded to consider tbe actual facts, giving some very important information; and af terwardg fa weigh the gonsequences.

The competition pf woman in thp work of the world was contrary to the laws of her being, hurtful to the State, and was in part the cause of the social disorder which prevailed to such an alarming extent to-day, nnd -which threatened to divert the whole fabric of society. He was advocating a. principle djwetrically opposite to that which for a quarter of p. century had ruled the worid. The employment of women in fhe tut iness of commerce had prodigiously increased, biif tbpy ha/i become more and more wretched. The reir.gdy was to di crt wpo\a« from commercial life and restore her to that situation for whjoh she was made and to whiph she .could find admission- at home, ministering to her 'fattier, berhusband, and her brothers. Ho aUo referred to female labour, which he said had the effect ,pf reducing tt t he wages of women as well as men. Tb'at had gone oh to such an extent that it was now acting only in tb'4 'interests' of tie employers of

labour, and it was owing to tbe employment of women in such large numbers that hundreds of thousands of men had to go idle. In conclusion, he recapitulated what he had attempted to prove, in the following words : —

I have endeavoured to show that man violates the laws of nature when he compels woman to do the work of the world and not the work of the home. Woman's lot— and surely it is a sufficiently noble and soul-satisfying one-is to be the companion and comforter of man, to fit him for the work which she herself could never do— by anticipating his wants and relieving him from the pressure of domestic care ; and finally to be the mother of good and strong and brave men, and fair and affestionate women. It is the home and by the influence of their mothers that men are truly humanised nnd civilised, and the moral condition of tbe world will never be improved until it is made possible for every man and woman to have a good, pure, healthful home of their own in whiqh to carry out the true objects of their being— viz., the improvement of the human race. In proportion as the atmosphere of home is pervaded by the spirit of comfort, intelligence, cleanliness, and affection, the character of the inmates will be noble, truthful, and generous, and every such home will make its influence felt in the moral and physical advancement and improvement of the national condition. 1 To make homes happy and comfortable is the work of women, and it can only be achieved through their instrumentality. Her education, therefore, should ba conducted throughout with a view to their future position as wives and mothers. To become a wife and mother is the Inalienable right of every woman, and when this right is seriously interfered with to any extent, as it is in modern times by the large employment of women, to that extent the health and vitality of the nation is undermined, and premature decay will be the result if a remedy be not promptly applied.

Mr Reid moved a vote of thanks to Dr Stenhouse for his paper. He said he believed Dr Stenhouse had hit upon the real cause of larrikinism in the colony. So long as we allowed young lads to sit on fences, smoke pipes, and use doubtful language to passers by, so long would we have this class growing up amongst us. On the question of technical education he did not quite agree with the writer of the paper. He believed in giving boys facilities for using their hands they were doing a good work, but if it went 30 far as to be compulsory, then he would not favour it. He agreed with what the speaker had said about the competition of women. Mr Barnett said with regard to the immorality of children he denied that there was anything here approaching what was to be seen in either England or Scotland. No boy here entered into the low vice that they saw at Home. The comparison was perfectly odious, and an insult to many boys who were growing up in Dunedin. With regard to the statement about the greater ability of girls, he did not believe it. The dux of the school was invariably a boy. When he was a boy it was so. — (Laughter.) There was too much readiness among men to attribute a great deal of cleverness to women. — (More laughter.) Though girls spent more time at their lessons they did not learn so well as boys. It was further to their advantage that they matured earlier. A girl was a woman before a boy was a man. A girl was a woman at 18,' but a boy wasjaob a man often at 23.— (Great laughter.) He seconded the motion.

Mr J. Duncan spoke favourably of the address. He said Dr Stenbouse had made out a grave indictment against the State, against individual parents, and against those who had a desire for the best advancement of the human race. It would require very careful study at the hands of our legislators and of those engaged in guiding the education of the community. Mr J. Reid (Ravensbourne) said there had, in his opinion, been a great advance in morality during the last century, He did not agree with the speaker in his statement that factory work was detrimental to the health of women.

Mr Fitzgerald said he was not altogether in sympathy with the paper, and he was not in sympathy with the idea that women Bhould be brought up as an ornament to our homes. There was far too much of this ornamental bringing up. Every girl ought to be brought up so that she might be able to earn her own living. At present there were a large number of women doing good work in the schools. Then there were openings for others in Dr Stenhouse's own profession, for which women were admirably adapted.— (Laughter). He thought the illustration regarding clergymen's sons going astray should not have been cited. As to the question of the morality of the children, he thought Dr Stenhouse had mistaken the position taken up by the teachers. They had only spoken because they felt the statements to be false, and that falsehood was being used covertly to undermine the education system of New Zealand.

Mr Durbar pointed out that matters were not nearly so bad in England as in such countries as China.

Mr Rennie drew attention to the fact that most of those who had spoken had evaded the point. Dr Stenhouse did not object to women making their own living when necessary. What he meant, as a part of economics, was that it would be better that men should work and women should stay at home.—(Applause.) The matter was One that required careful thought, and all honour was due to those men who tried to discover the causes of the present state of things and find out a remedy. — (Applause ) As to the ability of women, he was quite convinced that it was equal to that of men. If Mr Barnett were a married man he might agree with that.

Mr Barnett : Oh, he is, and has got a son, too.— (Great laughter.)

Mr Rennie said that many elements of truth had been touched upon by Dr Stenhouse. They were simply entering upon this matter, and a great deal would have to be thought and written about it before they became acquainted with all its bearings.

Mr White, in conveying the thanks of the meeting to Dr Stenhouse, expressed himself as heartily in sympathy with his remarks. He said there was no doubt that girls were quite the equals of boys. In the Normal School two i years ago the girls headed every standard. He also cited other examples in proof of his statement. He 1 was glad to find that Dr Stenhouse j was woman's truest advocate. — £ Applause.) Dr STENipuBE in reply first made reference to the remarks he had made abopt clergymen's i sons. His ciitib had said he did not like that. Well, he did not like it either, but hid critic must admit that it was an almost every day occurrence. Therefore, he had thought it an apt illustration to bring ' forward. About the character of the morality of the children of Dunedin he thought he had been very guarded. He made' no attack on that score. They would all admit, however, that it was not all that it pught to be. As to faptory work it had been admitted on all hands that it \yas detrimental and prejudicial to physical development, so that was not biscontention. As to wages he .could tell them exactly abqut that. In Scotland the average wages of the bfest paid and the worst paid women was JjOs week, In London it was Us. This, of course, included some very high salaries. Many women could only earn 4s or Jjs a week, and they had a piinohed, half-starved look, as if they did not know what a full meal was. He did not expect that women could be sent to the homes of their fathers and brothers immediately, and be did not want to shut up the factories and warehouses and tarn them all'topsyturvey at t?nce. Tfie'viewß-hehad stated' should, however, be held clearly before the people and before the working! classes particularly. It was the competition of women with men in the

labour market that he contended was prejq, dicial to the interests of the nation at large. He granted his paper meant a revolution, but it was necessary in the interests of the highest and truest civilisation. The present state of affairs in Great Britain was a perfect disgract to mankind. — (Applause.) |

Afternoon Sitting.

The institute met again at 2.30 p.m., Mr Selb (Wetberstones) in the chair.

THE WAITAKI^OTERTUBE. An overture was received from the Waitafe branch, requesting the institute to reduce tht amount payable by branches.

The meeting decided almost unanimously noi to comply with the request..

A TEACHER OF THE~OLDEN TIME.

Mr C. Chilton, M.A., read a paper on " A Teacher of the Olden Time." He confined hii remarks to the mode which Roger Ascham, author of "The Schoolmaster", (oublished in 1570), adopted in teaching his pupils, and to the hints which teachers of modern days might takj from that work. He drew special attention to the necessity for encouraging children of geuius, as it was in a laige measure to the bright intellects of an age that a nation owed its great* cess. In this connection prizes at examinations and scholarships, were of great use.

A discussion followed, in which Messrs J. Rei< (Ravensbourne), Rennie, White, Reid (Milton] and Barnett took part, and

A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr Chilton for his paper.

APPOINTMENT OP TEACHERS.

The following report from the Appointments Committee was adopted: — "In the opinion of this institute it is desirable that before making a selection of candidates' names, the board should arrange them in order according to rank, not class or division, and send to school committees all above a certain, rank to be de< termined in each case according to the importance of the appointments, and that previous to recommending a candidate for appointment as assistant teacher committees should consult the head masters of their schools."

CLASSIFICATION OF SCHOOLS. "--

The following report of the sub-committee on Mr Cowles' motion re classification of school] was adopted : — " That the work demanded from schools having one or two certificated teachen be the compulsory subjects for individual passes, the compulsory class subjects, and tbe additional subjects. That in all other schools the draft syllabus proposed by the Council of the New Zealand Educational Institute he adopted."

Evening Sittino.

Mr D. White presided at the evening sitting, when there waR again a large attendance.

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Professor de Gibbons, M.A., read a paper on| ' M nical education, which evoked a good deal of favourable criticism. '■

Both Mr R. Neill and Mr Chilton, who pro» posed a vote of thanks to Professor do, Gibbons, referred in complimentary terms to bia paper. Mr G. M. Thomson, referring to what had been said, mentioned that he would shortly make public a scheme whereby a start could be made in the direction of technical education.

Sir Robert Stout, who was received with applause, said it would be simply impossible with the present allowance given by Parliament to carry put technical education. He pointed out tbe difference between this and older countries, and urged that we here should devote our attention more to primitive industries, such as the agricultural and pastoral pursuits, and also, he believed, forestry. If technipal education was to be started at all they should try to start it in the country districts. As for starting in our elementary schools any technical education, he did not think it would ever be accomplished at all. If it could be started it would not be for years and years to come. — (Applause.) He believed in Kant's idea of education, and thought they could not have a better. Up to seven years of age he would have the powers of observation and attention, and especiully ncoral training attended to ; from 7 to 14 he would have tbe training mostly intellectual, and from 14 to 21 he would have it industrial and social. But he believed such a system would not be possible for a century to come. The value of the paper they 'bad just heard would be to 3how the people of the colony — who were slow to learn it — that the nations of Europe and tbe whole of the United States were building up year by year their system of education. They wero recognising that their only safety from pauperism was to have their people well drilled and educated.

Mr Reid gave some information as to the system of technical education he had introduced into the Milton school.

Messrs Fitzgerald, Cohen, and White also said a* few words, and

Professor Gibbons returned thanks for the vote of thanks which had been accorded to him.

TEACHING EOBLIC HEALTH IN SCHOOLS.

Dr De Lautour gave an address on "The Teaching of Elementary 'Principles of Public Health in our Schools." The paper was interesting and humorous, and contained a great deaj of valuable information beaiing on the subject. He condemned the present system of science teaching in stroug terms. After finishing his paper he explained a number of diagrams, and a very ingenious model showing the difference between the proper and improper drainage of a house. The speuker was frequently applauded during the course of his remarks.

On the motion of Mr Selbt, seconded by Mr DpNBAR, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the lecturer.

The institute resumed ite sittings on the 2§fch at 11 20 a.m. Mr D. White, M.A , presided. '

SCHOOL TEXT BOOKS. A deputation from the Dunedin and Suburban School Committees Conference waited on tbe institute in connection with this matter.

Mr Jago said that complaints had now become rife throughout the colony as to the frequent changes and want of uniformity in school books. Tbe conference had conferred with the inspectors and the Education Board, and had been' told that the matter rested with the head masters of the several schools. The booksellers were also complaining because they had so much dead stpek on hand in consequence of the many changes in books. What was wanted was to have a uniform set of books throughout Otago at all events, but especially in Dunedin and the suburban districts. Tbe conference were pf opiuion that a change should not be made offceuer than onpe in three years. Indeed so great had the hardship become that tbe school pommittees would be cpnstrajned to put tb.eir foot down and take some control over the matter with the vie^'of getting rid of the frequent changes. This would-be a yery unr desirablp thing to dp, and so he hoped the institute would be able to do something. Messrs M. Cohen and J. White al§o spoke. The Chairman said the institute was quite aware that there was a very general cry and that it was necessary to do something. Jt was difficult to say who was responsible for this state of affairs. The inspectors blamed the teacberti tbe teachers the inspectors, and the booksellers blamed both the' inspectors add the teacher*. Books of a better class were coming oat year 1 by year, and teachers could not afford to overlook that f act;- A deputation had been appointed to

consider the matter, and their report would come up in the course of the day. The deputation thanked the chairman for the reception which had been a -corded them, and withdrew.

At a later stage of the proceedings the Committee appointed to consider this subject reported :—": — " The committee are of opinion that it is highly desirable to have a uniform series of text booki in reading, English grammar, arith* metic, geography, and history. They would recommend the following text books i — English grammar, Mason's 'First Notions'; geegraphy, Petrie's ' First Geography ' and ' Geography of New Zealand ' ; history, Blackwood's ' Short Stories from English History' for Standard 111, and Gardiner's 'Outlines of English History' for Standards IV, V, and VI ; arithmetic, Nelson's B Series for all Standards, Goyen's * Complete Arithmetic,' Goyen's 'Exercises in Compound Rales.' For reading they recommend two series, either of which may be used— via., Nelson's • Royal Star Series ' and Chambers' ' Graduated Series.' "

The President said ifc was stated by some persons that the present reading books were not adapted to the wants of the colony, but he thought they were the best which could be obtained. The " Southern Cross Series," published in the colony, aimed at giving the leading features of New Zealand life, but there was a distinct bias in tho books t3 natural history, and some 01 the pages appeared to be extracts from the proceedings of the Philosophical Institute. Such large words were employed in some instances that the teachers themselves had to refer to a dictionary for enlightenment.

. After a discussion the report was adopted. DELEGATES TO THE NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE.

The following report was received from the committee appointed to consider matters ia connection with the delegation to the New Zealand Institute: — "That this institute recommend the council to fix 30 mtmbers as the number that entitles to one delegate, provided that each branch be represented by at lease one delegate. That for the future the steamer and railway fares of delegates be paid. That a special fund for the payment of delegates be established, such fund to be made up as follows :—ls: — Is per member from the general fund, an additional subscription of 2s 6i per member, and the net proceeds of the annual conversazione." — This was agreed to.

Messrs Chilton, Rennie, G. H. Smith, C. R. Smith, Duncan, Selby, Gray, and James Reid were nominated as candidates to the council of the Now Zealand Educational Institute. The election resulted in the return of Messrs Reid, Chilton, Rennie, Selby, Gray, and G. H. Smith.

PAPER ON HEAT.

Mr Campbell, of the Milton branch, read a paper on " Heat," and

On the motion of Mr Chii/ton, seconded by Mr Jas. Rv.id, the usual compliment was paid to the essayist.

THH PUPIL TKACHEB SYSTEM,

The committee appointed to consider this subject reported inter alia : — " (1) That the number of pupil teachers in any school should not exceed the number of certificated teachers employed therein ; (2) that pupil teachers before being indentured should undergo a three months' probation to the satisfaction of the head master and of the inspector, and that, if approved, these three months should be considered part of their period of apprenticeship ; (3) that the period of apprenticeship should be not less than four years, but after the completion of the pupil teacher course it is desirable that the pupil teacher should spend two years at a traiuing college; (4) that candidates shauld not bo less than 14 years of age at the end of the period of probation, and should have passed Standard Vf, or an equivalent examination ; (5) that the syllabus for examination at the end of the fourth year of apprenticeship should be as follows : — Reading, English, writing and dictation, arithmetic, composition, geography, teaching, needle work, mathematics, Latin, and French." — This report was adopted. The President read part of a paper on " The Pupil Teacher System" by Mr R.Peattie, M.A., who was uaable to attend the meeting.

COMPLIMENTARY.

Tho President, before vacating the chair, thanked the members for the support they had given him, the press for their reports, and the secretary, Mr Ronnie.

This concluded the business of tho seebion.

1000. Auckland... ... £18.262 Wellingtoa ... 15,756 Lyttelton... ... 10.4-0 Duno.lin ... ... 15,410 'he beer duty was as follows : — Auckland ... ... £743 Wellington ... 402 Christchurch ... 779 DuneAin ... ... 1399 £17.139 14,151 10,779 17,833 £811 393 717 701