WAIMATUKU.

Otago Witness, Issue 2209, 2 July 1896, Page 25

WAIMATUKU.

June 29. -During this excellent winter we, to borrow em,phasis from Gray : " Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife, . (Our) sober wishes never learned to stray, Along the cool sequestered vals of life *(Have) kept the noiseless tenor of (our) way." : . So that " Your Own " has 'nothing of much interest to chronicle. . * Improvements.— Those who when passing Wat, matuku by railway or road often remarked, "What an uncultivated-looking place; conspicuous by tuseock and gorse," can now say this no longer. The township, which was the "only neglected spot," h»B been let to the neighbouring farmers, and tussock and gorse are giving place to ploughing and fencing. Brunner Relief Fund.— Though it never publicly appeared that any money had been collected here for this fund, we have contributed onrmite. When the fund was first organised word was sent to our postmaster, who, being onr . schoolmaster also, got contributions through the school children. The money was sent to the chief postmaster at Invemargill, and would appear ah being contributed by the Post and Telegraph department. Our School.— Application has been made by our school committee for another room to be added to our school. The Education Board shelved' the matter for four mouths, presumably till the current quarterly returns should be known.' If so, I fear our teachers will have to pass another summer in an over-crowded room ; for so milch sickness has been prevalent this winter that the attendance at school must havo been small. Even at time of. writing I hear of another death among the children. I notice that the shelter shed is sometimes used by our school mistress. Here the infant classes may be heard, if not seen, going through their kindergarten exgraises, . which to old school men must seem nheer waste of .time and youthful energy. What would the old Scotch parish schoolmaster say were he to see that so mu.ch expensive machinery is- needed to train thft young New Zealand mind how to snoot, iiuc« all he neede •• was a' spelling book, an arithmetic book, the Bible, and a cane. , ■; Teachers' . Conference. — Our Southland dominies have met to have their annual confabulation. Judging by the Invercargill papers, many questions of more than passing interest were introduced for discussion. Two of these 'questions have brought our Southland teachers more conspicuously before the public than hitherto. They have, made- Mr Gammel (of anti-Bible lectujre fame) president, and as a natural consequence have passed a resolution to the effect that- the teachers of Southland are opposed to the introduction of Bible-reading in our schools in any shape or form. • •