THE BOER WAR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2462, 22 May 1901, Page 25

THE BOER WAR.

THE SIEGE OF HOOPSTAD RAISED.

THE BURNING OF FARMS

DE WET AGAIN ACTIVE.

BOERS TAKE SOME BKITISH PRISONERS.

SURRENDER OF 90 BOERS.

LATEST NEWS OF DE WET.

LONDON, May 13. General Methuen, when addressing ihe Imperial Yeomanry and a composite regiment of Australian Bushmen who are returning to England and Australia respectively, declared that the men's courage was undeniable. In the entire absence of news from home they were content, and cheerfully faced the hardships of a 2900 miles trek.

The British garrison at Hoopstad have been withdrawn after six months' almost incessant investment. The men endured hardships gi eater than those encountered by the Mafeking garrison

May 14.

Lord Kitchener reports that Geneial Grenfell has occupied the township of Lbwistrichardt, which six British and 40 Boer suiTdiiderers had held for us. Fifty Boers with rifles were captured. • "Eight Boers elsewhere were killed. 20 wounded, 132 captured, while 24 surrendered. A machine gun with 6400 rounds of small arms ammunition, 150 waggons, and 870 horses were captured.

. In the House of Lords, in reply to a question, the Marquis of Lansdowne stated that the commis&ion appointed to inquire into the expulsion of foreigners from the Transvaal and Orange River Colony would proceed to South Africa to hear evidence and recommend a reasonable assessment. The losses sustained by subjects of friendly Pcwers would alone be considered. 1 In the House of Commons, Mr Brodrick said it was unnecessary to publish the report on Lieutenant-general Sii Frederick Carrington's expedition from Beira to relieve Mafeking, thence to the Transvaal. Lord Stanley announced that it was not intended to increase the forces in South Africa. Commandant Swanepoel and four other Boers were killed and six wounded in a skirmish near Perston. Mr Brodrick, replying to Mr Bryce, the member for Aberdeen South, -stated that Lord Kitchener had recommended the Government of Natal to allow armed Zulus to protect Zululand against the Boer raiders. Unarmed natives were acting under British officers to collect cattle outside of Zululand.

A Blue Book has been issued showing .that the British have burned 634 farms, mills, and cottages in the Transvaal and Orange River colonies for military reasons.

Mr Philp, Premier of Queensland, interviewed with reference to the Chartered Company's recent offer to Australians, said he did not consider the gift of land would tempt Australians to remain in South Africa, but gold discoveries might do so.

The Treason Court at Barkly East sentenced eight disloyalists to terms of imprisonment ranging from six months to two years. The court has finished its sittings. Four thousand refugees are comfortably Loused at Bloemfontein.

May 15.

The Blue Book dealing with the burning of Boer farms for military purposes gives the following details:— ln 147 instances it was for harbouring Boers, several for white flag treachery, 78 because the owners were on commando, others for cutting telegraph wires, sniping at convoys, firing on patrols after the Boer womenfolk had shovui civility to the patrols, concealment of lost firearms, and oath-breakers rejoining commandos and carrying information to the enemy.

The deaths are reported from enteric of Sergeant-major Henry Williams, of the New South Wales Mounted Rifles, at Standerton, and Private Robert M. Robertson, of New Zealand, at Pretoria. [Private Robertson was a member of the sixth contingent, and came from.Palmerston South.] In the House of Commons Mr Chamberlain said that any claim capable of substantiation in connection with the Jameson raid would be considered on its merits by the Governor of the colony. • Tiet De Wet is guiding Major-general •Elliot's column, which is sweeping the north-eastern districts of the Orange R"iver Colony. The country is still fully stocked jwith mealies and fowls, which the columns »re collecting.

The nights are bitteily cold, but the Veidt is dry. The Dutch lesidents at Pretoria predict that the winter will compel a general Boer surrender.

Lotegan, a Colesberg lebel, with 100 men, has le-entered Cape Colony.

It is unofficially reported from Ro^mead ijimctioa tlut De Wet, wit/li a " Lon^j Tom/

has anived at Zuurberg Range. Paities of Poeis have reappeared there.

Colonel Viall's tencc. travelling 40 miles a day from Enkkdoorn, oveitook portion of Mitthew Pietonus's commando, capturing 27 Boers.

T he King has appointed Lady Sarah Wilson Lady of Grace of the Oidci of St. John of Jerusalem.

May 16

Reuter's Ookdep correspondent has cabled that Colonel Shelton, the officer commanding in Namaqualand, had photographed the lacerated back of John Bok, a Namaqualand border scout, who had received 112 lashes at the beginning of the hitter's tick westward. Subsequently to the lashing Froneman and John Louw, a rebel leader, sentenced Bok and two other border scouts to dig theiF own graves, but the sentence was commuted to enslavement for life with the Boeis. Bok contrived to escape.

Colonel Elliot has driven the Boeis fiom Kroonstad to Vrede without resistance.

The Boers have imprisoned Commandant Fourie on a farm, suspecting that he desired to surrender.

The Capetown University autlioiities have provided facilities to enable the pnsoners at St. Helena to pass examinations. The Right Hon. Sir H. Campbell-Ban-r.erman, speaking at Bradford, said that an amnesty to the Cape rebels was inevitable. The whole woild would condemn the Boeis if they left their comiades in the lurch. A letter received from Roossenkaal tells Mr Kruger a sensational *tory about the Middelburg Conference. It state's that Commandant Viljoen. who was i using while Lord Kitchener and General Botha were at the conference, announced that the British were disregarding the armistice and trying to surround the commando which was checkmating General Fiench's movements. Viljoen added : "We bad Fieneh fixed until this tieacherous move was made." The letter goes on to state that when Viljoen's report came there was a terrible scare, and that both of the leaders and Botha's staff immediately- galloped off.

Thirty Metropolitan Mounted Rifles, skirmishing near Karlsburg, lost four killed and six wounded.

Thirteen men of the South Afiican Constabulary were outnumbeted and captuied near Abraham's Kraal.

In the House of Commons Mr Chamberlain, replying to a question, said the sufferings of the Rand refugees at Capetown weie much greater than those of the Boer refugees in concentrated camps. He hoped circumstances would shortly allow of a general resumption of work on the Rand. A South Afiica Alliance has been formed in Johannesburg with the object of bi inging the whole liquor trade under public control and eliminating private interests.

May 17

The following were the casualties in Colonel Williams's New South Wales Mounted Infantry column on the 10th (locality not stated) : —Second-lieutenant K. A. Lamb, Privates Barker, M'Kay, and Barker (killed), Private Gieen (mortallywounded). Webster, Eadie, Hobson. Locke, Farrell (severely woundtd), Seymour (slightly wounded^. South Australian Bushmen —Private Schumann, killed at Ventersdoip ; Private Barnes, wounded. Victorian Bushmen.— Troopers Moore (mortally) and Collins and Hyland (severely wounded, at Quaggashoek).

Tasmania n Bushmen —Private Warburton, died of his wounds. TJie deaths are reported from enteric of Ernest Barrar, New Zealand Rough Riders, at Kimberley ; and of Lieutenant G. B. Treath (New South Wales Mounted Infantry), Private Mackenzie (New South Wales Artillery). [Trooper Barrai was a member of the fifth contingent, and came from Timaru.] The casualties to Colonel WillianKs force of colonials probably occuried at Klerksdorp, the district where the force latterly had been stationed.

Ninety more Boers, including Commandant Barend Voruten and Hey*>tek (cxlanddiost of Petersburg), have suirendeied.

It is now stated that Commandant Lotter Van Reenan, and not De Wet, led the fresh force across the Orange River into the Zuurberg Range. They are tiying to join one of the band* roving over Cape Colony. The Times Pretotia correspondent and Reuter's Duiba.n coi respondent agiee that the daily stream of voluntary capitulations everywhere' i& the result of the Biiti&h campaign in the bush veldt and the seventy of the winter.

May 18. Private Spencer, a We^liahan, has died of enteiic.

The King has intimated that he will accord Sir Alfred Milner an audience immediately he airives from South Afnca on Friday. Lord Salisbuty and Mi Chamberlain will accompany Sir A. Milner at the audience.

In the House of Commons "Mr Chamberlain announced that the Government did not intend to rebuild faimhouses burned in South Africa.

May 19. A force of Midland Mounted Rifles engaged and louted a .strong fence at Zwagershoek. Ten dead Boeih weie found on the field.

Lieutenant-colonel Gorringe had seveial .successful bkiiniifelieis with the raideis eastwaid of Stormberg.

The death of Commandant Swanepole was caused by a bullet pieicmg hih foiehead. The commando have elected a succefcboi. Wheu kiit seen £)e Wet wa& teekkinji

"■on th. After passing Boshof he had 40 followcis with him.

The Marquis of Tullibauhne. the oigani•■ei of Tullibaidine's Scottish Horse m South Afiica, wilting to th: C'ledoman Society, London, fiom South Afiica, sa"ys " Jhe Australians ;ue the best eavalivnien that 1 have seen out heie yet. ' [Theie is a fair proportion of both Australians and New Zealandeis in the ranks of the Scottish Horse recruited by the Maiqui< ]

May 20.

Liebenbeig's commando, chafed fiom Haitebeestefontem, tiekked noith.

Colonel R.iwlm-oii, oftei an engagement between Brakspiuit and Goy-doip, captured 20 prisoners, 25 waggons with Mipphe-. 18,000 sheep, many oxen, and horses.

The Boeis-, with a 12-pounder Cieuzot. two pom-poms, and a Maxim, tin ice attacked Colonel Bullock between Ermelo and Ameersfooit. A despeiate eftoit to capture the guns failed.

Louis Botha evacuated Eimelo and ie treated to Caiohna.

Colonel Bullock removed 40 prisoner*, including Commandant Swaiy, also 150 Ermelo lefugees' families and 2000 cattle and hoi«es to Standeiton.

The Ermelo Boers leoccupied Eimelo when Colonel Bullock left.

Colonel Elliott within a week has sent a large numbei of rc-fugecs and 40,000 hoiscs and cattle to Standerton.

SYDNEY. May 14. Letters from Capetown "state that a tiie occurred on boaid the tioop«lup Maplemore, which took one of the New South Wales contingents and a large number of horses to South Afiica When 1500 miles from land a strong fire broke out in the after hold among-*!, the forage. After seveial hoius' hard hghtmg the flames were subdued.

During the progress, of the fire aH the tioop 1 - -weie moi«-hcilled on vleck ami (juielly stood at atteniion m readiness to assist. They behaved splendidly.

May 19. A number of returned soldieia an lved by the Salamis, including Captain Sir Stcwait Richardson, Sergeant Arnott, and Tiooper Can oil — New Zealanders.

THE ENTERIC SCOURGE

WELLINGTON, May 16

The Governor of Cape Colony cables thai Private A. KeUy, of Wade, Auckland, a. member of the sixth contingent, is dangerously ill of enteric at Warm Bath*. May 20.

The Premier has received ad\ice from the Governor of Cape Colony that Private Barrar, of Timaiu, fifth contingent, died from enteric lever at Kimberley on the 14-th. *|

READY TO RETURN TO ACTIVE SERVICE

AUCKLAND. May 16

Captain Todd. D.S (). , who letumed fiom South Afiica ye-tei'day, states that should an eighth contingent be required fully 500 of the returned tioopers are ready to go on active service again. He himself has pent in his application for a commission in the event of another contingent being raised Captain Todd returns to Wellington shoitly on official business.

HONOURING MAJOR CRAWSHAW.

TIMARU, May 16.

Major Crawshaw was presented by the teachers and pupils of the Mam School this afternoon with a gold watch and chain as a token of appreciation of his gallantry in South Africa. The Major is a member of the school staff on leave. To-night a Avelcome social and ball is being held, there being about 2000 present. Speeches of welcome were made by the Mayor, the Hon Mr Hall-Jones, 'and others. The affair was an enthusiastic success-.

THE RETURN OF THE FOURTH AND FIFTH CONTINGENTS.

INVERCARGILL, May 20

Tn respoiii-e to a request from a public meeting, the Piemier wire« to the mayoi as follows: — "I am in communication with the General commanding m South Africa, and will endeavour to arrange that the fourth and fifth contingents hind at the Bluff. Invercargill and the Bluff have not participated in bending off any of the New Zealand troop*, and the request is a reasonable one. and I feel assured that an enthuisiastic and fitting reception will be given.' 1

THE RETURNING CONTINGENTS

WELLINGTON,

May 15

Lmcl Kitchener has tabled to the Premier that au'anc;em o nts have been made for the f ninth and fifth contingents to letum to the colony by the Gulf of Taranio.

THE SIXTH CONTINGENT

WELLINGTON

May 16

Colonel Banks, in charge of the sixth contingent, cables to the Premier on the 10th inst. that the sixth contingent have returned to Pretoria all well, but as veiy few of the horses are fit he is equipping and awaiting remounts.

THE SIXTH AND SEVENTH CONTINGENTS.

WELLINGTON, May 17.

Colonel Banks ha* cabled to the premier that Tame (the name does not appear in the official h*t). Sergeant Rouse, and Coiporal Free, ol the sixth contingent, bci-n awarded medah feu distinguished conduct m the field.

A CHURCH PARADE.

%TIMARU,% TIMARU, iraj 19. A church paiade of letmiipd soldier- and volunteers was held tins morning at St. ilarj'j, whero Archdeacon Harper preached a fine sermon )n the war, arguing that it had been directed by Dmne Pro\idencc lor good purposes, which would yet appear. The conduct cf the war, with its tropdom from rapine and ciuelty and individual crime, was unique m history and a splc-iulid testimony to the chaiacter ot the British. The recoicl of the army in South Africa m this respect would ha,\e been impossible la=t centuiv. and e\en now, with t/ther nation^ as> the news irom Ckuia

~howed. Tho men fiom Now Zealand conic bark nnpro\ecl Striplings come back men, and all *o modest regarding their g.i.l li'itiy that they ha\c to be pie-ecd to speak.

BACK FROM THE WAR

TIMARU, May 17.

A -oeial and ball in honour of the South Canteibuiy members of the returned contingent-, held la=L night, w-as the greatest indoor gathering e\er held here. Fully 1500 of all clas«es fioiv the town and country weie present. A huge new <-tore, with ?o, oooft of floor space, was available, and w "- piottily c'ipc orated and o'sc^llently lighted. So\eial speake;.-, the Hon. Hall-Jones among them, welcome cl home the ofricpi- and the men, of whom about 40 \\(ie present, and a sympathetic telegram w.i.-. lead iiom the j'lpnuer. The whole pftair was well ar jr.nged, and was a gieat sucre^, and most of tho guesth «taycd till 3 a. in The proceedings opened with a parade of the rcHnm-d men, who were heartily cleared as they marched round tho room. Colonel Jow-ey and Major Crawshaw received ovations on leturniny thanks- for their great reception. (Feoii Oue Owx Cobrespondent.) "'AUCKLAND, May 18. La^t evening the employees of Mes=rs Sar good, Son, and Ewen, to the number of 40 or 50, entertained at the Central Hotel Trooper E. S. Cdates, of the second contingent, who volunteered from one of the departments of the warehouse for South Af ri' a, and had had his situation kept open for him. He is the fiist of five fiom the seiM'9 of the firm who %>cnt to the war and Ins returned. Mr H. B. Dexter presided The toast of " The Kimo " was loj?Uy drunk, llie toast of "The Finn" was proposed by Mr H. Fountain, on behalf of his follow -worker-, in appiopnato tPims. The chairman proposed the health ot the guest of the cvpiung. and lefcircd to Trooper Coatos's career in South Africa, and presented him with a silver-mountpd walking-stick a*> a maik of esteem. The toast was eriihusiastically drunk vith musical honcuu. Trooper Ccates suitably responded " Our Ab-ent Boys " (Lieutenant Bank 3 . Sergeant Haj, and Troopers Bailey and Maiden) was proposed by Mr IT. Airey. Tho evening >\as then devoted to haimony. " God save the King " and " Auld lang syne " bioufehi, an agreeable reunion to a clohc. Tiooper Coates proceeds to-day to Hamilton to s-eo. his. father (Mr Isaac Coates) and lns> other relative* and friends.

RECEPTION OF TROOPER E WEST

A t>ocial and dance, given by Mi and Mrs Brown, at Hawthorn, North-East Valley, was attended by the residents of the neighbom hood on Friday evening, about oO being p;esoiit. Advantage was taken of the occasion to present a gold watch and a =o\ereijjn casr>, subscribed to by residents and well-wwhers. Mr Green, in the absence through indisposition of the Mayor of the Valley, made Ihe presentation, speaking of the high estimation in which the recepient was held and bib prowess in South Africa. Two letters were read during the evening from the sond ot the host, who are still at the war. Singing- and recitations, on" ol the latter by the guest, were rendered dm mg the evening, and after spending a most pleasant evening the party broke up in the early houib of the morning.

COLONEL JOWSEY AND COLONEL ROBIN.

Colonel .lowsey, C.M.G.. in the cour-e of an interview with a representative of the Tim am Post, gave some particulars of the difficulty w hich arose through * big then seniority o\cr Colonel Robin. Colonel Jow c ey, it may be mentioned, maiched oxit ot Blocinfoiitem with 700 under his orders. These con-ibted of all sorts — Canadians, Australians, and New Zealauders. It was thought that the Imperial and volunteer officers might not work well together, but that had proved a fallacy, for the Imperial officer was always most courieous and ready to gi\e the volunteer officer his lank wherever he found him. It was a veiy fine spirit which the Imperial officer had shown, and it was appreciated by the volunteer officers, who had not expected to have such an honour conferred on them Colonel Jowsey has him°elf commanded all the different arms of the service, and s-ay- that he has never found the Imperial officer unwil ling to acknowledge his rank, or unwilling to conform to the orders of the -volunteer officer who has' a higher rank than hinisp'l. They went right on to Kioon--tadt, and it was heie that, tin 5 New Zealand lcgiinont was formed, by uniting what lomamed of the fim, t-woiul, and third New Zealand contingents, under Colonel Robin, to be called the New Zealand Mounted Rifles. Colonel Jowsey explained that m reality theie never wai any mi--underr.taudnig so far as any of the officeie- wpip concerned It was the wish of the New Zealand Government that Colonel Robin should be sc>nioi officei, he having none out fii^t, and the other — Majors Ciadock, Davis, and himself— should all take rank arcoidmg to the order in which they had mine out to the war. Colonel .low spy knew this when he left the colony, and \ia> quite pieparod to fall in with the wish of the New Zealand Government; as a matter ot fact he did do go. and there wan never a wrong woid exchanged between himself aud Colonel Robin. But the Imperial Go\ eminent stepped in and said that it could not be done as suggested by the New Zealand Government, and that as Colonel .TowsPy was senior officer he would bo held responsible for the domgs of tho con tingent Colonels Jowspy and Rubin talked tho matter o\er, the position being tliat thcio wore about 500 to command, and they had four field officei s--Colonels Jow?py and Robin, and Majois Cradock and Da\is. The companies all had their captain-, and the question was what they were all going to do. The contingents had c cased to exist as contingents, and Colonel Jow«cy found himself fourth officer of a ■ship only 500 -trong. Ho did not mmd that m the loast, ? o long as lip '^oiild find .something to do, so ho suggested to Colonel Rcbm the adw-sabilitj of tryii'g; to become attached to the batteiy which accompanied tho contingents, as this would gne him something to do, and in addition h" would gam experience. He saw General Hutton, and it wa-, arianged tPiat he should bo attached to the batteiy as str>ft olfic er. But he nt'\oi lett the lcgmienl at all; he drew hi- rations horn them c\t'iy da}, and bivouacked with them at night, and the only difference that his new appointment made was that instead of maicluno; along-idc his old men he matched with the La'tcrv. Colonel Jowsty ga\ c the Imperial authoii tie> to unclcistand that he would not take command, because it was the wi-h of the New Zealand (io\crnmcnt that Colonel Kobm shou'd ha\e command, lie stayed

with the batteiy till an opportunity offeiecl to again join the contingents, and that time came when Captain Bourn was captiuod» Colonel Jow:-ey then rejoined the contingents at Pretoria, and had been with the regiments <_\pr since.

The hardest tf-k the New Zealanders had ever been set was at Rhenoster Kop, and Colonel Jow-ey says he only hope*, that the New Zealanders now at the front will i^er he called upon to go through a similar experience. At this engagement Colonel .Jow*ey was in command. Colonel Robin being pviay on ,-ick lea- c at the time. In teply to a question the Colonel said it was not correct that Major Cradock had been in command at tin- engagement, al J theugh he belip\ed it had been reported in the papers that sut h was the case. jMajoir Cradock had had ngihmg to do with it.

In reply .o othri questions the Colonel said th.it tln\ had been particularly badly t,pv\ ed in regard to remounts, and lie was Mirpi'sed that such inferior hoisp, had been «ot from the Argentine when good ones i-rmld easily ha\e been puithased m New Zealand or Australia. -*

After Rhenoster Kop the New Zoalandei-s were fairly done, and wcie ao thm as rake-. Ah a sample of the faie they had to live upon the Colonel mentioned that for three day* they had one bw ml, thp next day they had ball a biscuit each, and the noxt day they got none at al' But notwithstanding their hardships the men woiked ren'arkably wel'. an. l the Colonel had nothing but good to say of them.

A gentleman in Dunedin has received i letter fiom a cml -ei\ant an Bombay, fiom '•hsci'i the fo]!o^v^l^^ is an exti.u t. Rsfcrrmgu> the Boer wai, h> say- — '• It has brought us all together and tauqhl Little and Greatei ]sntain to undrr>-l<ind each oiher better, and [ hope whou it is all over we phall remani brother-.. It has,gi\en Australa-ia a historj , .-larted a history fov lier vi the \ cry be-t way the mother country could have wi-hed, as the finest of your youth in fighting, and many of them falling, for the flag, have given to tbeir successors a noble and abiding example which should ensure a perpetual union' of all parts of the great Empire. It does one good to hear orfieerfc returning from tlie Cape speaking so enthusiastically of the splendid work the colonials have done, anc 1 they must have repeated the same thing in diawmg rooms and clubs at Home, in Egypt, and! wherever they go, making everyone proud of the colonies. The English officer is not a ' buck-stick.' He does his work quietly, and, as a rule, unflinchingly and pluckily, with an ca T> gocd nature — not pretending to be a genius ; but he always appreciates pluck, and 1 therefore ha* nothing but admiration for the dash and readiness of the less conventional volunteer liom the Southern Seas. It is remarkable how freely your colony has siipporfced the war with men and money. Your munificence has been often referred to in India as something quite extraordinary, and! it really is splendid."

A member hi the fourth contingent who is a practical farmer, writing to a friend in Dunedin, refere in high terms to tlw? prospects of the Transvaal. He- says: — "From, an Signcultural point of view there is no shadoiv ofi doubt that this country has a great f&ture before it. . There is a great extent of country, that is only fit for grazing, and oajitle will be the principal product. They do^ splendidly here, even in the winter time. When wo Werei trekking in Rhodesia the oxen \ve ha» inj ( the convoy kept in good condition, anct they t got no artificial food — just turned Qxri a& thef \ eldt for a few hour?. Sheep cannot feej©iseci here very successfully for a numb® <©f-lparsy till the land gets sweetened up |>)F gazing, and burning; but still, with protferimaSriagement, they ought to do well enouHfe^a^JJhere is plenty of feed for them. The*||-3t?Jn o£ kraaling sheep, goats, and cattle i»F e^ bad, I tliink. They take them in about ||».n£, and l keep them in. these yards thabjfiye jtfever cleaned out until 8 or 9 o'clock neSj|n*£-iiing-. Thii is bound to spread disease,^! ii does not breed it. Horses do not dojJjPefy welf on account of horse sickness, buag«tt4emenfc will cure that. As far as I can hea*£ptlce older the settlement the less sickness thfiSS v' Rhodesia ib tho worst. The Transv*a.al i^ not nearly so bad. There is no doub^tHe country is good for fruit-growing. Wj£^J.ve s-eeri Foroe splendid orange groves. ISf'eug'ar is allowed in duty free, with cheap Übour, and tlip large quantities of fr^it grown, it could corkpete with any country in the world in fruit preserving. Tobacco»gfpws very wpII, and nearly every farm we ca.jpf<| to hael plenty of tobacco. The only preparation they gne it is to hang it up m » shed to and *\%hen a wet day comes it is laid^but till it gets damp, when it is made into ffyroll like a rope. All of our fellows like it^o The land in the Transvaal, and alscj in Rhodp»ia—but to a less extent m theJ latiei— is \ery fertile, and mil grow anything if it getsJ moipture. Whfot or oats will aevci be grown, extensively without irrigation."

A Ohnstchuroh telegram states that Mrj Hcjldeines«, stock inspector, has puvcha-eti in Canterbury about 150 horbes as umumils for the forces in South Africa.

Lieutenant TuUman, of tho Ofago> v Company of the fourth contingent, ha 5 been pro-, muted to be captain.

It was Tiooper L. Monk (of DuiiKlin). not Troopei Mark (<i member ot the fifth contingent), who letl Capetown for "Melbourne on the Bth in»l.

Colonel Poiter ha- ad\i«ecl tlie Premier that the seventh contingent aie equipping at Pietermantzburg, and were to lea\e on the 15th for KJerksdorp to relieve v the foiuth and fifth contingents, who return to the colony by the Gulf of Taranto Captain Seddon, having refused an Impiii.il commission, ha» joined the seventh contingent. The men are all well, and \ery eager.

The London Ga/.oHe of March 22 ,n< tifirn ihc pioinolmn ol Second Lieutenant R B. Neill, 3id B; tialion South Lancashire Light lniantry. to bo lieutenant. Mr Rtdmind Neill, third -iinivmg of Mr P. C\ Neill, of Dunedin, leceived hit fii»i commi^ioif mi October la-t, and is now -tationed with hiregiment at S) rmgfoutoin. in the Ora,ng River Colony, in th<- nci;>hlKviih«od oi which thcue h;is been iecenl.lv a good deal of fighting The Premier ha~ horn ad\i-ed that Trooper Robert M". Roben-on, of Mi praki. Otag<>, m\Ui contingent, died of entcnc fever at Pretoria.

Writing fiom N\ 1-linum, Tian-vaaL in A])ril, Mi- V M Hutton, sun ©f Captain Hutton, ot Christchuuh, says that lie habc_en t>i\en a commi^ioii 111 the New 2c: 1 land Mounted Rifles — the combined *] • O ■,' ;uid -c\ Piith i ontmgent- Lieutenant Bur (on v. as one of 25 Chi istehurch men .sent In. the local War Fund Committee to fill vi vacancies in the thud contingent, wlin.li lu>nmv leturned to the colony He lelt .1-le.nce-coiporal at the L^imJug trl FiS&ruvs,

Captain Hubton's elde:t pon, who is ateo in South Africa, is a captain of Engineers, aixl lately planned the defences of Rustenburg. Our Palmerston correspondent writes that during an interval in the limelight lecture given by Trooper Waldie on Friday even iug, Troopers W. Paul and H. Munro, local members of the New Zetland contingent, lately returned from South Africa, were presented with gold malted crosses by the mayor (Mr Gow) on behalf of the ladies ol Polmerston. _ _ v The Timaru Herald states that Mrs O. h Thomas received a cablegram on bundav evening from Dr Thomas (who left New Zealand with the fifth contingent) stating that he has left for home. The North Otago Times states^ that Lieutenant Keddell, son of Major Keddell, has undergone the operation, found necessary on his arrival in New Zeaaand, and is now recovering satisfactorily The pretence of two pieces of bone in the shoulder was discovered by the application of the Rontgen rays, and these having been removed, it is expecteil that the sufferer v ill soon regain the use oi His arm.

BACK FROM THE WAR

RECEPTIONS OF RETURNED TROOPERS.

NAPIER. Mar 11

A public holiday was observed to enable the public to btiitably welcome the Hawked Bay section of the returning troopers, numbeiing 40, who arrived from Wellington by the Te Anau this morning. Lovely weather prevailed, and the town was quite with bunting. The men were assembled at the breakwater at 12.50, and irarohed to the Marine Parade Rotunda, where addresses of welcome were delivered by the mayor, Mr A. L. D. Eraser, M.H.R., and Dfean Hovel!. The contingent were entertained at lunch at the Masonic Hotel as the guests of the Executive Committee. The Mayor (Mr M'Vay) presided. The toasts were "The iing," " Returned Troopers.' and " Fallen Comrades," the latter being propq»ed by Dean Hoveil, who, in an eloquent speech, referred to those ISfew Zealanders, and particularly those from Hawke's Bay. who had fallen in South Africa. The Gu, borne contingent left by steamer this evening. The Waipavva- representatives amongst tho troopers were accorded a most enthusiastic reception on their arrival home this evening. They were met on the arrival of the train by the Wainawa Volunteers, the chairman of the Town Board (Mr James Williams), and the Reception Committee. The town was gaily decorated with bunting. Addresses of welcome were delivered by the Chairman (Captain Rathbone) and Mr A. E. Jull, of the Waipawa County Council.

WESTPORT. May 14.

The returned troopers were welcomed home by a large number of people, who assembled on the wharf when the Tutanekai arrived in the morning. A procession took place in the afternoon and an open-air thanksgiving service in Victoria square in the evening. The troopers, were publicly entertained at a social. The proceedings throughout were most enthusiastic.

RECEPTION AT WAIMATE.

At Waimate Corporal Butcher (second). Oorporal Hugh Mvmro ana Troopers Cooper *nd Kelcher (third) received an enthusiastic ■welcome. They were met at the railway station by a large crowd and carried shoulder high to a carriage which contained a locally-manufactured Long Tom. The Studholme Mounted Rifles and Waimate R'fles took part in the procession. At the Borough Chaaibers the men were welcomed by the Mayor (Mr Manchester), Mr Doug'as (chairman County Council). Captain Garland (Studholme Mounted Rifles), and Lieutenant Hurst (Waimate Rifles) .

RECEPTION BY THE NATIVES' ASSOCIATION. PRESENTATION TO COLONEL ""ROBIN.

A smoke concert, under the auspices of the New Zealand Natives' Association, was l.pld in the Choral Hall on the 14th to givj a reception to Colonel Robin, C.8., and ■members of the New Zealand contingents. The chair was occupied by Mr T. K. Sidey, of the association, who was supported on his right by Colonel Robin, C.8.. «nd Mr A. C. Hanlon, and on the left by k <his Worship the. Mayor (Mr G. L. DennisP um), Lieutenant Park, Mr E. Withers, and the following members of contingents: — ISergeants M'DonaH, Scott, Wright, and Xrull, Troopers, Morton, Borlase. Clark, Haydon, Foreman, Hodge, and Farquhar'son. The men all belonged to the second contingent, with the exception of Sergeant Srull, who was a member of the third. Trooper W*»ren.-of Kitchener's Light Horse, ,was aleo present. The . stage 'wa-s -appropriately decorated with cabbage trees, grass trees, ferns, and .iS or folk palms. There -was a very large number of gentlom n present.

The principal function of the evening waS the presentation of a pair of gold spurs to Colonel Robin. In carrying out this duty,

The President said it was a privilege to occupy the position of president qf the ■association that year, as it gave him the opportunity of welcoming back to the colony Colonel Robin and his gallant soldiers. — (Applause.) To Colonel Robin he had a special word to '•ay. Since his return to the colony he had been entertained by a number of those with whom he had been connected an the. past, and he had had ample evidence that the people had a very high appreciation of the work done by himself and his men in South Africa. — (Applause.) On behalf of the association, he (the president) wished to say that of the various institutions to which Colonel Robin belonged there was none that had watched more closely or with deeper interest thp progress of events in South Africa than had the Dunedin centre of the New Zealand Natives' Association. — (Applause.) They had felt proud, not only of the fact that Colonel Robin was a native of Dunedin, but that he was a member of the association, and every honour conferred upon him they had felt they had an interest in themselves, and that it was really an honour -conferred on the association. — (Applause.) Referring to the work accomplished by the New Zealand contingents in South Africa, he said that if it had not been for the skilful leadership of Colonel Robin fewei men would have returned to New Zealand than had so far come back — (Loud applause.) Sisters and mothero had Colonrl Robin to thank for having suppressed the too eager boldness and bravery of some of the men. — (Applause.) It was in view of all the facts »f what had been done ,m South Africa

that the association had resolved to give some tangible recognition of their fcehfigs to the ofiifv-rs, and the mm. They, therefore, mvlccl them to that gathering where they would hear an "xpre^ion of tlie warm feelings of the avocation for the work they had done, and with Colonel Rob'n they de-ircd to go a little father .Pl prosevi him. with a pair oi gold spur= — Applause). The money for the purpose had been gathered without any difficulty what ever, and tho amount that was over it was proijosed to present to Colonel Robm 111 the form of a purso of sovereigns. It was appropriate that spurs should be presented to Colonel Robm, for it could hone-tly be said that he hs'l won his &pur=. — (Applause.) The spurs, he might stat.\ had not boon completed, but the moment they were they would be forwarded to Colonel R'lbin They were to be enclosed in a box of native wood, with a full-sized solid Mh er horseshoe on top, together with Maori carving, and tho inscription. "Presented to Lieu-tenant-colonel Robin, C.8., by native New Zealanders of Dunedin on the occa-ion of his return from South Africa."— (Applause.) He was sure they all wished Colonel Robin long life to wear the spurs, and that hp would not rest upon his laurels . ind»ed, he hoped they would all live to see the doy vvhen they would address him as Geneial Rob n.— (Loud cheers.)

The health of Colonel Robin and the tiooper- present was drunk with enthusiasm, and

Colonel Robm. rising to reply, was received with vociferous cheers. After thankjng the association for having invited his father to the gathering, he s.ud that if there was one thing more pleasant to him than another it was the manner in winch the piesident throughout his remarks had associated the colonel of the regiment with the men who had been under him — (Applaiise.) It was all the more pleasing to him because no one knew better than he did himself that an officer could succeed in nothing without the co-operation of his men — ,Applauf-e.) It was impossible for him to thank the association for their very kind expression of appreciation of his peivice^; but he felt their kindness very deeply, and was binceiely grateful for it. — (Applnuso.) He would like to say that all the men who went from New Zealand set out with only one object, and that was to assist the mothei country ot a time when everything looked a= if assistance were required ; and all had worked throughout the campaign to cairy out the ordeio given to them without any individual racing- aftT any particular honour. — (Applause ) Of course, someone must be at the head, but honours showered on the officers, a* honouis vi ere showered upon him that night, were also, he felt, shared in by the men, and he hoped that in this case the men would feel that they had an interest 111 the spurs as well p. himself.— (Applause ) He would not go into details with regard to many interesting matteis that night. When he had handed in his reports, and when the returned men of the contingents had been discharged, he hopei to be able to speak on a number of eubjetcs with regard to vvhuh he mutt say nothing at present He thanked the association Pincerely for the liorwur they had done him. — (Cheers.)

Rib Worship the Mayor, who w<v? warmly received, expressed his appreciation of the object of the gathering. Both as mayor of the city and as a private citizen he was pleased to do what he could in honour of their distinguished townsn'an, Colonel Robin, and the men who had ieturned with him. — 'Applause )

Lieutenant Park, in addressing a few words to the meeting, said he hoped employers would not forget the returned troopers when they had any light employment for which they w anted hands. Many of the men w/10 had come back were quite fit for it, and that tli6y were deceiving of kindly consideration theie could be no doubt. — (Applause.) Sergeant Scott, in replying on behalf of the men, eaid he was proud to have served under Colonel Robin in South Africa — (Cheers.) He cordially thanked the meeting for the way in which they had received the toast.

Sergeant M'Donald. who also replied on behalf of the men. thanked the gathering for the welcome so generously extended to them. He would like to say that the men who vi ere in the field with Cornel Robin knew he deserved the spurs that had been presented to him, for he had won them. — (Cheers.)

Mr James Robin, Colonel Robin's father, entered the room late in the evening, and his health was at onco honoured by the company.

In replying. Mr Robin, who was received with loud cheera, expressed his appreciation of the compliment paid to him. Referring to the returned troopers, he said the country owed them a deep debt of gratitude — (applause), — and he was glad to be able to saj- that, judging by letters lie had seen, no colony's efforts had been valued moie than the efforts of the lad» of New Zealand — (Cheer?.) He believed that the war. fad reading as it made, vv ould have made much sadder reading if the colonies had not assisted. — (Cheers.)

Refreshments were handed round during the evening, the Misses Muriay acting as caterers.

During the evening vocal solos were contributed by Messrs H. Moss,, E Falck, and J Swan: recitation^ by Messrs C. D Arlidge and .T Mills : and a pianoforte solo by Mr G. A. Can, ft ho also acted as accompanist.

A verse of the National Anthem having Keen simer. a vote of thank<- was acoorderl the pts-iclant. and the proceedings closed.

WELCOME BY THE HIGHLAND RIFLES TO TROOPERS BEATH AND FRASER

Troopers A. M. Bealh and P. O. Fraser. i former members of ll.e Highland Rifles, who , returned from South Aiwoa by t^e Ton- ' gauro <m the Bth, ueie entertained by their old c-omiadts at the Excelsior Hotel on the 14th. The coips wa^ very ftiongly represented, and there were also a number if ex-members present to do honour to the ccev-icn. A capital repast was provided by , Hos-t M'Kenzie, and a^ the evening progrc." ed tin-- was done ample justice to. Both Tiooper Beath and Troopei Fraser were loudly applauded on their entry to the room, and prior to the proceedings beginning the pipes »\ere played by two membeis of tho Dunedin Pipe Band. |

Lieutenant Dempster, who occupied the chair in the absence of Captain Stoneham, proposed the tt-ast of ''The King" Lieutenant Barclay, of the S\ dney Scottish Rifle?, who wab among the guests, proposed the toaU of "The Army, Na\y and Volunteoifc." a.nd in doing so "-aid they were all pioud of wha' the army had done in South Ahica. This was the first was iv

wbiih the volunteer- had conic m) prnram trtly to tl'p from. and he w.i- cj n 1 11»1 1» sure thr in.n > >r,t' 1(y1 (y h.ul won bad been fn'ly c!pstj\ed, .mcl it made them very pioud to ],ni»v tli. 1 1 they were of t' c 'ame si' ek a-; the m.-ii who bad I night o valiantly o\ either The toil 1 -!, ;\l'uli Ha> hououied wiMi a great c'evil ol ciii'iiu-umt). wit 1 - respond* d to by o\ Lieutenant MC.i lium, who raid he looked forward to the lime v.h r u theie wi.uhl not bo °iH'b a distinction made between the \ olunteer .Tiid the Imperial roldier It had lirpii Jioun what sorl of quality 00 y f volunteer pos-p -pd, and he on-'dprerl ll'P w.iv the volunteers had stood by the Kmpuc '..asomething wondeiful.- (App l m ?) The Cli prnian --aid the toast, t'-at foil to hi- lot * propose wa 1 - one tli.it gave luin an «\eeedi >i, amount of pliaMire, and one that he was i-me a'l would dr.nk v.uh gu°lo Probably the occasion of f'e r mecrig wi^ uniquo m the ar"ial> of v olunteoi mcmr >n Duncdm. It va- true they 1..d wot- ,v,d feted another who had be, a fbiough thr war in Souih Afiica, but on *"'.c pic p'-il occasion (he aw fulno-i of usi ra- bi ought lic-mfi to them. \i'ien tl py s-?w theiv ( iiiirade, Be ith, who left tin m -ome 16 or 17 month" 0%0 in full 1 xlilv vigour, now return bcanng too evident trace? of having been in the thick of the fighting in upholding the honour, integrity, and prestige of the British Empire. But he (the chairman) wa<- Pure their friend was solaced by ( he thought that Ins 10-s had been, sustained m fighting in the cause of the greatest Emiurp the world had known It must not be suopo"vl thot lie (the chairman) was forgetting the r rmniv'e, Trooper Fraser, vhom fortune nnti finikd upon, insofar as freedom from wt.uiicis was < oncerned. Hp had bpen through the thick of it, but his lines, so to speak had been cast in more pleasant nlaces, and lie came back ' to them in all the man'v vigour in which he left them ; in fact, ne ( the chainjian) thought both he and Trooper Beath uuv looking uncommonly well. Their two com racies in leaving their homes, with all their attendant comforts, and with the certain knowledge that they voi'ld have to und'Tgo all the hardships and all the perils of active warfare, made one of the greatest sacrifices it was possible for any man to make, and it i<- to recognise that °? crifice that they had met that evening to show the returned men, to the best of their ability, that they weie con=ciou« of the honour they had brought on the Highland Rifles. They were proud of them a^ of the Empire, but more especallv as members of the Dunedm Highland Riflf>= Af- to the service? rendered by the Feco'.id contingent, of which their comrades were members, he hnd the authoiitv of Colonel Robin for spying that it was owi'i/ to the excellent work done and their rapid marching throuah the western districts of Cane Colony, around Carnarvon and Vie tor'a West, that a huge iel>e'lion. which was quite npe, wrs nipned in the bud: a rebellion which, had it been allowed to eventuate, might, have changed t':o whole course of events and been ko far reaching m effpet that the British position in South Africa might possiblj- not have been in the l<s! bomparativelj satisfactory c mdition it now v. p = Trooper Beath. who was received with loud cheer=. thanked tho<-e piesc-nt for the reception they had accoided him, and proceeded to describe the places he had been at f-inee he left Capetown In refening to the Klip Ri\ er ciigageir ent, he mentioned that it was there that Colonel Room was co conspicuous for his biavery He a n .so referred to Diamond Hill Pnrberton. Ru&tcnberg, and finally to the Rhencster Kop enofdsement, whe-ie he was wounded The attack there was made at daylight, and in the line of fue o\er 25 New Zealanders went down. They were 27g houis under fire, and ho was. after being wounded, taken to the hospital at Pretoria, where he met with very good tieatment Trooper Fraser, who wa-. also received with cheers, said he wn» vcrv pleaded to meet his old comrades. He ard Trooper Beath had been together from the start to the finish. and when Beath got wounded he would have liked to have attended him. but it was imprvshible Beath's statement wa^ his — whatever he said he (Trooper Fraser) said too. aud whatevei he did he (Trooper Fraser) did al*o. It wa/3 a fine thing the wav the fellows, met them (the returned troopers) at the Tongariro — (A Voice: "You deserved it.") Some night those piesent would hear him talk— he would then give them bio 1 lectures on this Boer war — (Loud laughter and applause.) Beath, concluded Trooper Fraser. is clone; he it no good at all. All the same, he is a good fellow, and when he is at a loss he has a friend, and he's got to come to him — that's Fraser. — (Loud applause.) Quartermaster -sergeant Moncrieff proposed "Absent Friends," in replying to which Piper Hencleison said as long as there was a Highland corps in Dunedin Trooper Beath would have a friend — (cheers) — and whatever they could do for him would not be done for charity, but because it was his due — (Renewed cheering.) They were very pleased to see Trooper Fraser also, and glad to think he had come home whole. He referred to Troopers Gillies and Nichol (sixth contingent) and Corporal Ashton (seventh contingent), members of the Highland Rifles, who were still absent in South Africa The Chairman '-aid that w^cn tVy knew their comrades. Troopers Beath and Frat-er, were coming back t 1 ey decide 1 to make them some presentation, to recognise the way they hatl upheld the reputation of New Zealand a^ a whole, and the Highland Rifles m particular. They had decided to give them a gold medal each, winch he would have much pleasure in handing over. When Captain S-toneham came back he wOuld put it to him that they must elect Trooper Beath an honorary life member of the corps. (Prolonged oheering.) He (the chairman) could also take it upon himself to say that they would present Trooper Beath with his full dress uniform, and he could come on parade w ith them —(Loud applause.) He tl-en presented the medal*, which bore the inscription: ' To Private A. M Beath (or P. O. Frafser) by hib comrades in the D.H R.. on his return from South Afuca. 14 5/1901 •' The Chairman then presented two medals to Sergeant Gillan (one, Captain Stone ham's, for shooting, and the other to him as sergeant of No. 1 seeti'm, which won the pr'ze for drill) and one to Sergeant Harper, sergeant of the section w'mclx came -econd and ran the othei clooe for first place, lie al?o presented to Sergeant Gillan a pair of field glares, to be held by him. as sergeant of the winning section for drill, for one year. These lattei were the gift of Quarterma-ter sergeant Moncneff and ex Lieutenant M'Callum. Sergeant Harper proposed Mie toast of The ex. Members," ivnich wa« responded

t.i by o\ L eutenant M'C.ilhim, e\Lieu'Bnt it t^^'^ison, and e.\-Cmporal M'Donald.

COLOXEL ROBIX FUNDS

Qiic-n unn-ter -eigeant Moncrieff thru pro prilled t ) Li- ntci.iuit Dempster, r" irprestnt-u->4 Hip c >'iipan> . a framed pholociaph of tl'c Nn 1 wmii.ng term given by that tcaoi t^ •[ o cfiiipany; aid cho rric.,.hiug loa^l vi ■- ' r ' !»• Vi-itois.''

During the cveiung -cigs w n rc ="ni) l,y •-•org.'aut We-t, Soigcant Crirf.cn, Private Clus'iiohn, I'm ale Turner, e\-l'nvate Sniitii, I'nvate DavuUon. Corpoial Cvt r . Liculmai t Demo 1 tor, did Hticjcnt Hrfipcr. Rciilo tionb were given by Private D Campbell and e\ Lieutenant M'C.illum. uinle Pn .l(.o. l( .o Fra-cr defaced and e\-Corpoial M'Dona'd pave r'li anecdote. The i-nigei- vitro :'.'cj.r. panicd on the piano by Sergeant AVc-t

Mr Theomm, the treasurei to the Co'.o'iel "Robm funds, acknowledge- the furtliei lol'owmg snbscuptions —

To the purse fui A, Mr Alexander Bint, £5

To the =wo.d fund —Per Mrs Gill 9s, pel Mr J J Connor (Cntenon Hotel), 13s, per Mayor of Port Chalmeis, £i ss, pei G. B Bullock, XI 9s, per Daijrety and Co, 12s, pei H E. Hart, Ss , employees of Bing, TT.uris, and Co, £1 2& , employees of Donald Re'c! and Co, lGs , employees Daily Tunes, 7b- cMtriit friends, 8b ex-Duncdn'ite (Weilin r _ton), Is, Di I'ruljy Ki''g, Js. K. Jo'molo . 'Queei stovvn), 1?

RECEPTION OF TROOPER FARQFHARSON.

The North Duncclin Rifles gave a '"'Welcome Home " in the foim of a social a. id c'.'iice on W'nlnebday at the North Dnnedin Dnllshed to Coipnra! Fariuhai -on, wlui has 1 iiTst retained with the contingents from South Africa. About 50 of the company woie present, and a» a preliminary proceeding — tbo men being draw 11 up at atte Hion — the tiooper new))" leturned from war wps f ,i<'(ivd I/, three clie^is diid the Maori war rv of the batt.i'ion. ' Ti'kou Km Kaha. Rokui Kaito'i Hi hi h.i ' The company thtn s.mg " Uoiiii' -\ .r r lij. ■ with instrumental ac coi. i,.'..nv."n( L 1 utcnati: John-011, having ii'ldrcwd a f n \\ worJp of iieartj" welcome to tho guc=t of the eveiang, thanked him on behalf of the company foi representing them 111 South Alnca.

Aftei a portion of the dance p. oEfiamn.e liacl bopn onmed thiong-Ii a ;>i<venl ition of a gold imp wa- made to Trooper Farq'ihar=on by the ma]or of tho Imial'on (M ijov iJyerh). who bin! it fta\e him great pleas-urc to he asked theie llut e\cmnjf to irake a presentation tn their friend, Corpoial Farquharson. He had known the corporal as a boy at school, while he (the speaker) had had the honour of being chairman of the "Valloj School Committee He had known Inm as a. stead} r boy. worthy of being pointed out by the m?sler: ss a c-adet paying great attention to his drill, and one who wot'ld come to the front as .1 shot, ami then when he joined the North Dunedin Rifles the company were \erv glad io ■get him . They knew ho was the sort of lad they wanted to get hold of — ono who vioiikl make n good man and a on'icl coldier.-- (Cheers.) Again. •>. they weie all i'WTO. he won mynj prize-- whilo -hort.ns; in their company, and ho kn^w thru none heciurlppd liim his honoiir- — Cheer^.) Corpoial Farquharson had been anxious to get to the front with the first contingent, and when he succeeded in loniing the spcoihl, al f hoiigh they were- sorry to pait with him even for a httl" time, ihev felt that lie would be a worthy representative of the company. — (Cheers.) hi picsentin^ Corporal Farquhaison with a gold una, he knew that it ucuhl not he \ allied for ito intrinsic worth, but a^ a gift ghen 111 the heaitiost manner f'om his brothers of the >oith Dnneilm Kiflp- After lcforimg to the fact that Faiquhar<on wa.- now a sPI-goai.ts - Plgoai.t c.f the company, and speaking of borne oi the hardship-, euduied by tbeii gi-e«t 'hums? tho South African war ard the hap-pmc-3 thov had 111 seeing him return le*K oi without ha\ing had one day's siokne;, cuirnig tlie whole campaign, Hip Major baid: "That 1= the sort of Kn we ti.rn nut on the hilltop m th" North Ka<-t Valley."' He hoped lie would \no lone to en joy the pie-ent they wcie making, and feel ))i\>ud to think that lie de-en e-1 it.— (Clieers.) Corporal Farquhar-on lhankfd the rompany heartily for the gift ai.d the 'u.noui done him. He &aid that the letumcd (roopert, had though that after «o panv demonstration* the people would be full up of such things, and had not lookpd forward to =uch kindness as- they ho'l received. He would remember the present greehna a- long as he lived. The thanks of those pre-ent weie e\pre:.scd to Sergeant and Mr« Lonaworth and to Mr md Mrs Dippin for theii suece=-ful efforts in arranging the catering and otherwise contributing to the enjoyment of the evening. Trooper West, of the second . continent. who returned by the Tongamo. was entertained on Tuesday evening by .St. Martin's Olub, North -East Valley. Tile hall »is gaily decorated with bunting, the New Zea land flag being especially prominent Ad-che-sses of welcome were delivered by the Rev. A. Ni'eld and Mr M. Milward. and Trooper West wa» presented with a silver matchbox from the ladies and a set of pipes from the gentlemen of the club The troop°r. who received -a great ovation, after thanking the club n. embers for their gifts, gave 0 lecitation entitled '■The Battle of Masrersfoivtein " During th« evening tongs were contributed by Mis s e.- Woodward and Drake. Messrs E. Steele, H. Dfake. and R. Tyriell; also a pianoforte d\iet by Mis&es Wright and Mat-don aid. After tho firwt part of the programme the meeting resolved itself into a social. The gathering was marked with much enthusiasm.

RECEPTIONS IN" THE VORTH

AUCKLAND, May 15 The returning Auckland troopeis were welcomed at Onehunga by the Mayor and Colonel White, of Auckland. A large crowd as-embled, and the men were diiven through the town and cheered en route. They were fub°pquently entertained at lunch at the Srar Hotel by the mayor. Speaking at the luncheon, the Mayor (Dr Campbell) paid it was now neaily half a century mice he inanguiated the volunteer movement in Auckland. He little thought in tho-e long bygone days that a movement intended as a precaution against Maori otitbieak- would develop into the gieat institution of to-day. Far le^s did he think he should live to see the men of New Zealand going forth to do battle for the mother country. Like brave and patriotic men they went to the front in the hour of need. They had witnessed the horrors of war, and returned to know the blessings of peace. He had been called the father of volunteers, and he wab proud to see around him some of the brave boys who had com.3 back.

(ILSBORNh. Mny 15. The lctimiecl fli-borne troonci- i.-<ci>e^ a warm welcome home. "J hey weie met .it the v harf by a bice crowd. .Jid compTimrnUij spoeche- Wfre made. The mMi aie to be entertained ot luncheon this aft. moon and at a -octal thY evening HOKITIKA. May 15.

The lcturned tiooper^ were beaitilv weTfn.iicd at tho L.ulwav -i-ition. Kpccdn- vvero nnck' by the M.i veils of Hokitika and 11' sg aid the count} thanman G'id savo the Kiii'4 " was sung, artl a pi occasion of voluncuci's and citizens took place OAMART*. May 15.

Maim- Cransl'aw- and fcuppaumn- v, rve> c-nti rtan.cd af a -moke concert la"-* evoniiii* by tho volunteer of North O!ago di c t;>ct^ Tne officer commanding the di-tru t, took the clan. ,uid the gcitheiing ».i- mo;l enthusiastic.

Ccloi el Robm and four irtuin c l hoopers who aie Freema'-on- wejC entertained by Loose Ce'tic, "77, S.C . on tlie 15th. iSrUhe*o=s of welcome ws.e ds'iveinl by tho JMY.D (i.M Bio (iiiie. tin- R.W <4iancl SupermU-ncU'r.t tli ' Re\ W n<n,.,M n,i. aud wo'shniful biethron (J L. Dpuu^t.n Dtr Stenhoiisp, and Di.g.ild M v jihe 1 -"p, and tho ;'^id)e<.s t.) Coloi.el Robn 1 w.i- ))u^'" v od by the KW \f John Ciaig A 1 .ninne" followi^J the meeting.

TEA CH MIS' SALARIES COH3ISSIOX

First D vy — Thi'rsdw

The Commission on Colonal Si ale o Staffg and Sa l aries of Public Teachei-, luitl th^if flist meeting in Bui edm 1:1 the I'du^alion Boaid building, Je i t\ street on T} ur«(l,.\ at H» am. The membeis of the commission, all of whom were in attendance, ate Messrs A W, Hogg. MHR. (chauman), W. Davidson, M. GilfeddP'. MH.R . S Luke, J. Smith, H Hill, F Y. Lethbndge, M.H R , R D. Stewait, T. Mackenzie, Mil ]? , and T S Weston Mr G. Ho^ben, Inspectoi-general, was in attendance. Several membej > of th" Otago Education 13oa'd, the boaid's inspectors, and several ieachcT3 were a'^-o wesent Mi A J Morten 1- Fpcretary to the commission.

Tlie Comnutiee of Management of the Dane<]in branch of the Otago Educational Institute and the secietaiv foi the assis-taiit-masterq iv.olp sta'i't^ tlia* leuiescnt- i\ es would .'ttcacl on thci belialf to grue r\ id?nce Mi Jaini". Smith ten"!"!, of ?J'Hwn wra f a fttatms th?t hp Jt-ued to attend to c \e e\idence

Mr Ho?ben submitted the frUovw "cr >-utr-cjret'-a alteiaatnc scheme for schools i.i'h 15 to 330 pupils m average attendance —

" Average Attendance — Ovei 14 and 1 olo l over 10— Mole Fixed saisiay £75, capitation 1003. Female Fixed salary £75,*capitatioii 100s

' Ovei 30 and not o\ ci 40 — Male Fixed! salciij ill*, cpp'tafion iQs Female Fixed salaiv 1102, capitation 40s

''Over 40 and not o\ er G5 — Male Fiietl saloiy .£l6O, capitition -2i)=s. Female Fixed s.i'.uy i'< 44, canit.ition 10=, infant mistress £00 Ovei 65 ard not o\ er Od -Ma'.e Fixed 'I'riiv flSo, lauiUiinn 20s F^uva'e Fixtd ■m'uiv £IjC 10?, cap lat'Oi; l'l- infant unstress £100 ' "O\ er 90 ard 10 ovoi 120 — Male Fixed salaiy £210, capital oji 10-. Tpmale . Fix-cJ i,alai\, £171 10s, capiWUon ss, infant mistress £105. Also one pupil teacher. " Ovei 120 and l.ot o\cr I^o —Male Fixodl ealaay £225, 'cuntat,on 8? Tcmalc Vised saLaiv £179, capitation 4s. infant nnstresa £110 Also two puml teach-i 1 ? "Over £150 and not ovei 200 —Male F.wd salaiy £237, capitatio--, Gs Fema'e IH"I H " v >dl salaiy £185, capitation 33, mfani. lmsi'ess £Lls. Also one ass 13 tant aJid two pupil tea "he"

"Over 200 and not o\ ci 250 — Male Fixed salary £252, capitation 4s. Fr-mnle Fixed; .= alary ClO2 10.= , capitation 2s, mi 121 1 m stress £120 Also two assistants and two pupil teachers.

"Ovei 25T a'~d not ov>i 275 — Male Fixec?. sahuy £262 en utation 4s F.mac Fixed! salai- £197 10s u'ytu on 2s. ,» .a,^t .1 lotresa i.125 Al c p tu-o as-i = ta'i!.-> .md thieo pupit tca^heis

' O' ci 27.3 and ;ot o\ ci 030— Male Fixed) sp'tuy £273. caj itatiOii -Is Female Fixed s-ilaiy £-203, capitation 2s infant mi-trrs-> £130. AlcnA Ic n thiee as-,i^ta.it = and tluee pupi. trVierh."

7i7 i e % of the -th'-'.ie. Mi H <-»_•« en suid it save a soiiie\.hu 'e-s genei-cu= stuffing to the -chools than ho originally piopc = <x<, but. a stfi^S'ijj that, he thought, was a c gooa »* an y, in Now Zealand 01 in the Aubhahan colonies — • bettn than most 01 them, — and vet v d.d 1106 practically bin g down the "allies, or hardly ai y salaries, at all

It was dpaoVci to have £> nt'mbei of copes of the scheme pi ml 3d

The Tto- P B Tr i^cr. a m-n.l-.-v of the CUgo Tv n \Ti o'l Boa id. wii tip v 'u=t wi'ncss tailed lh rrjvmenced Ins V>v Quoting two sentences fiom Johu Stuan Mill on ' Libcit» r , in winch the \i liter contended thai p State sv&teni of education was a system for moulding a'l childien alike, according to the dominant influence at the centre. The other sentence fiom Mill showed that the tendency of a State system was to crush oat all educational expenmenta but its own. whereas the business of the State — and, as Mr Fraser contended, of the central depaitnient at Wellington — ought to be to collect the cxneripnces of the boards, cnctilate information, and maw available for the whole co'ony the expene.iccs of the different boards. The scheme submitted by the department would rot ha\ c been available \>ut for the fcpenences of the boards. If the colonial scale was adopted there would then be just the one experiment throughout the colon} -that from the central department that would tolerate no experiments but its own. Mr Fraser went on to say that he doubted! if it was advisable to have a colonial scale of salaries. Unless it was for the general advantage of the various provinces there waa nothing to be gained by a merely colonial scale. The Government, instead of granting all over the colony the sum of £3 15r for eachi pupil, should ha\e said, "We shall giant to schools with an average attendance of below 51 £5 or £6 per head, and over that £3 155." That would have done justice to the small provinces. He would also urge on the attention of the commission that if they weie going to get a colonial scp le of aalanes there should also go with it a scheme for a superannuation allowance for teachers, which, m his opinion, waa the only conceivable justification of a colonial scale. The South Australian Education department had such a scheme, in which they provided annuities ranging fiom £52 to £142 for males and as high as £73 for females. Another thing that was left out of the colonial scale was the payment for the instruction of pupil teachers. The absence of this payment took away the incentive of the teacher to gna his attention in extra hours to the traimnaj of the pupil teachers. He would also mention, as generally bearing on the scheme, the payment of male and female teachers. It w.'S generally spoken of as equal pay foi equal worn. He was not in favour of it, but he was tertaiuly in favour of a female being paid an adequate salsry. Theie must be a hvirs; w.t»c — a proper ard satisfactory sala'%. b\ <ul means — but the claim oi equal pay fox eiu&l

work as a principle was, m his opinion, a selfish and ruinous proposal. It simply meant that the male teacher, who had to support, as a rule, a wife and family, would have the same salary as a lady teacher, who. as, a lule, had not these natural claims upon her. There was also the question of country v. town. He appealed for an increase of salanes of mistre«'-~s an the country school. Bearing on the necessity of increasing the salaries of the teacher of the country schools, he lefened to the quality of the education given in the countiy, as shown by the results of the scholarship examinations for 10 years past in this province. He showed that the scholarships followed not the children, but the teschers, according to their calibre — that was, wb'ip there weie highly paid and highK-quahiicd teacheis in the town schools these schools, although the children, he presumed, were of the same quality as those of the country, obtained the schola.ships. He gave the schools accoidmg to thensize in every county in Otago, and showed thr!. a, great proportion of them were fif*h-clr s schools. The quality of the education m the schools was shown by the hols i ship result ■*, such as that w-i + hm a peuod of It) ypsis ' total of 22 seholaiships had gone to the Normal School, Dunedm, while that number had fallen in 10 years to seven counties, containing 130 schools. Of the total number of -scholarships — •viz., 119 — 63 had gone to town schools, leaving 56 for all the children of the piovm^e Dur.edin schools, with an average of 3445 children, ihad taken 39 c -chol^iship£, luring (JO foi all other schools m tho p-oMiice w.i'i H,°.O} clnidren. Thai gave one scholarship to eveiy 57 Dunedm children and one to e\ery 238 children of all other schools m Otago. He co.itended that that went to s,kow that the country schools were not staffed in quality equal to the town schools, and the reason why they were not staffed inqua'ity was smrplv that the salaries paid to the country schools wer" entirely inadequate to attract toai.lier- of <mv experience to take charge of these school-. Just the day before the board had applications for four country schools, advertised m the previous month, from only two teachers, the salary being £70 and a residence. At the* same time, for Sawyers' Bay, a mistress-ship at ±85 attracted no fewer than 36 applicants, Union street, an assistant at £85. attracted 16, and in previous months the boaid had as many as 40 and 50 applicants for a town aspi-»tant-ship at £&o, while only thiee or four weie available for a countiy school at £100 and a residence. This showed conclusively that the emoluments of the country teachers were far below what they ought to be to attract qualified and responsible teachers to its responsible positions, and he was glad that the scheme submitted by the department that day had as one of its "chief features the payment of a much better sftlary to the country schools. He might say that the scheme submitted that morning was practically the same as to staffing and salary as one he had submitted to the Otago Board over a year ago. He also suggested that the city schools shotild be grouped by themselves, and the country schools grouped by themselves, and that the city schools' staffing should be so arranged that a maximum limit was attached to the size of the claspefe, as in many instances, owing to the size of the classes under a single teacher, the health of the teacher was broken down. A class of 80 in the higher standards was an excessive number for any teacher, and a killing number for a lady teacher, and should not be allowed. For the majority of country schools the qualification under the new colonial scheme submitted by the department was E5 and D 2, and for himself he thouglit the E- certificate should be wiped out. He held that for the 'head-teachership of these country schools a ■higher qualification than an E certificate should be demanded. He meant that to apply, of course, onh in future, for he well knew ■that there were excellent teaoHeis with E certificates who were fai bc^or.d the demp'icU cf ■tie certificate. Then some attention ought to be given to the scholarship fund. They needed it for the countiy districts, and the fund by which the bright children might be brought to the surface ought to be considered. The training of teachers should also ha\e been dealt with as part of a colonial scheme, because if the money were appropnated for one depaitment of the education system theie was a, danger that the other parts might be staived. He hoped the salaries of assistant teachers in the city schools would not be taken down, •because it ought to be remembered that they •were often the men who did the work and had no house allowance. Another point m favour cf the colonial scheme submitted was that the increase went per capita.

In answer to questions, Mr Fiaser said that although he favoured provincialism he did not ft>vcur parochialism. He did not say that if a school gained scholarships it denoted the efficiency of that Echool, but. it was a factor that shewed the efficiency of the teacher. Teachers of the country schools under the old scale were most inadequately paid for the work they did. That was shown conclusively by the few applications that came m for the positions as head mistresses of country schools. Teachers, were leaving tha service, but not altogether on account of the small salaries paid. It was the uncertainty of prernot'On that caused many teachers to leave the service. As to whethei there were not too mai'y pupil teachers in the schools, and whether it might not be advisable to replace two of them by a teacher, he would say that was a detail that depended on other circumstances. There should be the same standard of edacation m the country schools as m ths city schools, and he was strongly in favour of increasing the salaries of the countiy teachers. If two teachers were mutually desirous of a change fiom one part of the district to another the Otago Board considerad it favourably, and effected an exchange. Last year the payment to the mspectois in Otago was £2218, cov.-mds which the Government pan! £500 If the inspection weie conducted from the central depaitment he did not see that the sum of £1713 would have been available for the increess of the salaries of deserving teachers. The board would simply not h?ve leceived that extra sum. He did not favour the separaiion of the in schools. Mr Eraser's evidence closed at i o'clock, the v ltness having been under examination loi thr°,e hodVF.

Mr James Mitchell, another member of the Otago Education Board, was the next witness He compliment "1 the Secretary of Education on seeing the propriety of amending the suggested ac.iie oT staffing «nd ealanes in the direction of that prevailing m Otago. .Each individual teacher ought to have his salary determined by ins own quahiications and length of service and the board should have the power of placing that teacher exactly where it was thought ths greatest amount of good would be done. "Unless Parliament were piepared to go that length then he thought it would be doing no good in-adopting a colonial scale of salanes. He criticised at some length the flist scale of islaffs and salaries submitted to the Secretaiy of Education. Otic objection was that although from end to end of the colony a difficulty had foeen experienced in getting boj s to enter tbo TDrofession as pupil teachers, this '-(.ale pi ojposed to reduce the present inducement by cutting away a consideiable pait of the payment. In Otago they could not get a sufficient number of boys to coiae foi ward to rill posi "tions, *he le&ult of which must be that the profession would diift into the hands of females. Whether that was desnable or not was a question the commission would ha\c to for themselves Anothei objection ia' that there was nothing to gu.de one as to the ps"y t»S assistants, bo Ui 42 OtKgo was (A-fl-vciued

oi'iy 12 female assistant teachers would iecr,\o cddit.ono to their salaries. He found that them wa b aoi a single male teachei on the list who would gam an\ thing, and that no less than 49 aac.i3tF.nts would lose by it, the losses of =*lai» bilging fiom £5 to £50 The total numbe.b c . of teacher-, -ho vould 10-» under tho (v, „!.# --ale rtfis 2SJ. rnd"r thi- suggested n:opu"-y'-, .h" ' vo.Vl h'.a to displace a vei\ l!.:»p -r. n- 1 ' r o. ih'i. s C <-or.d a-s^tants in Ota\o lie hoped chat th« commission .vould pro.icU lev iho necessities of smaller boaids vitl.o.'t encroaching m any ■*?} on the func-t-o-n c; t'le board general)-.', and not deprive i!<o co'oi.y of hr.vine; a di-eiaty of systems i:n-.i '.ui.lt. neously by the vaiioa-- boards, the jClf ' F -TjTiMife fi'om" which would be a^aili>.bi ro. 'o:mj"^ < b( Ltei system. in ;'i--i,:«- to q"'-.ions, Mi Mitchell said n» c- , .iot a fivoui of equality of salary to ma.c and female teaeh<=r«. Men had responsibilities that did net devolve upon women, such as the reaponsibililv of maintaining ? family He did not think inducements should be given to women to lemaiii tingle He considered that an ■y ceitnicate v •>-. too low tax ? teacher Length of -fi-m-?, roniDij'.Nl with the value of the service, viiould be a factor ir determining the saUry Boaids should have greater power of tiansfcmn? tea-hei" v ,thout having to negotiate with school committees There should be 9 power of removing teachers from localities jnto equal D< sit.ons with the view of getting ud of leal" tioable. He did not think any \%cman coald undeitake the woik undertaken by r mimbei of men. In older to prepare for s teach"" a nonun had to go through the same cideol to enter the piofes=ioii as a man, and ill orcle. to piepare hei pupils for the inspectors' examination she had rot less work to do, unless she had fewer pupils. Patnck Gunn Piyde, secrotaiy of the Ot,-go EtVucat on Board, eiitinsed at some Jeng.ii the =cheiui^ proposed by the department, and p .weied a bige number of questions put by t embci-. 13* thought there were few teachei = lcavinsr the -eiMce of the Otago Board and i>ny who had left weie anxious to come back to "it. He did not consider it was fair that a. woman should receive the same salary- as a man, considering the obligations there weie on a man A man often had a. wife and family to keep up The Otago Boaid did i.ot give a piefeienc? to femalo teacheis and female puptl teachers, but weie foiced to accept their services. There was a gicat difficulty m getting boys to enter the service. The board had always held out inducements to male teachers. He would like to pay that for every pupil who went up for a scholarship in the countiy 20 went up IP the town. Ihe country teacher who had six" standards and. a .preparatoiy class had not as much time to devote to scholarship pupils a-> a teachei m a town school who had but one class to attend to The teachers of Otago were better paid than men in offices and other employments. Some teachers had left the piofession of late years with the idea that they were going to make their fortunes at mining. The proportion of competent teachers who left the seivice was veiy small. He believed a supeianmiation scheme should be pio\ided for teachers. A scheme might be ar:anged on the lines of the police superannuation schettie. So much could be deducted fiom leachei*' salaries monthly, as was done for their life insurance. He did not favour a colonial scale, of salaries, because he believed •fachcis wovld be far better treated by the boards than by the Government. Theie was no provision made in the scheme foi sick K-a-xe. It was not the fact that , the Otago Boaid bovootted teacheis fiom other districts.

The Channian "When you invite applications for vacancies, m good schools, do you get applications fiom teachers outside the Otago district? — Sometimes. Do you get many > — Xot veiy many, and they aie i early all fro.il i-arhers who" hate left Otago and want to got back. Mr Mackenzie Irf it r.oi the fact that tho standard of our Otago teachers l- above that of teocherF in other parts of the cotenv, and therefore it is not =n easy ior outsiders to get a footing in tins distiief — Most of the teachei* who apply for appointment in Otago aie not very highly classified, and very often they ha\e to be thrown out because their classification i^ not high enough foi the position they wish to fill. It is not right to say that the board does not entertain applications from outside districts.

The Chairman • I suppose you like to select teachers of whom you have had expenence 9—9 — It lies with the committees to select thenteacher, rot with the boaid. Answpimg further questions, Mr Pryde said that, taking them all round, the teachers m the Otago district vvpie better paid than the teachers m other distiicts. The Otago Board had several tunes altered their scale of salanes. The last change was an equalising one, when the bonus system was done away with If the question of salaries passed fioni the boaid there was not likely to be more stability than theie was i.ow. would suffer moie under a colonial scale of salanes than they would under the boards He did not believe the teachers o£ Otago had been asking for a colonial scale of salaries. He had too much faith in their good judgment to think Ihey had. Some of the teacheis in Otago, he thought, weie underpaid. On the whole, ho believed they were well paid, but m the schools with fiom 15 to 30 pupils he thought they were ui'derpaid.

The commission io=e at 5 o'clock until 10 a in next day iFuday) Theic was =uch a Bpbol of tongues m all pails of the loom many times during the day that much of the evidence of the witnesses was not audible at the leporters' table. The Chairman hushed the noise on several occasions, but although the clamour subsided for a space it veiy soon lose again. In coiT-equeiuo of this disturbance our lepoit is somewhat shoitei than it otheiwise would ha\c been.

SrcoxD Day.— Fkiday

The ComnusMon on Colonial Scaie of Staffs and Salatios of Public Teachers held thensecond mecti.ig in Dunedin m the Education Boaid building, Jetty sticet, on Fnday at 10 am ; present -Me^is A. \V. Hogg, M H.K. (clianman'i, "W. DaMclson, M. Gilfedder, M.H.R.. S. Luke, J. Smith, H. Hill, F. Y. Lethbndge, M.H.R., R. D. Stewart, T. Mackenzie, MILE., and T. S. Weston Mr G. Hogben, Inspector-general, was in attendance, as well a^ a numbei of school teacheis, including

two ladies

The Secretiry of the Oamaiu blanch of the 1-Yiucationa) Ii stitu f e wiote stating that they would send three representatives — slc-sis llilgendonf, Bastings, and Eobertson — to place their i-iews before the commission. — The lettei was received.

Mr J. H. Chapman, head master of the Aithur ftieet School, wiote stating that, ii desired, he would give evidence. — The letter was received.

Mi Hogben said that to bung all the =alari(s of ttachei» m the colony up to the Otago scale, which was the highest in the colony, ■' huh of £5335 would be lcquucd in ,'d r litio>i to what was lequned by tho enigma! bcur. Ihey had £4405 to spate m consequence of tht alternative scheme presented on the pievious day, so that £930 more would be lequired to bring up all the salanes to the Otago tcale. The Chairman The Otago scale is the highest -n Xew Zealand ' — Yes, with the exception ol one oi two instances in North Canterbuiy.

Aad the whole of the teacher^' =,ilaiies m the colony can bo biourrhl up io the Otaijo scale jpiovicled mat die ii capiuucn is hhuj-

tamed'-Yes, and an increased allowance to boards besides foi incidental expenses. We -hould be glad to see wiped out also all reductions for cpitihcates

Patrick Gmin Piyde, secretpiy of the Otago Education Board, continued his evidence. He submitted a statement prepared by him to show how the first pioposed scale of salaries issued by the department would affect the teacheis at pie-ent m the Otago Board's service.

Mi Stewait said that any fuither statement Mi Pijde had to make should be m wilting and put in.

Other members objected to tins

Mr Pi>de went on to say that he wished to -how how seriously the teachers weie affected, ■2c me of thorn losing ps much as £G0 a ycai. Mr Hogben Xo , only two Mr Piyde Very well, heie aie the figine*-, and I will stand by them

Mr Stewart said it seemed there were onV Mr Pry do repented that he would stand by his figures He would mention the teacheis in detail Mr Reid, second assistant, Union street, would lose £65 ; Mr Spence, second assistant Albany street, £65, Mr Maishall, second assistant. Normal, £65, Mr Stewart, second assistant, Aitlau stieet, £65; Mr Stiong, second assistant, Hijli street, £60, Mr Coutts, second assistant, Morinngton, £50, Mr .Rutherford, second assistant, Ca\ersham, £65, Mr Maywell, second assistant, Foibuiy, £60, and the second assistant at Mohgiel, £60. The master and mistross cf thp Kiuow, Duntroo.i, and similar schools would also lose small sums. The total salaries paid by the board last year amounted to €57,086, and the salaries proposed to be paid to teachers a'u present m the sei■\ice, according to tho scale, was £53,853, showing that they would lose £3233, made up as follows —2SS teacheis would lose 15357, and 18] would gam £2124, which left £3233 as the total los^. Only 30 teachers in the service v fit' not 'effected. Ihe proposed scale would gi\e as an addition to the staff 45 assistants at £S0 a year— :n all, £3000,— and 60 pupil teacherb— ay, 30 at £35 and 30 at £42 10s, in all £2325. The total was £5925, and deducting fiom that the £3233 which the teacheis would lose, left the whole gam to Otago, under the proposed scale, as £2692 There were 283 teacheis who woti'd lose under the pioposed seale — viz , 96 male head teachers, 49 assistants, 24 female teacheis (m charge of small countiy schools), 70 mistiesses, 30 female assistants, and 31 female pupil teachers. There weie 181 teachers who would gam — viz., 40 male head teachers, 62 female teachers, 10 mistresses, 10 assistants, and 50 pupil teachers. Refeiring to the boaid's expenses, witness said the total gam to the district by raising the grant to £4 would be £1450. The total gam to the distnct proposed by the scale was jti3t about hcilf— £2692,— leaving ft loss of £1758 to the teacheis of Otago. He also pointed out that the boaid paid between £300 and £400 a year foi sick lea\e, lent allowance, and other items, and looking at the large number of teachei "3 he did not think the percentage who got sick pay eveiy year was at all laige. Mr Hoglcii leinarked that that was true thioughou; the 'olony, and the majority of the membeis expiessed their agreement vrith the statement.

Mr Pi\de, continuing, said that working ou j j the classification scheme to show how it would work m Otago and allow an assistant in a school with an attendance of between 35 and 10, he found that before thi6 scale cou'.l be* put into operation in Otago a sum of £9'i(K) must be foithcommg to piovide the necessity class iooni«.

Peter Goyen, senior mspectoi, Otago distuct, said there were two oi thiee things, lor which eveiy national scheme of classification and payment should provide. There must, of cdurse, be an ample staff. There was a certain amount o noik lo clo, and .1 sufficient staff to clo tha A woik should be piovided. Secondly, there mu'-t b.> adequate paymsnjf for every cla^s of teacher. Th.rdlj, theie should be provided substantial inducements for teic'i^v- to seek country lather than town appointment-. The last point wa° of veiy gloat importance. Teachers vvent to tho coiaitiy with their minds made up that if they did good woik there foi a few yeais they would find themselves in the end 111 the city schools 01 in a l?ige town school. Haidly am teachers went to the country with the view of remaining there. It was a veiy serious evil that the teachers in the country schools should be changed so frequently as they were. Dealing with the question of staff, he said Mr Hogben s scheme piovided for an ample staff. He was also satisfied with the modified proposal. Witness went on to submit figures to show the actual staffing of schools of different sizes m th? Otago difctnct, and the staff that would b^ engaged in the same schools under Mr Hogben's scheme. One point in Mr Hogben's scheme the inspectors could not agiee with. It was their experience that Standards VI, V, and IV, very largeh owing to their gieat size, could not b° well taught by female assistants. The stiam unon th°m was too gieat. Theiefoie, they had adopted the plan of having the first thiee assistants male as°istai.ts 01 the fust two assistant? male assistants, and he thought that m eveiy large school m the colony that ought to be earned out The aveis\*e frmalr assistant was unable to teach Standard;, V and VI, and frequently Standaid IV Mr Lethbndge If the gnls and boj s weie seisarated that would altei the case'

Mr Goycn said it would. Coutinuiijjr, thp witless s a ,il that m one school he found ,i class of 150 being taught by a mistiess Pint two pupil teachei 1 -. He thought thiee pup. l teachei & should be allowed "With lcspcct to the question ol puml teachese s generally, he mmlit p.i\ that vi Otaj-o the tci limy oi the st.ind.iid'- imo lealK dov>c uy the a,sistan', and the pupi l teacher ««isu<l i i the- mechanical v.oJ' Hie intellectual naming was doi" by the a»M'tant J'i mothei "«_hool he lou d ths>t 190 pup.U in cU-., P veie taught b> ,i nii&hess and three pupil teacheis. It was obvious that staff wa, i.ot sufficient ior the work. Undei the piopo^ed --ciicme theie would be a misliess and ioui pupil teachers, which, he thouglit, was quite <.n,ill enough. He considered tint the staffn a, accoidmg to Mr Hogben's suggcst'Oii, iwis supeMOl to the staffing at present. He \ ould like to see moie a=-isi-am.> given to the m.-tiess. For jears past they had mtioduced into a numbei of then schools a laige amcunt of kindergarten woik, and anybody who knew anything ol that work iocogni=cd tli.u it could iot be cniried on un'e°s thcic was a great deal of available ahM-,1,u,..e * About 30 was a huge number to manage m tli it class ot woik, and if it was going 'to hv taken up ihiOMghout the length and bieadth ot Xew Zealand they would h,nc to inciease the staff ot that depaitment ol then school-. In one school a male teacher had charge of 6S pupils Although it was exceedingly well taught by the ge.itlema.i m ( Large of it it did not seem to sutl'n f;nm it, \et the mspectois telt that an a\eiage oi 6h was a veiy lajpe numbei to teach Then m Standai'l IV there wei» h0 pupil-, which to him to be beyond tlie pc.uei ot an} oidmaiy man to teach effluent Ho t'uuight th;>t u,,-^. miVit ! 't' di\idcd bi \.cen two teacheis and in that <.a-e a K.nalc teachei might be utih-cd The c nti.in-t.. ices o! the =chool shou'd, of couise, go\em the appointment WVh legaid topasniMit the m-oectois diffeicd fiom ill Hogben, both a- to I"-, I'ist and as to hi- spcond sdicnie, m -ome ia-e-. Ihe -alatv in a -llk>o' of f'om nine to 17 a,h, uiklpi tiie tu-t Miißinc, i'9U but it was v o low. Sufficient inducement should be otlciod to tc-acheis jo p.ieiei touuiu; iv t««a si'p«Uitai«ai». Ike

salary should be not less than £100 to start with. In Mr Hogben's second scheme theie were schools of from 19 to 40. The inspectors thought that group should be divided into tt W o— from 19 to 30, and from 30 to 40, tho foimer to be taught by females and the latter by males. The teacher of a school with fiom 30 to 40 should be paid £180 a year. The maximum salary now proposed was £160. With lespect to the salaries m the other groups he had nothing to say They were up to the level. With regard to the pssislants, who did not figure ] n the alternative scheme, the feeling of the mspectois was that their salaries ought not to be reduced. Their present salaries were not too large. They should be kept up, but at the same lime the salanes of country school teachers should be raised a good deal. AVith regairl to classification, the mspectois consideied that schools of from 14 to 19 should not go to teachers with a certificate lower than E3. In schools of from 19 to 35 their suggestion was that not E2 but Dl should be the certificate of classification. As to the other groups to 250 they thought that D 2 should be sufficient For the next group Cl was the qu?hficati<|!i piovided for in Mr Hogben's suggestion, but the inspectors thought that Dl should satisfy. If the 600 odd schools weie retained the Cl should be legarded as a qualification. As to the classification of assistants, they suggested that in schools of 150 to 175 and upwards the fhsl assistant should be classified E2. If the attendance of a school fell below two-thirds of the 101 l number that attendance shculd not be counted when the average attendance of the school was computed. Tho payment of head masters for teaching pupil teachei a was obviously included in the annual salary. It would be b,etter, though, that it should not appear tnere, but made a sepaiate thing. It was the opinion of the inspectors that teachers should receive extra pay for that woik, and that it should be consideied quite apait fiom the salary fixed to the position. The system of promotion, he considered, would remain veiy imperfect &o long as the appointments were made as at present.

In an&wei to questions put to him by members of the commission. Mr Goyen said he was satisfied with the suggested payment foi small schools under 14, and he was also satislied with the proposed scale for schools of from 20 to 30. He was opposed to shifting mapectors about fiom place to place. Under the proposed regulations there was no payment for the mstiuction of pupil teachers. He did not think that every certificated teacher should be requiied to do some specific work in the training of pupil teachers unless an allowance was made for it in their salaries. He did not think it would be advisable to have separate scholarship districts, each district to be given a scholarship or scholarships. He favoured a superannuation scheme for the benefit of teacheis. Inspectors should be included. Tho country schools weie not as well kept as they should be, but the large schools were usually well attended to. He had frequently co nplamed of the sanitary airangements of schools, and when he complained he had always been told, " We have not had the money to do the woik efficiently." He held that committees were not fitted — he did not say it disrespectfully to the committees — to judge as to which of 10 or 15, or five or 10, candidates was the best. If that power were removed from the committees, the .committees would still have their functions. Their usefulness would not be impaired by the fact that they had not the power of appointment. Pupil teachers should devote so many houis daily to the oidmary work of ths school and the balance to instruction. A puvnl teacher should not work five houis a day. There should be a training school in every university centie. Theie was lio strictly technical instruction m the Otago primaiy schools, though m a good number ot them there was v. hat wa=i called kmcleigaiten work. Techncal mstiuction m the tiue sense wa& impossible in primary schools. The technical education that was to affect the life of a nation was only to be! taught at the um\ersity It was work thpfc was to be done in reseaich establishments in connection with the universities. In Germany there was no such thing as technical education in the primaiy schools, in fact, it was scouted by the teachers.

Mr Weston Would the mtioduclion of technical education m the primary schools necessitate a matenal alteration in the syllabus, and would it be prejudicial, in your opinion, to any portion of the childien in the schools 9—lt9 — It would be prejudicial to the schools altogether. It is a work that cannot be done m the primary schools. ( Can you combine manual mstruct'on with the oidmary education of our schools to advantage ' ? — I think so.

Would manual mstmction necessitate a material alteration in the syllabus ' — I do not think so I should begin in the lowest c'ass with it, and carry it light thiough. It might not be nee c--.n y to remove any subject from the svliabu- to piovide time for the manual lnstiuction, but less prominence could be given to some subjects.

Mr Mackenzie Do you not think it should be possib'e to a'tach to cm District High Schools, a depaiiment that would eive some information m the science and theoiy (ii the pionnncnt indusirv tliat happens to be m dial di->tnct ' -Yes, that cou'd be done.

In B''."noi lo the chanman, witiiess said 4 hat many of the country lesidences of teacheis in Otago vpi(i not fit to live in in winter time. 'J he boaid hpd not mon^y lo build good houses. Sufficient uioncv should be picided toi tho boards to allo.v gccl lCsideiiCos to bo built — nm«; and romfoitab'e to h\c ri.

At !45 p. m the ro"inii c 'io i adjourned until lv a. iv. nc-\t d.i< iS<iltuela\)

Third D\\ -Saturdvy.

Thi* Coinmis-io.i on Colonial Scale oi Star!-, m(1 S.ilane- of Public Teachers held then thud meeting in Dunedm m the boaid loom o' the Ague ultuial Hall on Saturday at 10 a. m , piesciit- Mes-i^ A. W. Jlogg, 31.H R. tchaii-nan), W Da\ idson. M. Cilfedder, MHR.S Luke, J Smith, H Tlill, F Y. Lethbndge, M H Ii . X D. Stewart, T AiaeVenzie, M.H.Ii, and T S We-tc M, C, Hooben. lii-pector-goneral, was in attei clai re, a- well as a large numbei ol -c hool teachcis li.clueliiii; se\eial ladie-.

David K. White, head master, Xoi.-nal Sehoul, laid bnfoie tlin commis-ion thi' lepoit of the Educational Institute of ObijiO on the scheme proposed by the Edacation derailment fo tht leo Lan-alion o! Iho school- ci the co'oi'\ and lie ia\ment ot teachens It was as iol'ow-

A laitre .nd ' epiesentatu c committee weie appointed to diav. up a special lepoit on the question. Ihe subject is not a new oire to the institute n has been discu-sed at e\ eiy mipoiunt meeting ot the institute for the past eight oi 10 yeais The committee have made them&clxes lannhai with the main l^ues of tne question and ii clcng -o ha\e come to lea'ise the difficultie- that he all lound a -atisfa< toiy -nlution oi the maitei. It i- an easy mattei to ciitKi-e and pull to pieces am -cheme, licvi n'l cHM'lu'U t 'i i + s> he in.n be diawn up. 'Iho . c-oir.nu ndat.o i = contained i>i th » lepoil aie oPeud ii a hclpUil spmt, and m the hope th it they may be oi '■omc leal •piijcc lo me ni beis oi th" conmn- .on Poi the s^ko ol letcienco the icpoit i- divided i.ito thieo -cctiOii —A, <iiid C Scvtm . A d a'swith tl'c '■chcii'i: niiin a <•( ho'.i-itic- ]j< mt oi \ic\\, sceiio.i Jj g)\e- th" lma n cial beam g oi t'nc scheme oi ()1 go and other puuii i ,\ ,>- 0 s«vUou C vi».U'.iu^ j.u sv.thac oi tLc

which the institute con«idei should be take.> to secure in the future a better staffing of thfc schools and a moie satisfactory hjlc of i» muneration. The first point whi^li iho liisti* tuto wishes to bring under the notice ot tliC commission is the following — Section A. 1 What number of pupil teacheis is rcqunerV undei a colonial system of staffing the schools' — 'ihere aie at pre°ent in tho sdfcols of the colony 1022 piioil teachers. lhe=e die distributed as follows —Auckland, 239, Taranaki 32. Wangamn, 110, Wellington, 175, Hawke's Bay, 94, Mar'borough, ]5; XeLon, 51, Grey, 13, Westlar.d, 10, North Canteibury, 117, South Canterbuiy, '29 , Otago, 82 , and Southland, 52, — total, 1022 The number of certificated teacheis to each pupil teachei ranges from one to three m Hawke's Ba\ , to fi\o (neariv) in Otago The average fo» the colony at present stands at 2 5 certificated teacheis to every pupil teacher in the ser\ic\ It is pioposed under the new =cale to allow 3 8 teaehei« to one piiDil teacher Under tin? ratio (3 8) shall we b" tiainmg .nore pupil teacheis than \v-p requae ' How many annuatlv will find employment wheu they ha\ c completed thei couise '

Ihe committee have made a veiy caieful examination into this matter (the number of pupil teachers m Otago, and the number that have found employment m public schools), and the result of this inquiry fixes the ratiQ quite definitely. The ratio and number we have woiked out is net ? mere guess, it is the lesult) pf a close observation of the facts of Hip catp extending over a period of some 15 yeaid. Th» ratio anived at is one pupil teacher to 4 8 certificated te?chers We ha\e at present 82 pupil teacheis The new scheme proposes to give ti», say, 5U additional pupil teachers, or a, total of 132 pupil teacheis, foi the Otago schools. We could not possibly find employment fcr tlns number at the completion of their term. It is theieioie u.ifj.i to the pupil teachers themselves to engage so large a number. LTnder the new scheme, it is proposed to ha', c 773 pupil teachers for the colony. The number ot pupil teacheis allowed under the new tcalc13_ as follow t, —2 adults lo 1 pupil leachffr, 3 adults to 2 pupil teachei &, 4 adults lo 3 pupil teachers, 5 adult? to 1 pupil teachers, 6 adults to 5 pupil teachei s, etc ,upto 12 adults to 11 pupil teachers. That is to say, excluding Uift head of the school, m the highest of each class ot school, there is ono pupil teacher for every certificated teacher in schools where pupil teachers are employed. This is a wholly disproportionate number Their engagement is, geneially speaking, foi- four -\ears, so that at the end of eoch ye?'194 pupil teachers will be leady to lake i> pomtmenls as teachers. Does the Education department see its way to find employment for so large a number e\ery year' Thei3*are other and valid reasons why the number of puo.l teachers should be fewei than that proposed. If we ha%-e legard to the efficiency and quality of the teaching m our public schooL we mm"., keep the number of pupil teachers at a minimum. The pupil-teacher system is a cheap system of education. We should taLe care not to sacrifice quality to cheapness. The ratio at piesent m Otago is one pupil teacher to nearly five teachers— B2 pupil teachers, 405 teacher 3 The plan of appointing a teacher in place of two pupil teachers has been pushed too far m some schools. The number of pupil teachers could with advantage be very shghtly increased, and this could be done by fixingthe ratio at one pupil teacher to 4.6 teachei si In this wav we should be tiaming an adequate number. This ratio would give approximately the number of pupil teachers required annually for the colony, say, 650 or 660. The institute therefore recommends, and de^res to bmig it prominently under the con&ideiation of members of the commission that m a colonial system of staffing the &choois the number of pupil teacheis employed by the depaitment should be, approximate!}, one pupil teachei for every 4.6 certificated teacheis. This would give us, say. 680 pupil teacheis. That this number of pupil teachers is sufficiently laige on this computation may also be ascertained by finding out the number oi additional teacheis lequned annually for the schools of the colon y.

2. The number of teachers requned to fill the vacancies that occiu annually —This number is, of course, made up fiom two sources (1) those created by the increase in the average school attendance, and (2) those occurring through retirements from any cau c e whatever. Both of these aie easily ascertamable. (1) The number of teachers in ISB6 was 1624, and the number of teacheis in 1599 was 2593. or appioximately an average of 2\ p°r cent annual inciease. With regaid to the other source (2) — that is, with regard lo retirements — an examination of Oi.igo official lecords for the same period show--, that the number of retirements, may be stated at appioximately an average 2J per cent, annual deciease. from any cause whatever The whol* number of vacancies, therefoie, amounts to. say, 5 per cent, of tho number ot teachers op the ro'l. With a teachers' to 1 !, as pioposed undei fie new scheme, ol 1991 teicher", the number ot teachers required anmully would be, say, 150, oi a pupi! teach"i roll ol about 600. We next consider,

1. Th" number oi teacher-, lequned to staff the schoo's cfPcienth ■ — With legard to fairly laige schools, thai is, so-'hcols o\ er 75. the institute 's oi o\ !iii<vi that the proposed colonial scale of s'pfi", with regaid to the number of adult teachci- 'o\ each cla=s of school, is on the* who'e satisfaetoiv. Undei the new scale it is propo=cd tn <j\ <c two teacheis foi a small schoo 1 w'th an a\eiage or °,5 The effect ot such a proposal would bo to mnease the number of t D ".(hers m the senun by, =ay, 257, for tln<? c'.-^s of sc'ico's alone Th<» numbei ot teasers at pie-ent i- 2541 Undei tLc new anargemenfc there would be 2999, oi a" inciease o 1 458 teacheis. The inciea=e l- large even il wp m >ke allowance loi i substantial decieas" in the numbei- ot jui )i' ieaclu-is Oi tlm 45S t'lo gieatei numbei will 'no allotted to t"io Iji<_.> education ch«tiirts, and chiefly 'o the small schools with an avciaoe of .)'> to J 0 I'ihVi tho suggested st.'f of teacherb Ota<^o wl l tcccne, «<n-, ,-3'j adrh + io'ial teachers foi these -mil! -c'lno'-. For the efficient manaeri nicnt of lhp-e schools aie two certificated lead "i- lrquired ' The institute has taken the e\iilcnop vi tho-o who are engaacd m tepclni'ii tie »ihoo!=, and .il-o of those foi .i.ei 1; - ensiitred n. tin- c'a— oi school, and each of them has switerl that two (Utihc.ited teacheis are not lequired In the opinion ot the institute it i- madvisab'c 'o ircea-.e the number ol t'Mfhei- in Otaso In' sji ins. say. 3G tea<'uu-, to this cla-s ot ochocif iVi to SD) Wo arc In ie tho oP ot -u< Ii ,t s"hooi Cl.i-- P. 17, St.i^'hu.l I, j btandaul 11, 1, Ma.ulaiJ 111. "i Staid li.l IV i . Siaiidaul V 5, St.irdaid VI 1. T!>o ny vis would bo dni'led m t'-iw waj Tin nii-Ue-- 25 muhU (P to Stai'daid II), the nia-'ni. 10 '^t.ind.nd 111 lo blandird VII Ai. .uluitinnal ccitincated teacher is not nece-.s,uy al t'n- .im'l.isp On th" o'hei hand, e"eiy rnir iTd'nii- that iln- c' i--ol -ehool (35 to 4-9) is- i nio't cl'fn u,t !■> manaee. and that in oil- ic-necr tV^ ,i<o rcjl as efficieiit a- tl - rnn'd lie 1 ( ha-, In ,i piono-ed to 'j,.\o tr pntiil to-i'liu to ill,' <t"s-, or school but t!n^ vfitild n e-ni >nip'o\ipor 257 additional pupil tvuclipi-, and this woulil bimtt the number up to '237 plus- 778 equal lOJi , moie than we h.lve at piescrt in the colony. Tho difficulties m the maingnment of thpso school-, \ic not ii the numboi ot the classes, noi in the r.ambti oi pupil- m p,,Ji, lj.it m tho fact tiiat the same woik ard san.c s\llabus has

TVwaio ol miit. i' ion- .uul auuhcwiti"n- oi

to be overtaken in the small school as in the large one. To give relief in the management of these schools and to make them more efficient we do not require to double the staff nor to give a pupil teacher to each, but to give tho teachers of this class of school a better training for this kind of woik and a simpler course of instruct. on. The institute are therefore opposed to give either a teacher or a pupil leather to schools of this cl?ss. If these schools su-e efficiently conducted now there is no occasion for it. With regard to this point, it may be noted that the inspectors generally speak (well of the work of these/schools. In the past it has been said that they could pass the standard at the same, and e\ en at a lower, age than m the large schools. In some of the smaller educational districts where there are iarpc numbei s of small schools the inspectors frequently refer to the very satisfactory way in which the essential subjects of instruction are taught, even in schools of this Iciiid. Where, however, the school aveiage leaches 49, the work is v^ry arduous to the teacher, more, peihaps, than he or she should be expected to do, and the institute recom■ruends two teachers should be allowed at an average of 4G The institute therefoie recommends the following staffing ot the schools ■with regard to adult teachers «ir.d pupil teachers —

To make tho scheme more adaptable and elastic it is recommended that a .eacher may be mhstituiwd for two pupil teachers and vice verca when the circumstances of the school may Tequire it.

We next consider: 4~The r-Topomon of males to females in the teaching staff.— The proportion of males to females in Otago stands 44 to 56. The institute directs attention to the fact that if this ■ scheme be adopted •the proportion of assistants in Otago wou.d stand as follows, approximately —40 per cent, males, and 60 per cent, females. In connection with this point the following resolution was adopted—" In all mixed schools with two adult teachers the head of the school shall be a male teacher." In the new scheme an explanatory Eoct-note states—" The number of female aciult teachers in any niised school mu«t not be less than the number of males. If the institute puts a correct interpretation upon th:s statement, then in all mured schools with an odd number of teachers tho females would always be in the majoritw. In Mew ot the large mini■ber of females already in the service the committe hopes the commission will be averse to any further proportionate increase in the disparity between male and female teachers.

We come now to look at 5. The arrangement and position of the male aird female assistants in mixed schools. — Under the proposed system of placing female assistants in large mixed schools it would appear that they are expected to teach the Fifth or the Fourth Standard. The large classes of boys and girls, usual in this kind of school, would nwke it very arduous work for female teachers. The institute therefore proposes— (1) In all mixed schools with six or seven adult teachers the second assistant =hall be a male, and thereafter a female teacher shall be- appointed, (2) in all mixed schools with eight adult teachers the second and third assistants shall be males, and thereafter the positions shall be allotted to females. The institute considers this matter of very great importance in maintaining discipline m large mixed classes, as -well as for the purpose of inducing male assistants to remain in the service by giving them the "higher positions and higher remuv.iTition. The following is a re-statement of the 'srjggestious m this section of the report — (1) That the proportion of pupil teachers to certificated teachers in the proposed scheme is far too high, ard that the institute recommends .that in a colonial system of pupil teachers there should be one pupil teacher for eveiy 4.6 certificated teachers; (2) that in schools of a l average of 35 two certificated teachers are not necessars ; (3) the institute recommends that two adult teachers be given wrren aveiage attendance reaches 46, (i) that in the case of schools with two adult "teachers the head of the school should be a male teacher, 3) in ail mixed schools with six or seven aduit teachers the secojid assistant shall be a male, and thereafter females be appointed; (6) in all mixed schools with eight adult teacheis tne second and third assistants shall be males, ard thereafter the positions shall be allotted to females.

Section B

"\JThe salaries paid to teachers under existing arrangements.— The tmef, peihaps the only, reason for a demand for a colonial ."system of payment arises from the fact that salanes ipaid to teachers 111 various districts diffei very considerably. In an official document laid before the commission it is stated that tlie average salary is £96.143 In this calculation is included all the pupil teachers of the colony. t This average gives no fair idea of the actual 'average salary pa.d to certificated teacheis. To group male and female teachers' salanes and strike an aveiage for each person engaged in teaching is just about as \alueless foi purposes of comparison. The committee of the institute has laboriously taken out the actual amounts paid to each teacher in the colon}', and the following figures may be taken to be approximately coirect. In doing this all schools with an average attendance under 14 have been excluded. The attendance at most of these schools stands at six and seven or eight and nine pupils, and obviously to pace these m the computation does not make a fin statement of a public school teacher's salary. These schools are really seim-private, provisional, 01 unclassified schools; not public ones. In the following table no account is taken of school residences, which are provided in most districts, but not 111 every case. In the case of Wellington it would appear that teachers were allowed} house allowances, which, may account for the_ high average 111 "Wellington. Ihc following are the figures — Male. Female. District. £ £ Auckland .. ». ,~ ,» 162 81 TaranaJn .. .. „ .. 141 01 Wellington .. jr. .. 205 98 Wanganui .. .. .. .. IGG 117 Hawke's Bay , 190 IU Kelson 142 84 Marlborough .. «, ». 147 90 Grey ,'., .. 151 34 Westland 168 86 North Canterbury .. .. IC9 91 South Canterbury .. .. 152 92 Otago 102 95 Southland 155 100 As may be 'seen from this tabular statement, the difference in the average salary as between small districts and large ones is not so great «s has often been stated. There are dispanties, however, winch, ought to be lemedied. The

causes are not far to <=eek. They aic, fu=t, o\er-staffing, which has alicfdy been lefeucd to, and, secondly, tlie existence of a large number of piovisional schools m =ome districts. The following gv\ c percentages of the schools under 15 in the distucts (the numbers 111 some cases are higher than this committee had any idea cf) —1111 11 the Xoith Island Auckland, 13 pel cent., Taranaki, 11, Wauganui, 7, Wellington, 17, Hawke's Bay, 11 In the South I-Jand: Otago, 13 per cent , North Canterbury, 0, South Canterbury, 7, Southland, 7, Grey, 31 , Kelson, 31, Wetland. 51, Marlboiough, 6*. The conclusion to be drawn from these figures is this that on am all-round colonial per capita ps*>ment of teachers some difference in salanes is me\itable so long as these schools eie to he tiea+cd ns public 11 =tituhons. =0 long ns the same per capita payment is gu-en to each district. One fact to be gathered fiom tins a\ erage table of salaries is the difference between pa>able to male and female teachers This is a matter that require- logical consideration. The average salary paid to' a male teachei is-, say, £H2, to the female. s ay , £3i. We ha\e a demand in same quarteis for an absolute equahtj Of pajment. This csn be carri-d out in one Of two wa\s. First, thf ax erage male teac^hei "5 salaiy ma\ be lecHued to £04, 01, the £-)56,000 paid for salanes must be mciea =ed to £156,000 Philosopheis may b» left to porder o\ ci the one alten ativ.^, "and nicmbus of Parliament o\er the other. A r - haviug fconic bearing on the relation between tlm salanes paid to males and females, the institute submits the following facts for the consideration of the commission. An examination of the roll of pupil teachers in Otago 111 1886 shows that of the males in the service 15 yesrs ago neaily 80 per cent, are now in the ranks of teachers, of the females on'y 20 per cent, are now in the profession. It would appear that with the great majority of young female teachers teaching is only a temporary for*--» of employment. There is no rea=on, however, why female teachers who do remain in the seivice should be underpaid. The institute is, of opinion that a female teacher in lesponsible positions should be paid at a higher rate than at present, and we do not appio\e of the decreases made under the new .scheme. The female assistants aie now reduced. This leads to the consideration of the mo=t important punciple of all m connection with teachers' salanes. The n.nount of the salary paid to all teachers -should depend on two things (a) efficiency and length of service, and (b) the average attendance To pay teach eis on a sjstem of average attendance only is not to recognise that a teacher njay do as good and efficient sen ice 111 a small school as in a largei one. To pay salanes exclusively on a basis of attendance is at best but a lough way of gauging the real work and woith of the teacher. The aveiage attendance is frequently due to encumstances ovei which the teachei has no control. The institute admits that it must be retained as one way of fixing salaries — as the one way of fixing the minimum salaiv. The institute hopes that the commission will not fix the salaries of the teacheia of the colony exclusively on a basis of aveiage attendance Tlip salary of a teaehei «hould also depend upon length of seivice and efficiency of seivice. Education Boaids have from time to time in various ways tned to modify the onesidedness of this principle of payment. It is admittedly an inequitable pnnciple. The institute is glad to find that undei the new scheme the pimciple of efficiency and length of seivice fil ds a place in uxmg the salary. A"y movement m tins dilCCtion of giving greater stability to salaries is a most important factox- in sectmng efHciencj of seivice. This principle is lecogmsed in other countries — e.g., Belgium, a country known 'to be in the first rank as a centre of educational activity and pi ogress. Sadler, in his repoi's on " Educational Subjects, writing on lecent legislation on elementaiy education in that couiitiy, states (pa-ge 266) "Xo teacher's salaiy shall be 1 educed dining his temue of office in any one commune " , and (v. page 267) " Each teachei shall receive an increment of 100 francs m his salary for each period of four jeais' servipp up to the limit of 603 francs m excess of the prescribed minimum." The principle of efficiency and length of service finds a place in the pioposed scale, but it seems to us that the pnnciple is misapplied. A reduction is proposed when the teachei's ceitmeate falls below^ that fixed for the position. This is an inversion of the priziciple An mciease should be given to teachers who hold a certificate hisrhei than that fixed by the department foi the minimum salery This would be an inducement to teachers to improve their professional status, and would gr"e substantial recognition to length of seivice aid efficiency, as no teacher can use to the highest division in his class unless he has sen ed 'at least eleven year's and gamed the highest maiks foi efficiency ftom the mspectois The effect of such a ruethod of fixing sa'snes would be to allow of teachers with higher certificates remaining in smaller schools, thus giving the country schools the b»?iefit of then scholarship ai,d experience It is a difficult thing to fix a living wage, but any country that pi of esses to appreciate popular education should be ashamed to ofifer a teacher 111 a recognised public school less than £iOO per annum. As to the ■salaries offered to those at the head of then piofession, it must be borne in mind that th's amount determines to a large extent the kind of men and women attracted to the profession , and this fact, too, must not be lost sight of that the Education department regiUations insist on a university training — il A. degree with honours — before the teacher is placed in the fh-t rank. The institute lecommends that an increment of, say, £10 per annum be paid for such lank above the minimum lank specified for the position The Effect 01 the Piopo=eJ Salanes on the

Teacheis of Otago

The fo'lownig [able shows appioxi.nately the effect of the proposed scheme —40 head masters and 77 females get an increase ICo male assistant gets an increase. The total amount of increase is £1771. Sixty-two head masters, say, 55 females, and 64 male assistants are decieased by s total of £2913. In other words, 117 persons have an increase and 161 suffer a leduction. In this computation the district hiph schools were omitted. The class of tfachers most mjuiiousl" affected are the mistresses 111 schools of 5O to 410 pud the male assistants The institute hopes that their position will receive the fa\ ourable consideration of the commission In Otago during the last few years quite a numbei of our as&istants have left the seivice If the new scheme is adopted many moie will leave the profession. ISTot only aie they leduced, but the leductioii is 111. many ca=e= so great that the institute cannot but express s'-mp'athy with them, and hope their position will be lecorsidered. The pioposal of the institute to place the .nale assistants on the staff as suggested m the fiist section of this repoit would improve their position, but not adequately. A yery serious reduction, too, takes place in the case of the hea-d masters of country schools where theie are two adult teachers, and in the case of female assistants m large schools The-<e cuses call for reconsideiation.

The Classification of Schools,

The pioposed scale provides for staffing schools up to an aveiage attendance of 1050. On this mattei the institute refers the co.nmission to a resolution passed by the Education Board some 3'eais ago that no school phould exceed 750 a\ erage attendance, on the giound that larger schools were not 111 the interests of efficiency, effccti\e =upeni-,ion, and the propei trauuns, oi hie pupil tejclieis. In cldiNiiil-

ing schools ai d (hawing a hail and fast lire between cie class and anotliei the nAeifgc attendance quota <-hould n-e sri.»dually, ai.d c o should the sa!aiv, 'o that „ -built u^p or fall it' the pttendan^e would not mateualh incieasc or decrease tho amount The Recommendations Contained in Sect. on B. 1 That till be computed on a ♦wotoHl ] Dasls —(a) A minimum -a'arA on a^ei.ige at tenc'arce ('■>> An mciement lor length of s<um^c and efhciencv. (c) A £10 anniril 'i.cicmeiit foi each rmik above I lie minimum lank -penned ■2 Tht't it is madvuab'e to ha\ r -' I ool« oi o\ er 750 3 That th" follovins; cla=scs ol tcachei- .uc scnoi'sly icduced under the proposed -calc — (a) Mistresses m schools ol tioin 30 to .'l5O ib) Hesid masters of fioru 50 to 350. (i) Fu-t male a-bistaots -aic lechucd 13 pei cent, (d) Second male assistants are icduced 3G pei cent .'c) Minor male assi-tants 22 pei cent, (ft Female assistants. Section C. It is not an easy matter to sa\ what steps should be taken to harn'oui^e conflictim; in teie^ts and opinions The ninre the institute coi -iders the subject the gieatei the difficulties seem to be. Piobably the commiss.'on will 1)3 of the same opinion beioip its Hbouis aie concluded The v ork is rendered all the more arduous by trying to face two difficulties at die and the same time the difficulty (a) ot classifying the schools, giadmg the teacher*, and starring the schools, and (b) the difficult} of adjusting salaries. Hie institute su^pe^t" that the starring and clas=if>irg the schools is a sufficienily wide subject of inquiry for the pipsent. There has been a piocess of different'ation going on in e\ery one of the 13 districts in the kind of school, type of school, and staffing of school, and going on foi a quaiCei of a centuiy; and it is no easy thing now to bring them into line. After a satiMactoiy scheme of staffing has been agieed upon, it will take some time before education boards could succeed in adjusting the staff, teacheis and pupil teachers, to the new conditions. The proper method of staffing the schools -hou'd be deteminicd fii=t. Aftei this hits been m faulv uniform line theie will be a better chance of putting the financial airangements on a permanent and satisfactory basis. A proper method of staffing the schools should be adopted, and education boaids asked to bring it into force as vacancies occur., The institute is of opinion that a beginning should ba made m attacking the salary question in the smallest school on the method recommended by the department. The large number of piovisional schools— schools under 15 — is a great source of financial weakness, especially m the small districts. The proposal to treat &.11 these schoo's under a separate vote of £5 per capita would rebe\e boards both m large and small distucts The department would be able to exeicise some contiol m legulatirg their number and at the =ame time make adequate pro\ lSion for educating th? families of settlers m out-of-the-way places. This piopo=al would leheve all the boaids, but especially the smaller districts, but this would not be =ufnricnt. The institute would suggest that iuit'l tho colonial staffing of the schools has been bi ought into opeiation Taianaki, Marlboiough, Giey, and Westland should have a higher ca2->itation allowance, say, £i 10s, for the purpose of bringing theu pslaries neaiei the colonial aye- . rage. This difference in late would laise the salaries of the lowest district to the a\ erage of the colony. This would be the fir=t step towards getting a satisfactory colonial scale of salaries. Any <-cheme that mpy be adopted would, of course, have to legard \ested and personal interests, and could only be introduced giadnally as vacancies anse and circumstances pcimit With these suggestions, the institute leaves the whole matter with confidence m the hands of mcaibeis of the commission

A large number of qiie°tions were put to Mr White, whose examination was, at 1 o'c'ock, adjourned till Monday.

Edgar Bastings, Oamaru gave evidence on behalf of the North Otago teacheis. They appioved of a colonial scheme, though they did not favour the first scheme presented, undei which, they held, the salaries of Otago teachers on the whole would suffer. They did not =cc that the staffing should be increased, as wps proposed, to the financial detriment of those already in the sei\ice. The staffing was not the trouble — it was the tremendously o\ eibmdened syllabus that required lightening There lmd been many reductions m tho salanes or Otago teachers of late years, with the result that 140 hcs'l teachers aiH fiist assistants had left the sci^re. Teachers would like to see salanes paid on a basis similar to that of the civil «ciMce, the teachers to be classified and paid according to c!as = ifi;ation. Once established on that basis a c uperamuiat!on scheme would become possible

George Macdonald, piesident of the Duredin bianch of the Otsgo Educational Institute, said hu wished to speak on the question of payment t-> teachers on a capitation bssis. The £4" capitatiou wafc not sufficient for the "Westland and some other boards, and con=eqtie?itly tho remaining fooaids must hive a certain amount deducted to make up for that deficiency. Their suggestion was that the weaker district* should got an incieased capitation. If there was a capitation payment the teachers held it was no' fail to make that payment on the average attendance. It should be by a block votp Xo other country or colony made the vote pei capna. The principle of conveying children to school might be extended, and thus veiy much sa\e the expense of education without impairing, but lather improving, its efficiency. On the Otago Peninsula theie weie 10 schools, wh.ch boemed to be a large number for the Peninsuli. Between Dunedin and Poit Chalireis, a distance of nine miles, with 22 trains passing daiiv, theie were three schools. There was no doubt too many of these schools weie being built. In Op mam there -were three a choo!s— Xorth, Middle, and South— where two schools would do veiy well Each would ha\e an attendance of about 500. The cential building could serve foi the Waitaki On Is' High School. At St Clan a =chool was built lately, while alongside of it there, was a school of 400 oi 500, which could have taken all the St Clan children. Theie were many cases of the same kind. "With regard to the block vote, he desired to =ay that teachers were doing perhaps more important work than any other department of the public sen ice, and they should be adequately i enumerated. Suielv a colony that boasted of a surplus, of half a million could spaie n lew thousands towaids the adequate remuneration of those who were doing impoitant service m the colony In answer to questions, Mr Macdonald said the Otago teacheis would like to see all the teachers of the colony raised up to the Otago level. Males and females did not do the same class of woik, except m the "jmallei schools. The institute did not favour oquahtv of payment foi equality of work in those cases, because they thought more encoiuagement should be given to the males, who lusually took up the woik as .i life work. Ovei a period of 15 years 80 per cent, of the males were in the scivice »•• the end of the peuod, while only 20 per cent of the females weie still in the service. Tlie institute appro\ed of the centiahsation of the inspectors. Some lady teachers m the small country schools were paid £70 a year, which was altogether too small. He did not consider the present system of appointing teachers was satisfactory In many ca-es the committees drl not have befoie tliem the necessary data upon winch to make an appointment Buttonholing wa« one o£ the l "o ewls of the pieaefii sistero.

M'-s J D Il(o>. l. ni'-tii--, Keii'ii "ton ?-■ lirn!, pio'c-tfj on In hi,! tM t'"c i.ifant mi — tic- =ps aea'i -t an 1 ii-lu. tioji ii

Iv iiii^-wei tv) qiu-^lirui 1 -, Miss Hoopei snd flic feiualf toathei- had i o i"hai cc of i-^-i ig to pi \th'ng higher thar £180 Die s< »mjkei < -, =alcwonun, «iid nullupi- weie paid licttei wayes than maiiN toat'iei- Ihe >' '-n \, pie Ih in" unfaiih i.eatid m scheme . Y o 1 weie )idii« n uch moil 1 f.Mil\ tieated in -theme Xo 2 Instead of «-iiirci iiisj a cku ease the-. >\ould i«fivc Jil i"Cifi-f Ii la^t nu~trt --O-- occupied as much ie- l 3or<-ibihi\ n. a "-chon! a-, the di-t mal" a'-i-lai't Ol 'OtU-i, it v.a-, m a dirr^icit v,w. If tiiP head ma-ter v oi" i'l Ihc ln-t nirile a^-istant won'd as-un 1 " hi- dut'e«- AM the li'oip ltvont method- in the infant-=c'.oo' m <-tr; i i.oi. -ka dcr'_a,tcn ai"l hai l»-oik ioqiuipcl a laiq r i staffing tl.nn h.id hi the ito been th ■ mc m Xpw Zealand schoolAt -i H l)m the cniiiui-s ou a'ljoii'ipd un».l tl-,,s iMoi da} ) moil ">ig

/l l i,i n T)\\ Mo:cd \y

1 iv Cc iiiim-^i jm mi Colonial bcule of ■ii'd Sa'aiiP-, or Pi'ljlic feaLinrs Iv "d il'eir It iirtn ntctin^ in Uuiicclni in the Kducation boaul buiidins .Tcttv sUeet, on Mondaj. at 10 am liU'i I JIP-h A. SV. Ho>g, -»IH.K uiiaiM.ian), \S D«\ 'd-on M. Ciilfeddei, M U R , b Luke, J bni'in, It. Hill, F. i.'. Lctlibnclue M h l! , 1\ H btcvvait, T. Mackenzie, Mll I"! . a-d T S "NVe&to.'. Mi <'„ Ho: Ijoi', insppf loiv'eiiri il, wa- in ,'t f e >cb me, .ts ",cll as a iiiu be) o' 'l'ooi tea* re 1 -

,\fl J JL ( 1,.pi11,< ' UlHf ilflt'll!" to t»l.dd 1 i-> c ji-ici<i ii \i r ' ■£— It w.' 5 ! agieecl to le cri o the °\ idfrco Hi wilting

Mr J. Sni ill, tchonim I'-tc, wioto «-t<itii g lii— \ifv-. oa \di oin matters irto which tlie comiiiit-ioii is ioi' inquiring — TJic lettei \sa' ricc:\ed.

Mi 1 --. Elizabeth AVitkin < -Ti, iCsj:c^p2itat"*e of tlie lei.iale assistants, said tl^cv had no de-=ne to teach a Fifth StaiKiaid md co I'mlli Stanilard wo-k. They deemed them-clves phv-;-caliy uiiut to cope jeai after ; ear with the d sciphne of 'uch a c!as<= They uerr satisfied that ik '•chools v, heie, say °ix adult tea-her-, were employed that the tir«t and second assistants should he male, ai,d that in schools nhere there weic sc\ck oi eight udult teacheiiho fiist thiee positions should be held by males In f i\irg a minimum '-alaiy certain fads <-hou!d bf> taken mtc co isjdei&lio-i— viz., perio 1 of apprenticeship, additional penotl of lianiing in th° rol'ege, ic-ponsib.Mv attached to then work, late of piomotioi'. and ihc digaity incumbent on the pio f es«»:on Undei the 1 iopo=cd "cheme £80 was the fixed minimum ioi lemale j«Si°tants. Th^t was n haidfhip undei any circumstances, biu the moi c so as t!,e late of piomotion was so veiy slow, and te.ichers filling fiose positions weie compelled tc loinJin in them for an indefinite penod — 10 oi 12 >p,ir<s. The good \acannes were few .ii. a frii br^v. ecu, io that their exDene ice. ser- \ ice, a:id efficiei cy weft for aothirg, inasmuch as t!>e_\ received no tipgib'e lewaid. Mail) holdms £S0 posit. ors \. eie tcacheis who had ei\ni efficient service m the coupUv, and had come to to-, n m food i.uth thiukrig that they \\eie leccr ing piomot'Ci. but as ;■ n.ai'er of fact ai.cr i j ear c- t'\o the}- °iiftc-red a lednc-tio-i urdei t'-e Otago scale fiom £113 to £d 5 Undei the proposed scale they wou;d- suffer a still lurther icduction flora £95 to £ Q O. On behalf of the assistant female teachers she vould recommend that £100 be fired as the nvumum 'alaiy for any certificat"d iemale toacl.oi. whether she might be in a s> hcol O 1 TJ c. o.ei. r lhey fiirt'iei lecommenucl that 10 ;>-.o teachers m one school should iecer.e the s-ame pajmei-it, but that the gradation of snlaijes phould be by fair mcienicnt a , so that efhcie/cv and length, c." service would he du'y recos;ni=cd In the majority of cases the obligation, of female tearheis we.c quite as great, if nol greater, thar tho c c. map ao^iotant-, cc.iside.ii a Ih*. hm.led means at then disposa' — not tint the*' would ad\ocate equal pay fot- cquil woik foj pi a society ccntt. tinted as thens vas ili?\ hsd t ; ie ton.inon sense to rc-.-cjrni-e Ihnt that would be det'imental to their n.terpsts All they v, i > ter! wa=i a,i adequate icniui.eration foi the \iui'.. done, which was ol no n.can o Jer.

Mr C Young;, one of llit iPiT-p-pnUitives of the Educaboi al Institute, <-ji>i he wished to speak on the staffing o> •hIt"!-' Though agreeing on the whole with 'J p <-t e fT- of thp bchools a«, given m the p<c>nb«-od --caie. fai as adult teachers we>s concernc"!, jet the anangements might be ciniei tied n. a few paiticulais In his lemaiks n v.as tlie mi^ed schools he would leicr to. >\i-rly, iv <-t IjooK with two adutts the head tiruh°i «-l'ould be a male, and the othei teachei a iems'e the I'ifant nnstrps= Secondly, in sthnol- with ip'ii adult teachers \250 pupils and o.ei) the fir^t assistant should It 1 a male One sieat wc-aknes- of tile scheme as outlined wa, tlie alternation of male and female assistants, which a 1 lowed tiie fust or thp second a'-M^tant to be a female. A female holding- the fiist position in schools ot this size would be req lined to teach a laige class of pupils m Standards IV, V, or VI, oi it might be of any tv,o combined. Though they knew that in a Jew cases tins work had been anu was row successfully done by a female, the strain was too gieat pbvsically and mentally. I'he boys of such a class were not generally amenable to female jurisdiction, and requned to be undei the charge of a master. Theiefore, m schools of four te.icheis the fiist as?,stant should be a male Moreover, in laiger schools of six adult teavheis (over 330 pupils) the second assistant was required to teach a laige class in one of the upper staiidaids, and for the same reason this uosition should be held by a male. In a school of 500 and upwaids such a teacher required to be a man of pioved ability in his piofes=ion, capable of commanding a large class and of such length of service as entitled him to be classed in tltf» second division. In Otago this position was universally held by men of from 12 to IS j ears' =ervice, men who were certainly entitled to a remuneration of mnie than £130 a yeai — the wages of unskilled labour in any other department of pioduction. Such a man was neaily always dr^wn from the rai.ka of the country teacheis, and was m all probability a married man, who should obtain at least a- salary pufficent to keep up his position as belonging to a dignified piofessiun. In the case of a school employing eight adult teachers (over 500 pupils) the classes were of such size as to necessitate an adult teachei to <=ach standard. As the tune of the head master was fully occupied in the management and suoeiiision of the school, the Sixth and Fifth Standards wero under the first and second male a-si?tants respectively, and as the managing of Standard IV (SO to 80 pupils) was too great for the capabilities of an a\eiage female assistant, the class lequued to be placed imdci a male assistant Tbeic-foic, m such schools the first, second, ai.d third assistants should be males. Such

tai aiiaiigement would place all tlie upper classes under the chaise of males, whilo the teaching of the lower classes would bo reserved lor females, who were better qualified for this kind ol work According to the pioposed scale the fir'-t male assistant in schools with a staff of eight adult teachers might be a man of only fi\e \eais' service, as shown by his lequnmg only aD3 certificate It gave a very fal*e idea oi the lequirements for such a position. Such a man should have had at least 15 or 16 yeais' expeueiice, and his classification should not be below division 2. The first male assistant should be a man of recogniaed ability as a teacher, a good disciplinarian, of sufficient literary attainments as to enable him to teach class X and the pupil teacheis, and able to take up the duties of the head master in the litter's absence wheue>%i igajiue^

Mr Aiil'ii- Mai 1 -', ill jtiii.did .- thf* 'c^iO <-c tihvv- of Ihc 11 -tili.'-c <fci o, i'k> a --,, , Units". 'Imp .■-l'-t'it-, lip - ' 1, hid i"v 'iir< u-'v rcmiivcc! vi o. k il . t tiii' mvm 1 urn si!.u\ ,"<>> any nr-ti' pi ;;.i;:ed in traclnmr -hci'ld bo £110 por HnMim He n'.tio'Td that in ,< <iv "-chool" tl pie ua- a r,,i>i \\ iih 16 v cm. - >-civ iee 1 wHo J.SO a >cai. 01 £1 1D« 'lid ptr vec-k. Tha lun.'ininu loi .' Kiiutlc a-- n,l should be j. l n(i. '1 1 r j-M-tant --hou'd "-el fi'in-liiilis or 'ne-i.tli- ot the s, t lai\ o; tlie head n.aste>.

C Si .pjtuii iep!f-f"t'iT_ Ihr a- = istants apaif) hem tie r.d'Katioiial !• -titu'", -'id that they Incl =li<.l|iK altered the 11111 nil 11a of Xllll { \p u o\ tlie 1 .'-Milt" Tiicv thought that; X n '2C »ai lov, enou-il They wc»e iiKh'.od 1.0 look much moie ia\ oui.'lj'v on the modification ("• iLe scheme than they did at hi-t They wo 10 led to believe now th.v .i-"i-tflnts v. ere nit lil e1 > to <-uftei any mneiial icductior. lie iv.< on lii-t and 'ecoi.d a-sistirts theitj sho' id be a firancil difference of £40, and I>ol\.ec:i =econd arc! thud a diffcicncc of £30. 'hide Hiouid be at least tl rco male a = 3istantsi in the -..iff 01 a hi ;o school He was -ati=In el with the scheme ;t f mo-ent existing 111 OU and did 1 ■01. de^uc a co'omal scale of -t^ffs and '.lUiie*. ll Mich a seal? wofo ,i.!opted the salaries of a — !-taiit 'eacheis 111 othei disincts shoiJd '.? 'e'el'cd uo to the OUco -i.ndard. He co lMcleit-d t ] < «\ t Wchera ill othei picviiicrs who weif voiK up ioi salamc- that wcip 'onor liu,n 1 1> 0 s 1 lanes paid 111 Otdgo weie working m, del a »n\ un'air -v =teiii

John Rp.J, :epic =ci U.icc the a- = i?t.. its hri'i in the ill ti l n*p and out-ide o> the li-a'iivte, said the 'tcond a,-istaiits had, iiiuUi the pio-po-cd -ci'e. the g.eitest liU'^en and the 2ieatesfc eric\ance T)ir\ v.r-rc to be icductd »«t only m salary, but .:i - a'i;s He \, i-lud to ki.cjif, urdci th^ scoiid sc'.^ii'p the =econd asiiatjnU weie to be levelled up A \oi = tht°i.ic t h?d b( en i, 11 ."!! ti.at tbo^ \. c.o rri t'i be I^vo'jpc! down hut <-tiM thpr° w<". a grave; doubt oKiOn^ 11ip second a oa is;taiit- that they vould be 'cm lied down. V.'hv, he woiild lika 131 3 know, had the assistants been <-m<;led out lor fcpev-ial pioniinence m th? way ot leduct.oils'' 1 \Va~ it because the.- had pimccly snlaries' A'- a matter of fact, the salaries «ero ar} thing but prmcch — the\ wei" poor. With legard to e::luu eous -^iibjpcts lie wished to say thf.t t'jev." weie coming into the school as fi=t a" 10^'Me They woio ro 1 < o"trnipl<i+ecl by the act or by the mspeclois, but they were, coming in one by one uih' the\ alnio=t 'ormect wait of the °vllabu«. He did not comnlam that the pjllaLus was overburdened "With crcrgj' a"d skill he believed the r\llal us could be got tlnough e\eiy veai, and he you'd not jidniif. that tlie assistants could rot in? -tor it. Tnu gie.it art of the aituie in school work, it vould be found, was the :irt c I dm wing children ironi one °chool to anotliei. Already the^e was tl;c bait of shcotiiig. tho bpit "f sv imining, the bait o da>icii g, a' n c' t . er attiactioiis.

Ii 1 a'lSft." o ques.iors jJi Pteicl c iid v aiich a scale as l!io one proposed wa. biou^ht in liiniiy of ihp r "-si»ta its wou'd le.i\e tl " ""-vice. J)ahcing w.n taught in hi- Union "■t'Pct — v hen ho »\cnt t'icip ii'-t, n;il a teacher and two ';ui)'l ttaeheis wie rxnpc-pd to '-tay there till 5 o'clock to tci^h tlu bo_, - a.: d gitTa ("ancirc.

fienrv Hanawpv, Clmuna'i c' the Otaso Kducation Board '-ugsp-ttd t'u.'t e\ erv candidate tor the profe'^ioi should b° calle'l upon (t piod'ic? a nu'd.tn l rei'i'iCT^o Tro \eara :ii,o the Ot,igo Board dec.cied to ancl's'a the l<i:i'i s-\ --icru \\lik'i necc-^it |te<i p i ?\ o' -rtlsrio- He was one oi the rommitW who \.ent into Vac mister. Tjuy tiled to foniiulate a c cheme t'm' uouicl be acce'tiolo 1o the tcacheis. ard \\ it'i.n the ireans oi the board, a'ld the to.vl'fis ficcpplet! it s = fairly v>tisoii- ' bio ceiT-.rlen'iQ ih" cut un.=tartcc or tho ho.pel. Lt v, 1 -. looked oil, ho.en, ;. <- on'y a 1 .npo.j.,- t, jjp Tl'c bn ird -til felt that tliCie wpic -rxei.'l c a« -i« of ,t~ icachers wlio i.eie uijili-ixdici He thondit the Icacliers in. the lai_ei schools had little to complain of. lie did rot think the c c!to!s with an a\ erase fattendnnce of undo, 51 wcic Uiidei -staffed. The mspeciois' ropo^s sj^owed lhat (he v.ork m those schools was fnah «el' do^e. If relief veic needed ii mv of th^-e -c.ic il- tje numbs" oi subjects i;i the u _.liabu- ' I ou'rl be reduced. Hp did not agicp wth ti'" -Uige-foii to i«rii oc the s;jia!ie=i ol the i>i t'.e .i = -'Stants If tiie '-AiATie* v Pie ieuu"td s-ome o! the bcit teacher^ in tne spr\ n_e woa.d !)•■> duven out. It v.as sisngc jtoJ that v. on:pn sLou'd be head teacheij of -.Ll.nol 0 , with r. liialc cis-isa-it under tni'in lie i-iitiu'j dis.i£ric=cl w+ li that. Tho Chaiiman That will be altered, I suppose, ill Hoprben ' M^i HosrbeM 111 1 is oi- iiuo.i-equr * point in the scheme Mi HcUrawv}, cort'i viii o , ea d t-iat v hi'O Otigo could caii\ o.i v,.'h a capUat'on of £4 a head the snial'er Jisti'icls ccu'.d not. do -o. The-e districts fehou'cl b-> gia-ited extra assistance He a! = o spohe rgair.st the spndmgc of female teachers to nvt-of-tlic-v. ay places where they weie conujpllod to h\c in houses, by themselves, far rfinc\ed fiom neighbours. The dangers to a girl pls.'td ir such a position he would leave the comniis-Sion to imagiae. Ho suggested that the Uuar<.y clcu^eb ol fie acfa u hruld be made more stungent. Replying to questions, Mr Ha^rav. ay sa^ct he considered that some of the leig-c schools were under-stuffed. He was not in favour ot centralising. He did not considei that th« quest'on of a policeman cominc; m loweiecl thr dignity of schools. He would like to see powei given to the police to go into the schooL to ascertain for themselves from the ioi! tha names ot the children who weie not attending: school. He ■-aw no reason why tearheis shoulcl not b° unifoim'y paid thioughoat New Zealand, but they =hou!d still be under the cortiol of their respectn c boards He thought teacheis were safer in the hands oi the boards than m the hands of the central c'epaitment. II? thought a colonial sra'e of =alai'fs wru'd bung about a lei. elhng clown a^ fai as OtagQ was concerned.

Andrew Da\ idson, speaking on behalf of the masteis of small schools, objected to the staffing of such schools on the a'^ erage attendance. His own a\ erage attendance was 44, but ho was almost daily teaching 4S or 50 children. He thought a mistiess should be sent to tho school when the average attendance was 44 or 45. He thought the salanes paid to the countiy teachers were not suffic it-nt

In answer to question?, Mr Dand'on sa cC hp now lecened £IGO a yeai arc! a hou-e, but he considered that, in his position, he was entitled to £180 and a house.

W S Fitzgerald, inspector, said the nispectois thought that specific payments should! b^ made foi specific woik, such a^ for the tuition of pupil teacheis. The payment should! be made di'ect to the head master for his) tuitioK Many of the pupil teachers received) much of their tuition at the university, but no deduction was made on that account fiorry the amount allowed to the head master. Then] the pupil teacheis were well worthy of tha money they lecened for their work, and they) were worthy of a little moie. There ou^ht toJ be a hbeial allowance made to training colleges on behalf of the pupil teachers who had done fcui yeaib' in schools He didl not wish it to go abroad that pupil teachers did only what had been called mechanical work They had many kinds of lesponsible/ «.-ork. He hoped the commission would nofj go away with the impression that the pupil teachers simply went irom loom to room mark-t

WOLFE'S SCHNAPPS pcssc**e- pecul.aC

ing exercises. The sympathies of the inspectors were with the teachers as a body, but they were strongly with the country teachers, and so, m their leport, the inspectors advocated as strongly as they possibly could that Home consideration should be paid to_ the country teachers 111 this respect A teacher was capable of teaching secondary subjects. He had pupils ready and anxious to leceive tuition m these. In "the country districts the teacher frequently gave such tuition, but he received no consideration for it. He also spoke of the advisability of conveying children to schools in sparsely populated districts. It would be (helpful m many districts, and would prevent the establishment of a large number of new Bcliools.

Mr Davidson • Do you think the Otago Bchools are now adequately staffed •" — I think some of our schools would be improved 111 efficiency by additions to the staff. Do you consider that the amended scheme will remove the present defects 111 the Otago schools 9 — So far as I have gone through that scheme I think it will go far towards ths>t. In answer to the Chairman, Mr Fitzgerald eaid he behe\ed that the Education Board, With all the information at its disposal, was tetter capable of selecting the men best fitted for an appointment than the local school committee. He would not object to the committee having power to give leasons, if they had any, for not wishing to have that teacher. The canvassing for positions was an evil, and if it could be put a stoD to it would be an linniense benefit He did not think that m New Zealand the central department was in a position to accurately judge of the qualifications of teachers and of the necessities of special schools. Ths Education Board could as yet do that much more accurately and effectively. This couclttded the evidence called by the commission, and the chairman expressed the opinion that some very valuable information had been obtained m Dunedm. The.siltm&t of the commission closed shoitiv befoie 6 o'clock.

Average Atteiidar. cc. ' 75 to iou 100 to 150 150 to 175 175 to 225 225 to 250 250 to 300 .500 to 330 330 to 390 390 lo 420 420 to 480 480 to 510 510 to 570 570 to 600 600 to 6M> 660 to 600 690 to 750 750 to 7SO Adults. 3 3 4 4 5 5 U G 7 7 8 S 9 'J 10 10 Pupil Teachers. 1 1 2 3 :s 2 3 ;? 4 4 5 5 6