The Agricultural Conference ami Technical Education.

Otago Witness, Issue 2520, 2 July 1902, Page 18

The Agricultural Conference ami Technical Education.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, — I ha\e been both interested and gratified in reading the report of tl-e discussion yesterday at the Agricultural Conference on technical educatiou — interested to see that the farmers of the colony are waking up to tlie fact that a sound system of education demands that in non-essential" the subjects of t-tudy fehould be differentiated in town and country schools ; gratified t<> find from the remarks of at least two prominent bpeakcrs that when Lamentations are required on the alleged deficiencies of colonial children and teachers theia will be no need to import Jeremiah-'.

Of late years we have grown so accustomed to accepting -without demur tho opinions of tcientific men that we are in danger of forgetting that e\perts in any particular department of know ledge may be absolutely unreliable as guides in other directions, and to my mind tho speeches of Mr Gilruth and Dr King are instances in point. Exaggerated statement? such k» : — "' His experience went to thou that tlie average New Zealand boy was absolutely ignorant of the majority of tho plants growing at the school door, not knowing a hingle name of one of them. He might know the source of the Ganges was in the Himala}-as, but lie could not give the name of any plant barring an ordinary bluc«um " — made by Mr Gilruth need no comment and carry their own refutation. Dedcribing what he saw in a French school, Ihe same speaker says that the teacher did not teach elementary agriculture '" out of a book and ram it down the throats of the children." From this one can only surmise that Mr Gilruth implies that the. " ramming-down-the-thioat"' method — whatever it may be — is the one in vogue in New Zealand schools. As lam told that impatient veterinary surgeons sometimes adminifcter boluses in that rough-and-ready fashion, it is possible that in speaking thus Mr Gilruth got slightly mixed, and ascribed to the teachc-is

of the primary schools the methods occasionally practiced by his own subordinates. It may be news to the gentlemen attending the conference to learn that a full account of the system of elementary instruction in agriculture that Mr Gilruth speaks of having seen in operation in France was issued to the teachers of the colony in pamphlet form more than two years ago.

With Dr King's statement, " that the primary facta and forces of the world wero, for the most part, loft out of account in the ordinary school conic ulum," and much more to tlie same effect, I also join issue. If tho doctor wishes any \ahie to attach to his opinions on f his matter he f-hould furnish tlie names of tho primary schools iv the pro-> incrf that he has vi»ite-cl and a note of the time '■pent in each

To teachers the last it port of the in-!-pcetor-> to the Otago Bcaul is not a particularly inspiriting commc-ntaiy — rather the contrary; — but if any one of there gentleiren supports tlie opinions and exaggerations of citlier Mr Gilruth or Dr King I shall be very much i-urpn^ed Our education byntem is far fiom perfect, our syllabus il.i 1 . very much overloaded, and possibly neither children nor teachers are all that one could wish; but that tlie children are such donkeys and the teachers fucli incompetent muffs as tho speakers at the Agricultural Conference would make them out I indignantly deny. I would commend to the « on^idcration of the members of the* conference the following extracts from tiie instructions issued to French teachers by the Minister of Public Instruction for France: —

As a matter of fact, it is only by putting before the children's eyes the phenomena to bo observed that they can hi taught to observe, and that the principles winch underlie the Fcience of modern agriculture can be instilled into their minds. It i-.hould be remembered that tins can be done for the nna! agriculturist only at school, where it will never ho necessary to teach him the details which his father knows better than the teacher, and which lie will be certain to learn from Ins own practical experience.

The work of the elementary s-chool fhould be confined to preparing the chrd "Tor an intelligent apprentice3h'p. to the tiade by which he hds to live, and to giving him a taste for his fntuic occupation. With thi* m view, the teacher should never forgft that tlie best way to make a workma.i l'kc ins work is to make him understand it.

To ium up The a.m of elementary instruction in agnculUue is to initiate the bulk of our rountrj children aitj that degree of elementary knowledge winch i* iiece^ c ary U> enable them to read a modern bo<->k o>i agricultuie with profit, or to deme advantage Irom attending an agriculture conference , to inspire them with a love of country life, ?o that they may prefer it to that of towns and faetones; and to convince them of the fact that agriculture, besides beiug the mo^t independent of all means of livelihood, :s ulso more remunerative than many other occupations io those who practise it with industry, intelligence. pr.d enlightenment.

With your permission, Sir, I bhall take another' opportunity of referring to education in Now Zealand, meanwhile, — I am, etc.,

Moderation.

WOLFE'S SCHNAPPS a perfect spirit Absolutely pure.

Rabbit- i rappers' Co-Operative Society. TO THE EDITOR.

Sib, — I have read with much interest a, letter which appears in your issue of the i 16th inst. under Ihd heading " Rabbit-trap-pers' Co-operative Freezing and Export Company," and must say that 1 agree to a great extent with/ " Trapper " in his various contentions. However, as a fairly large landowner, I view the subject ho writes upon from a fairly different etandI point, and, if you will permit me space, i should like to express my ideas regarding ! the matter. I think that it might fairly be I conceded that the trappei-3 would effect a ' material saving in the co.st of selling their rabbit 3 in London by supporting their own company and dispensing with a multiplicity of plant and other expensed neccseaiy for the conduct of their bu&ineEs when carried on by numerous firms as at present. But the question is, How would tho establishment of a rabbit-trappera' co-operative company affect the landowner^ ? lam inclined to think that we would benefit by it in the matter of having the rabbits kept down. Provided" that the trappers wero receiving higher price 3 for their rabbits, 1 think it would have the effect of inducing men to trap many blocks of land that they won't look at at piesp-nt rates. Furthermore, I believe that the men would work for a 1 ! they wero worth for as long a period as they could in the teasou if prices wcre> higher, instead of waiting on until about Juiip, when expojtors are compelled to pay higher rates on account of tho 1 higher value of the "kins-. I know from my own experience that the men will not exert themselves to keep down tho rabbits during many months of tho year, simply because the skins Vron't pay them until towards June, and tno exporters of the carcase won't give them, more than about 4£d per pair for rabbits until they run the risk of losing them by the trappers electing to skin. For my own part, I don't grudge the trapper what he can make, as I know that his work is hard and his day of labour long, also that he has to put up with many discomforts : in fact, if he were enabled to make a fortune out of his toil, I won't complain so long as he keeps the rabbits in check. And what could be a greater inducement for him to do this than the knowledge that he will be well paid? If the establishment of a rabbiters* co-operative company that would leturn trappers big prices for their catches v. ill induce the men already tiapping to work harder, and, further, cause their ranks to be augmented by a !ot~of the unemployed labour in towns, then I say. let the proposed company be brought into being. The sooner the better ; for I believe the more profitable trapping becomes to the men the more readily arc wo likely to tho pioblcm of how to keen under contiol tha rabbit pest. It appears to me that -.vhen I see rabbit-) quoted at such prices as 2d and lOd each in London, one> thing is certain:; there must be a big leakage occurring somewhere, c-.nd the trapper is justified in expecting moie than tlie comparatively low prices he r^ceivoa si pre-eut — viz.. 5d per pair, OB 6d at the outeido. — I am, etc..

HUI-iHOLOEB*