The School Book Boycott.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6145, 18 August 1891, Page 4

The School Book Boycott.

The Dunedin Star of the 10th states : — Afc Friday's meeting of the Southland Education Board Dr. Hodgkinson moved : *VK.esol?ed, with reference to a resolution passed by the Clifton School Committee on June Ist at the instigation of Mr J. W. Kelly, M.HR, secretaiy to the Southland Trades and Labor Union, for the purpose of boycotting Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs' school books and drawing cards,, as reported in the Southland Daily News of June Otb, and also with reference to a similar resolution passed by the Itivercargill South School Committee on June 11th, and reported in the Daily News of June 13th, that the Board do inform these two School Committees that in passing such resolutions •they have exceeded their powers, mas.- . much as the law provides that the books mid-school .requisites to be used in the public fichooJs sTmU'bo §uch as .ire authorised by the Governor-in-Council and j selected by the Education Board — nofe by the school committee. That whereas the public school committees wore constituted for the purpose of co-operating in tlio patriotic and beneh'cienb work of training up the youth of the colony to become intelligent., industrious, and law - abiding citizens, the liuard very much regret that any public school committee should have been so unfaithful to the trust committed to them as to have endeavored to abuse their power with Hie illegal and immoral intent of boycotting the goods of any citizen carrying on his business in accordance with, and under the protection of, the law. That the headteachers of the two above-mentioned schools be informed that as regards books and school requisites to bo used, ihey ure to act upon instructions given by the Education Board, not by the School Committee." The resolution was discussed at length, the feeling of the majority of members being that, though the Committee had acted injudiciously, their action did not merit the language contained in the motion. Evontually tho resolution was negatived.

A provincial paper, announcing the opening of a new cemetery, says : "Mr Winldiis had the pleasure* of being the first individual buried there" A Kensington man is said to bo making a handsome livinsc by advertising for a wife, aud requiring nil applicants to enclose stamps for reply. Mis lettots have to be sent up in a wheelbarrow. For gome time past the Rev. Mr Coftby, incumbent of Sb. Mark's Church, Wellington,- has complained of the poor attendance of a small portion of the congregation afe the service on Sunday mornings, and being informed that it was owing to the Bprmons being too long, he aunouueed that on Sunday nighfc, that rather than lob a matter of five minutes stand between him and the people, he will for the next three months cut down his morning sermons to just a quarter of an hour. Anew feature has lately been added fo the death notices appearing in the Times and other English papers. One frequently Sees, now the notification "No flowers," or 'f.iNo flowers by request." Tliis looks (say: the Christchnrch Press) as if the custom of sending mortuary wreaths were bei.qg overdone in England as well as in America, where what should be a simple and pleasing method of showing sympathy with the survivors and respect for the - dead has degenerated into a hideous display of extravagance and ostentation. It is greatly to be regretted that a kindly custom like Ihia cannot bo observed without being abused.