Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7657, 16 June 1896, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING

GISBORNE, TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 1896. TECHNICAL EDUCATION. We are glad to observe that interest is being revived in the subject of teohnical education in this district. It has long been Giaborne's boast that she is in the van in matters educational, and the boast has to a great extent been justified by the high standard of teaching and excellent results maintained at our local schools, Then too, in the matter of secondary education, we have been setting an example to the rest ot the colony with our District High School, and when the proposal to establish a high school was being discussed at Hawera the other day the success of the Gisborne experiment was referred to, So that it would bo well if in the matter of technical education, also, we do not lag behind. The utility of such instruction is testified to by our correspondent, Mr Wallace Good, and we should say no ono is better qualified to express an opinion than he, who has personally expfiiionced the benefits of technical training in his craft. As to the practicability of starting classes in Gisborne Mr DoLautour will no doubt be in a position to speak, with the information which ho has obtained in Wellington, and probably when further interest has been awakened in the subject we shall hear more from him about it. The question of technical education, we notice, haß been exercising the minds of the people of Christchurch recently. Only a few days ago the North Canterbury Education Board held a conference with the school committees and teachers of the district, at which the importance of manual and technical instruction was fully recognised, but as to how it was to bo imparted there was no agreement of opinions. It was generally agreed, however, that the amount voted by the Government, £2000, is far two small, and that the Act will come short in affording assistance to technical schools in the large centres. For instance, it was pointed out that the School of Domestic Instruction, which has been doing excellent work in Cbristchurch, giving lessons in cookery, dressmaking and laundry work to 100 young women, haß hitherto received £1 for £1 subsidy on fees and contributions, so that last financial yoar it received £132 This year under the capitation allowance of the Act it will only receive a paltry i'3s or £40. It was mentioned at the meeting that the members of the Ashburton school committee are enthusiasts in the matter of technical education and that the boys and girls at that school have been taught carpentery and cooking, respectively, with very satisfactory results, but they were hampered for want of a suitable class room. Not the least interesting feature of the valuable report on the school systems of Australia, presented by Mr H. Hill to the Hawke's Bay Education Board, was his reference to technical instruction. Mr Hill says that nothing he saw in Australia made a greater impression on his mind than the work that is being done at the Working Men's College, Melbourne, and the Sydney Technological College. The former was established mainly through the munificence of the late Hon. sb\ Ormond, M.L.G , who at various times gave large sums of money towards the erection of the buildiugs which have been provided at a coßt of about £50,000. The Technological College in Sydney was erected by the Government at a cost of more than £60,000, whilst a Technological Museum has been added at an additional cost of £20,000. These institutions have been founded to facilitate the attainment of a knowledge of handicrafts, arts, sciences, and languages by the people in each colony. The buildings contain class rooms for teaching purposes, a ehemieal laboratory, workshops, and foundry, and any person is entitled to join as a member on payment of certain fees. The sub^actß taught are numerous, and for convenience may be classed under the following groups : — 1. Agricultural aud pastoral group, including agriculture, wool-classing, sorting, and veterinary science, 2. Art group, including drawing, modelling, and painting, 3. Science group, including subjects such as ohemistry, geology, physiology. 4. Professional and trades group, such as architecture, carpentry, joinery, carving, j fitting and turning, blacksmithing, plumbing, pharmacy, lithography, photography, aud many others. 5. Domeßtic group, including -cookery, dress cutting, and dressmaking. 0. Commercial and literary group, including book-keeping, shorthand, English, French, German, and Latin. Classes for instruction under each group are carried on during the year by practical teachers and the popularity of them may bo estimated by the tact that between two and three thousand students are enrolled eaoh year as students at each college. All tho students being trained as teachers have to undergo a conrse of instruction at tho Sydney Technical College, and the lads belonging to the high schools and public schools are expected to go through a three years' course It is also mentioned in tho report that in the syllabus of instruction for pupils in the fifth or highest class at the public schools in New South Wales cooking is named as one of the subjects for the girls During one of his visits to the Fort street school Mr Hill had a pleasant experience in seeing how this subject is taught. The pupilß were being given instruction how to provide a tasty dinner for 2-i persons from a variety of ingredients, and ho was invited to partake of the good tilings which were served up. Tho girls having cooked tho meal are permitted to make their dinner of it on payment of one penny, whilst teachers may also have dinner at the Bchool for sixpence a meal. Mr Hill concludes his report with these pregnant remarks : — " I went through each college during the progress of the classes, and it was there 1 saw the greatest hope and, promise in the education of Australia. To see young men spending their time in the pursuit of some art or science which will make them better fulfil their duties as men and citizens, and young women gaining experience and knowledge of things which will help them tq become better women and housewives, is a/picture sufficient to bring up bright visions of the future. My only regret is that we in New Zealand have not yet come to realise the great fact that technical education is a reality and a power for good. Fur many years I have preached " adaptive education " tor the schools, with kindergarten training for the young ones. What I have seen in Australia, though so briefly outlinod here, has shown mo that the modern school of to-day must teach the children to anticipate to-morrow. Tho dead past must give place to tho needful present, and Bubjucls now taught in the schools of secondary importance must be replaced by training of a practical aud anticipatory kind. Ho'vv' this can be done it is not necessary to point out here, but that it can be done and ought to be done lam fully convinced. This conviotion is the outcome of my visit to the Technical Colleges which are doing such great work for the future of Melbourne and Sydney." The Borough Council meets this evening at 7.30. Prophetic. Mr Ward'o recent singing, at a bauquet, of the comic song, " There's Bound to be a Row." According to tho N.Z. Times another large company in Southland ia in financial difficulties. The P.B. Farmers' Association advertise 1800 sheep for their sale on the 17 h inst., instead of the number erroneously stated yesterday.

A Domestic Servants' Half-holiday Bill has been given notice of by Mr J. W. Kelly. The Inebriate Homes Bill (Mr Joyce) is an old friend. The National Dairy Union is asking Government to send Mr J. B. MacEwan to Eugland at the end of the season to make enquiries and report to the next annual Dairy Conference.' Mrs Caro, surgeon dentist of Napier, notifies that she will visit Gieborne on the 28th inst., and may be consulted as usual at her surgery in the Masonic hotel for one week only. The Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Messrß Williams and Kettle, G. R. Wyllie, and the P.B Farmers' Co-oporative Association hold their stock sales at the Matawhero yards to-morrow. A sacred concert is to be held at the Makauri schoolroom on Thursday evening, with the object of providing funds for lighting and hymn books for the Sunday evening services, which are held in the schoolroom. A number of town friends have promised to assist, and a brake leaves town at 6.45. A party of men who have been prospecting for gold in the ranges about 30 miles from town came across some stone showing colour and a ton has been forwarded to the Bank of New Zealand at Auukjand for treatment. The result of that was 3dwts of gold and 4ounces of silver. The gold was valued at £4 an ounce and the silver at 2s an ounce, thus giving a return of mineral to the value of £1 pur ton. The stone was found loose, and the men are at present prospecting for the reef. The annual general meeting of the Poverty Bay Farmers Co-operative Association (Ltd) was held at the rooms of the Company on Saturday last, when (we are informed) there was a fair attendance of shareholders. The report of the directors and balance-sheet were adopted upon the proposition of the Chairman, seconded by Mr Whinray. — The Chairman explained that the small profit was due to the Bale prices of goods having been greatly reduced. — Mr Whinray deprecated the reduction in prices, and urged that the Association charge in future a fair rate of profit.— Messrs F. Hall, P. Barker, J. A. Hardiug, George Slevenson, A. Wethered, .7. Price, T. W. Bilham, and J. Henderson were appointed directors for the ensuing year. Mr H. McKay was appointed auditor. A vote of thanks to the directors and staff terminated the meeting. There has been more trouble in connec tion with the M'Kenzie Special Settle- ' mont Association than with any other Association in the Wellington district. The land taken up ia situated between Eketahuna and Pahiatua, mostly on both sides of the main road, and is of excellent quality. Strange to say, although taken up four years ago, and in such a locality as to allow of close settlement, very few of the selectors are residing on their land. Discussing the Ward disclosures, the H.B. Herald's Parliamentary reporter writes : — "Whatever happens the opinion of several Ministerialists is that the whole affair will do more to injure the present Government throughout the colony than all the Opposition can allege regarding them, especially after the serious charges made against the Treasurer last year over his famous London speech on the three millions of securities, and greater anxiety than ever will be displayed to ascertain the real condition of the public accounts of the colony." There was a large attendance at the Mutual Improvement Society last night to listen to a lecture by the Rev. H. Williams on " The Fourth Dimension, or Other Worlds." Mr R, Johnston occupied the chair. The lecturer illustrated his lecture by diagrams on a blackboard, and was listened to attentively throughout. The lecturer dealt with the possibility of there being other worlds than our own peopled by individuals differently constituted to ourselves. A vote of thanks was carried on the motion of Mr Jones, seconded by Mr Somerville. In reference to the dispute over the bricklaying at the Hawera Courthouse, which we referred to in a previous issue, the Hawera Star hears that the Public Works Department on reconsideration has made the bricklayers an offer to pay for openings below a certain area, and to meet them in respect of their loss on the Post Office brickwork. It is eSfpected that this will result in the men returning to work. In the Invorcargill Supreme Court Linton and wife sued the Mataura Dairy Factory Company for L 750 damages for dismissal from the position of cheesemakers under a three years' contract, which had not then commenced, on the grounds that defendants assumed that the intemperate habits of Linton were likely to affect the quality of tha output. The jury gave a verdict for plaintiffs for E350, and for defendants for L 27 on a counter claim of L7O for loss sustained by the company on cheese madoby Linton under a previous contract. | A cry from Armenia has been published iv the Dunedin papers, and in response to an appeal by Mr James Adams the sum of £15 has already been forwarded from that city for the relief of this distressed people. Large sums are also being colleoted in England and other colonies. Mr Adams, writing to the Rev. Mr Ryburn, says: — "We are proud of the Scottish martyrs who sealed their testimony with their blood. But the Scotch martyrs are a mere drop compared with the hundred thousand martyrs who, during the past year, have piveu up life rather than deny their Lord and Master and take the False Prophet in His place. lam amazed at the indifference of Christian people here to the awful sufferings of the Armenians." The letter proceeds to give just one small instance of the unspeakable horrors which aro being practised in Armenia, telling how 50 maidens were torn from their families, which were massacred, and after intense tortures by the Turkish soldiers were fasttened in wooden huts, which were set on fire. The fiendish soldiers stood round the blazing huts jeering at the frantic efforts of the doomed maidens to escape from the flames, until all was over and nothing remained but their charred bodies. Mr Ryburn desires us to state that he will gladly receive any local subscriptions for the aid of the Armenians, thousands of whom have been robbed of their homes, and aro without food and clothing.