Page 3 Advertisements Column 2

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7286, 14 August 1893, Page 3

J In this quarter our farmer? when prevented from working their lands by rain, can only go out and shoot hares. In some of the Collirgsvood districts, Warden Heap reports ( farmers in slack times turn gold diggers on their own farms and so add appreciably to their incomes The following passage from a report on a Native eohool in the far north, throws a glint of light upon Native manners :—" Altogether the school is a great surprise to a visitor who sees how very Maori the place is, and con- I eequently also expects to see something par. tioularly unmethodical and untidy.” In his speech on Sir Bobert Stout’s Lioen* sing Bill, Mr Fish drew attention to the fact that during the present season the brewers had purchased 600,000 bushels of barley at 4s per bushel, amountiog to £IOO,OOO, and for hops grown in the country the sum of £35,000 had been expended. The hon. gentleman said that if Sir Robert’s Bill was carried in all probability these two interests would be wiped out.

Mrs Foster and a few of her pupils gave a 3 pianoforte and vocal recital on Saturday 3 afternoon in Mrs Beswick’s schoolroom. Mrs Foster played a rondo on “ Swedish Airs ’’ ’ and sang Lotti's " Pur Bioesti” and Sir Sterndale Bonnet’s “ May Dow.” The other principal items given by pupils were Chopin’s ” Waltz No. 2, Op. 34t ” ; Schumann’s “ No. velleten ” No. 1 ; Blumonthal’s “ Les Deux Angos ” ; and a Gaelic air " Ho ! Bo ! My Nut Brown Maid,” harmonised for part singing by Mra Foster. Songs and duets were also given. Mrs Foster was assisted by Miss Violet Scaly, Misses L. and E, Mendelson, Misses L, and O. Hassell, Mies Chisholm, and Miss H. Sealy, The friends and parents of pupils present, about 50 in number, expressed themselves as having greatly enjoyed the programme throughout. A special telegram to the Dunedin Star says that the breach between Sir E. Stout end Mr Soddon has widened perceptibly of late> and is it now a question as to how long the latter can “hold the fort.” Experienced parliamentarians think that the Leader of the Opposition will agree to meet Sir Pobert half-way, and that the outcome will be a coalition Government, which will include the member for Inangahua, Captain Bussell, Mr Mitchelson, and probably Mr Ward and Mr John M'Kenzie. Such a Ministry would be | I a strong one, and would probably prove acceptable to the House. Personally, how. ever, 1 do not expect to see any change of ; Ministry till after the General Election, though many astute politicians incline to think that it will come about before then. I Messrs Ballantyne and Co. have a special i advertisement in this evening’s issue.

i A Native school in the North Island was last year examined under unusual conditions. An official report says :—" Both master and mistress were laid up with typhoid fever, j With some difficulty the school children were ; got together, and the examination was held {ln all 44 pupils were examined. Two or ) throe of the children who were hardly up to | the mark were allowed to pass, because there was reason to believe that the fever from which they bad just recovered was the cause of the slight deficiency ; also, about four other passes were good enough, but rather weak. With these exceptions the school did extremely well. Writing and geography were quite exceptionally strong. An examination of a school under such circumstances must be | an almost unique experience.” 1 The width of the difference between Euro* paan medicine, even as practised by amateurs, and Maori medicine, is illustrated by remarks I in the report of the Education Department j on the native schools. Thus the report on Omaio school,Hot Lakes district, says—" The piece has been visited by a formidable and fatal epidemic, and there bad been a change masters ; nevertheless very,, fair percentages wore gained. It may be mentioned that during the prevalence of the epidemic the master treated fifty cases, with a mortality of 4 per cent. A tohunga dealt with fifteen cases, and the mortality was 86 6 per cent." The report on Te Araroa, East Coast, says : | —** The fever epidemic was very severe here. The mistress, in the absence of professional assistance, dealt with more than fifty cases, none of which proved fatal. Deaths occurred however, under the treatment of the tohungas .”

In December last there were 67 schools for the natives in operation in the colony, with 58 masters, 9 mistresses, 21 assistants, and 36 sewing mistresses. The number of children on the rolls in December was 2,113, the average attendance for the December quarter was 1.623, and for the whole year 1,634. The Maori children were 73 per cent, of the number on the roll ; the Europeans were 17 per cent. ; and the chi drea of mixed race, 10 per cent. The boys numbered 1,181, the girls 952. The children below the age of five years were 2 per cent. ; 54 per cent, were between five and ten; 40 per cent, between 10 and 15 ; 4 per cent, above 15. The expenditure ou native schools was £14.290 4s, of which salaries and allowances to teachers came to £10,929 9a 3d. Hive of the village schools had last year an average attendance of 50 and over ; 33 of less than 20. Ladies. -For Afternoon Tea use AuibbBKOOK’s Royal Desert and Onslow Biscuits —[AdvtJ

LATJhJ BHIFFIJNGThe 0.8. Omapere will leave for Dunedin on Wednesday at 10 a.m. Public Notices. LODGE CALEDONIAN, A.F. AND A M THB Brethren of the above Lodge are requested to attend the Lodge Hoorn THIS (MONDAY) EYEWING, at 8 O’Clock. Visitors cordially invited. By Order of the W.M. A. MILLS, Secretary. host and, Found ; OJ3SY LOST during the past week, in i.'vl the MARL9T BROTHERS’ SCHOOL GROUND, may be had on application to the Brothers.