A TRAVELLER'S IMPRESSIONS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13240, 11 August 1906, Page 3

A TRAVELLER'S IMPRESSIONS.

Mr G. Spencer Clapharn, ' who returned lately from a two years' sojourn .in the United States and Canada, said in conversation with a Star representative that he had seen nothing better "than Taranaki land. He was present at a National Conference of Buttermakers at St. Louis, and one and ail 1 were astonished at the story of Taranaki and the output froni places so close together as E'lthamj' Ngaire, jil'angatofci, Kapongci, and Hawcra. It was almost beyond their conception. To them there was somoth'ing very romantic about this district lying at the feet of the old v;olcano and so beautifully watered by its' eternal showb. H«,vin'g Ijecn a teacher, and tberfoxc naturally interested in the question of the treatment of school children; Mr Claiphani made a point of seeing and hearing all he could on the subject. He says that Americans have' a nice way oi handling children. School life is nuvcl-e as enjoyable as possible, and some very fine work is done. Tho attendance at school is wonderfully high and everything' seems to run smoothly. In winter when thefenow covers roads osvd fields the youngsters get into t'beir sleds. They attach them by xi ropo to the first grocer's cart that comes along and away they go. Thoj'arc, of eoiu-Fe. very warmly drc^ped, and wVar the old-fa^hionod woollen caps, which they draw down over ! their cars. Everyone' is indulgent to tht! "JukJs," as t'hoy ,call thesn, and it hasn't tho bad effect either that s<o<mG jpeoplc would think. The Americans are on exceptionally kindly, good--tempered people, and he say* he is* sure these characteristics arc largely the result of nice treatment at school as well as in the home; during their 7 childhood. He is enthusiastic over the way juvenile offenders arc treated, and, after seeing the methods of treatment at what are called the "Juvenile Courts/ especjajily, that in Portland, under the jut 4 i^sHicwi of Judge Fra,ser, a fine, man for whom Mr Clapham expressed -the » highest admiration, he feels sure that a vast amount of good is being *don<p and a large number of boys who have a decided tendency to '•wrong-doing arc being reformed and made decent, Lawabiding members of the community.