POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13748, 10 September 1908, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 9. EDUCATION OF MAORIS. A good idea of the extent to which the education of Maori children is, proceeding can be gathered from a perusal of the annual report on the subject presented to Parliament by the Minister for Education. The number of Maori village schools is 99, and the number of children on the roll at the end of last year was 4183— an increase of 46 per cent, during the past ten years. There are also six native mission schools at which primary educa* lion is given to Maori children, while secondary education is provided for by six boarding schools under the control of the various church authorities. At the end of last year 145 Maori boys and 125 girls were on the rolls of the schools. Six Maori girls are receiving training at various hospitals with a, view to their working as nurses among tjieir own people. ' Three university t scholarships are being hfeld by Maoris at present — one in law, one in arts, and one in medicine. There are twelve workshops in the village schools. There has been an increase m the number of schools at which instruction'in domestic' duties is given, and elementary practical education now forms a subject of instruction in native schools, at many of whicn schools gardens have been established. The net expenditure during the year was £31,492. THE PROPHET RUA. Not much has been heard of the Maori prophet Rua of late, but some idea of the influence he has exerted is to be gathered from the report of Mr W. W. Bird, Inspector of Native Schools. Reporting on the Tuhoe and Urewera district he says: "In this district the Maoris have been led away by the prophet Rua, who has declared that he will undertake the education 6f Maori children in his own way. The result has been" that the schools, ate denuded of children. Waiman* school, formerly a flourishing school; of sixty or so, was ieft practically empty, while Ruatoki, which once boasted «r- more than a hundred, was redded to twentynine. Kokako sghojpf, -«pefte Waikaremoana, existed tfor a short time, all the children (some forty in number) being withdrawn under the order of the prophet. Te Toko was threatened for a time with a like fate, and indeed many of the children were withdrawn by their parents who left their homes to escape a threatened, tidal wave. The people came tback, however, when they saw that the disaster did not overtake them on the appointed day. > PATENTS AND ADVICE. No fewer than 2359 applications were received last year in respect of patents, designs and trade-marks. Fifty-nine per cent, of the applications were received from residents of New Zealand. "It cannot be too firmly impressed on inventors," says the Registrar in his annual report, "that this office is not required by law to investigate the no* velty af invention^ sought to be patented, and with its present staff can onlydo so to a limited extent. Applicants should therefore endeavour, by referring to the abridgments of specifications in the leading towns and other available publications, to ascertain that their inventions nave not been anticipated before lodging a complete specification. EAR-MARKING SHEEP. The Stock Committee has recommended that the Government make inquiries with a view to bringing in some improved general system of earmarking flocks. PUBLIC BODIES' LEASING > POWERS. The Public Bodies' Leases Bill was circulated to-day. This Bill is intended as a- substitute for the Public Bodies' Leasing Powers Act, 1908, which reenacts the Public Bodies' Powers Act, 1887. It makes general provision as ja> the leasing powers of local and other public authorities so as to avoid the necessity of making special provisions in every Act which gives such an authority. The Bill differs from the existing law in two chief : respects. ! (1) It lays down more adequate and explicit rules as to the granting of renewable leases. Two kinds of perpetually renewable leases are provided for in the schedule, namely, (a) a lease renewable at a rent to be determined b$ valuation on the analogy of the renewable lease of Crown lands, and (b) a lease which is to be offered by auction at tho end of each successive term, the incoming tenant paying to the outgoing tenant the value of his improvements. Both forms of .lease are substantially the same as those now granted by municipal corporations under the authorits of the Municipal Corporation Act. (2) The Bill is wider in its application than tho existing law. It applies (a) to specified kinds of local authorities (e.g. county councils, town board: and harbour boards) without the sane tion of any Order-in-Councilj (b) to anj body of persons to whom it is made ap plicable by any subsequent Act, (c) t< any body or persons in whom lands ar< vested for any public purpose and t< whom with their own consent the Act ii made applicable by Order-in-Council The powers conferred on a leasing authority by the Act will be in addi tion to any powers conferred on tha authority by any other Act or instru ment, but. can be exercised only so fa as they are not contrary to the provi sious of any other Act or any trust b; which Uie lands are affected.