The Star. MONDAY, MARCH 26, 1877.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2802, 26 March 1877, Page 2

The Star. MONDAY, MARCH 26, 1877.

In Dunedin they have established a working men's olub, the proprietors of which held their half-yearly ' meeting the other day. Although the report is not given in the Dunedin papers, ifc ia evident that the affair is in a very flourishing state. The shareholders are just about to erect a new olubhouae in the Ootagon, and the Times says that the building will be oreditable to the olub, and will add somewhat to the architecture of fche city. Will no publio-spirited persons attempt to establish a similar institution in Ohristohurch ? It is not to the credit of a place whioh boasts of such a multitude of professed sooial philosophers and philanthropists, that so very obvious a means of doing a practical good for the working classes should be neglected. For these clubs have done untold good in various parts of England, and that not at the expense of the charitably disposed, but of the working clasßes themselves. The clubs are mostly in a flourishing financial condition, and they supply a comfortable place of resort for working men. In a recent speeoh to the Roohdale Working Men's Olub, Mr John Bright spoke in the strongest manner of the great benefits to be derived from Buoh institutions. The main obstacle to success in the Colony is the great difficulty of combination which every class here seems to experience, and which is apparent in the numberlesß abortive efforts to establish useful associations of various kinds. Anyone can reckon up numbers of such undertakings of the most enlightened and unimpeachable order, which have been started in New Zealand with a great flourish of trumpets, but have either failed immediately or gradually dwindled to death, from sheer indifference on the part of the subsoribers, or promoters, This lack of combining power, or, to call it by its proper name, this short-sighted selfishness, is no doubt one of the greatest blots ia the Oolonial character. There is, however, no reason for thinking that it is worse here than in Dunedin, or that the people here are less capable of suetained interest in such a olub ac we are advocating than they are in Otago. Afc all events the experiment is well worth a trial, and we havo no doubt that if a few of those who are wont to grow garrulous on the subjeot of philanthropy, would take the matter up in good earnest, auch a club might be made at once a finanoial success, and a very great advantage and convenience to its members. It was stated a day or two ago that a schoolmaster ia Auokland had been oharged with excessive severity in his mode of ohastising a disobedient pupil. A telegram intimated that the case wai dismissed, but IL omitted one rather important feature which was supplied to the Wellington papers, namely, that the lad's father had instructed the boy if he were flogged again, to strike the master be. tween the eyes with his slate. This is not an unfair sample of a good deal of the advice given by a certain class of colonial parents to their children. It is not only in Auckland that parents are inclined to regarl the discipline inflicted on their unlicked cubs by the schoolmaster in the light of personal aggression. But excessive severity io certainly iot a characteristic of New Zealand schoolmasters. The only thing to bo regretted b that the matfcere whioh come under the master's cogni- , sanoe aro confined to the school aid schoolwork. In the Old Country, when schoolboys are desirous of making physiological experiments, they run a pin through a cockchafer, or flatten out a frog wifch stones. Theii study of animal nature in the colony scnetimes takes higher forms for subjects. Aa olevafcing exhibition of thia kind was {iven in Christchurch one day laat week. At fche oroaaing of Gloucester street and ;ie Eaßt Town Belt is a vacant and shady piddock. into whioh on the day in question antnfortunate Bot had dragged himself and gone to Bleep. On the breaking up of the Eaßt Chrißtchurch school, the poor wrech was discovered by some of the youths vho are there instructed in the humanities. Ii ia not every day that an adult is delivered helpless into the hands of oolonial boys. In a truo philosophic spirit one oE the youbs immediately tried tho effect of a stoo smartly I hurled against tho recumbent bacchoal. The opportunity for at once studying o.ure and acquiring skill as marksmen was att to bo missed, and the example of the irat boy quickly found a host of imitatOß. There may be thoßO who will argue thatsich oxeroises are improving to children's cnndß, but wo cannot agree wifch them. On< tffeot the incident is likely to have. The hunin target of the occasion, when next he get s skinful of liquor, will probably not gravitae towards that paddock in search of repose. Me W. D. Campbell, a civil engieae, writes to the West Coast Times, sugeiting the necessity for the Central Board >j Health appointing engineers to examine elemes of drainage. The suggestion draws abntion to what is obviously one of the duta of the Central Board, a body which has, n to this point, been lamentably negligent. Invention as well as cure, is certainty part of te Board's funotions. It might not prove altogether futile if those who urge valid objections on sanitary grounds to Mr Oarruthe»i' scheme for the drainage *>f th* 8 distriot, wire to open up a obrreßpo*^° nce ***** the Central Board. Such a conr* "hould, moreover, !>es»tiefaotory to that pfrwolite body, the Diairage Board or Xy* Board ef Heal to. Shere oan be raoing for the last-named genthmen to fear, *tf the eoheme it, ea they allege, wlculated to promote the publio health, while everything

. w w ww . qmamwv. _h«wu__ ■.«* j_«u£;ewijii»i oxia CUB. passionate' declaration on the subjeot. It wonld be a becoming aot if the Drainage Board were itself to seek an opinion from the Central Board of Health as to the sanitary character of the proposed scheme. Compiatnts have occasionally been made of the small salaries obtained by many persons engaged in the teaohing profession in New Zealand. The remuneration is no doubt on a muoh lower scale generally — though there are a few prizes — than that obtainable in some other professions for which the course of preparation is not more arduous, nor the talen' I required superior. But New Zealand teachers may oonsider themselves millionaires compared with some of their brethren and sisters over the water. The average salaries in Victoria are lower than here, but Tasmania seems entitled to the palm of meanness in this respect. The Hobart Toton Mercury contains the following advertisement : — " Wanted, immediately, a Female Teacher. Salary (paid quarterly), to a person who would oonduot the church choir, £40 per annum ; to others, £35 per annum." In oonneotion with this matter it may be well here to ask a question which has often puzzled us. It will be observed that in the above advertisement a "female teaoher" is spoken of. Similarly, the Patea Education Board is now advertising for "a male teaoher." The question to which we have vainly sought an answer is — What is the difference between a male or a female teacher, and a schoolmaster or mistress, as the case may be ? That there is some very material difference we do not doubt, otherwise educational bodies would not abandon the good and accustomed words. In Canterbury, masters, mistresses, and assistants are constantly asked for, but male or female teachers nover. The reason may be that psychological differentiation is not so advanced here as elsewhere. It may also be that Canterbury's educational authorities bave not " taken " certain affectations whiob, as the Telegraph Agency would inform us, are raging elsewhere. Bx the way, it may be fairly asked to-day, how many subjects a disease requires before it can rage. Tbe Telegraph Agency tells us in the mesßOge respecting the barque- Gloucester, that four are ample, and it is left to be inferred that a less number might be sufficient, With all deference to the telegraphist, w« would suggest that the expression, except ac applied to a disease prevailing amongst many is hyperbolioal and silly. For example, eleo> trie gushing is an entirely new disease, but we must say that at times it rages very deßperatelj amongst those connected with the Pres. Agenoy, and indeed aeems to have permanently established itself at tho head-quartere of that organisation. Since the close of last session there have beer an Otago convention, a convention of Com misßioners of Police, and there are now ii progress one convention of goldfields' wardens and another of Kingites and Native doctors, According to tbo Wellington Post, there it shortly to be held a convention of constable.! to consider the doings of the convention ol Commissioners. Ab such gatherings seem in fashion, it would nob be inappropriate if that last mentioned were followed by a oonvention of drunkards, vagrants, and sinners generally to consider the recommendations of the constables.