THE HON G. FOWLDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9213, 16 April 1908, Page 4

THE HON G. FOWLDS.

THE MINSTER OF EDUCATION IN CHRISTCHURCH. The Hon G. Fowlds spent a fairly In the afternoon Mr Fowlds paid what was literally a surprise visit to the School for Deaf Mutes at Sumner. Originally the Minister had intended merely to take a motor drive round the suburbs but, changing his plans at the last moment, with the idea of combining business with pleasure, he made his way to the fine old building at the back of the Sumner Valley, and was actually talking to some of the "deaf mutes before any of the officials knew of his presence. A chubby little fellow of nine or ten, with a face wreathed in smiles, piloted the party to the front entrance, and soon placed them in communication with the principal of the institution. Mr Stevens had finished the hardest part of his day's work, which never ends until every child in the school is safely in bed and asleep, but he cheerfully took the Minister and his friends in hand and gave them a chance to see the children living their everyday lives without any preparation for inspection. The '? babies" were seen receiving their first help towards emancipation under the kindly care of Miss Millar, the older girls sewing and cooking and the boys, just "released from their more arduous tasks, playing football and other games with their teachers. There was not a sad face to be found among them all. Little dots of Bix and seven jumped up eagerly at the gentle bidding of the teachers to show how they could say "man." and "coat" and "boot," and how they could pick out examples of their words. A tiny lad who had spelt out "sheep" on the 6late in a fine round hand explained by a spacious wave of his arm that sheep in abundance were to be found in the surrounding hills. Some of the sewing girls held quite long conversations with Mr Stevens, beaming with good humour and quiet confidence, and the neatly aproned girls in the kitchen delighted the ladies of the party by the quality of their cakes and scones and the dainty fashion in which they displayed them. The boys were seen out in the open, where they gathered round Mr Stevens and the visitors and talked upon quite a number of subjects. Many of them remembered Mr Fowlds's previous and more formal visit, but one little fellow who had not been present on the occasion, when asked if the Minister was a gentleman, promptly replied, " No," meaning, as Mr Stevens { explained when the laughter, in which > the other boys joined, had subsided, that the Minister was not a person who did nothing for a living. The members of the party expressed themselves as much pleased by the appearance and bearing and quick intelligence of the children, and the Minister, before leaving, spoke a few words- of kindly enoouragement to Mr Stevens and his colleagues.