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Waipa Post, Volume XX, Issue 1129, 16 August 1921, Page 4

That it is never too old to learn was Instanced by a statement by Dr. D. E. Hansen, director of the Christchurch Technical College, at a (meeting of the School Committees Association. Dr. Hansen said that last ypar three grandmothers attended classes at the college, and one took the prize for advanced cookery. On one occasion a mother, her two daughters, and one son were- attending the classes. \

During a lively discussion at a meeting of the Wellington School Committees’ Association on the new scheme whereby it is is proposed that the boards, through the Education Department, shall provide school books, some of the headmasters present objected to the work of distributing all school books and stationery to the scholars, on the ground that it would add to their work and increase their responsibilities, which were already quite as much as they could bear. Thereupon Mr Whyte (chairman and also a member of the Board) made an attack upon headmasters generally, referring to the short hours and easy times they enjoyed. As a result of his remarks the headmasters present rose in a body and left the room.

A letter from the secretary of the Te Awamutu Municipal 'Band invited the Borough Council last evening to attend a concert to be held next month. The- object of the event is to raise funds for installing electric light in the band room. The writer also invited the Council’s advice as to the disposal of the existing “ Wizard ” lighting plant. Cr Downes said the action of the Band should be appreciated, because it was proposing to raise by its own efforts money that would otherwise have to be found by the Council. The Band had acted with wonderful spirit in providing its own instruments and uniforms, and should receive every help from the Council. The rest of the Council fully concurred with Cr. Downes, and it was decided to accept the invitation. “Can the Japanese be taught to dy?” is the interesting question raised by a writer in “The Aeroplane.” It is a proved fact, the writer says, that any horse-riding race, such as the English; American. French, Canadian, Australasian, or Italian, flies quite naturally. Any good horseman 1 will become a good pilot in a few days, provided he is not prevented by some personal defects, such as bad eyesight or broken nerve. In ana tion such as Germany or Russia, where horse-riders are a class or section of the people, the equestrian class will make the best pilots. The Balkan peoples, Serbs, Bulgars and Greeks, cannot fly at all, for they are not horsemen. The Poles, cavalrymen by tradition, fly naturally, but in a lunatic fashion that matches their temperament. The Swedes and Scandinavians generally are very bad pilots, with a few exceptions among the officer class. The Baltic people can find very few pilots. The Cossacks and Tartars and other horse-riding Slavs learn to fly easily, but are hopeless on the mechanical side of aviation. owing to the sneer lack of brain capacity. Xobobdy would accuse the Japs of lack of brains, but they certainly are not horsemen. . Nevertheless, out of a people numbering over seventy millions, it must be possible to find a few thousands who can fly, if only by the book, provided that the Japanese Government does not mind killing a few more thousands in finding them. And the Japanese have never in the past shown any particular objection to being killed.