IMPERIAL QUESTION.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12824, 17 October 1911, Page 8

IMPERIAL QUESTION.

"This is a question of real importance, riot only to people in this country, but to the Empire at large, and it is time its importance was realised. In April last an Imperial Education Conference was held in London, representing educationist?! from all overthc Empire. Ifc declared by resolution that * the simplification of English spelling is a matter of urgent importance in al? parts of the Empire, " p. ml uoint: is given to this by a pamphlet by Mr. Joseph. Hogarth, of Joho.nn«sbur2, called 'Simplified- Dutch v. Complicated English,'" in. which, ho points out thnt by a recent reform m spoiling, the Dutch, language has been iuado e'afior and more attractive to children in South Africa, and that 'the absence o!: a, consistent spelling makes till the difference between the slow and tedious advance of the one language (English) .and the rapid and easy progress of the other (Dutch). "Ttj's estimated, by educational authorities that at present a child in "England wastes one year of its school life (twiny to our irrational way of spel-lir-g. Every child, on the average, would save- a whole year if he had not to memorise tho p.bsim! inconsistencies and eccentricities of English spelling. "A reform of spelling would make English the language which the whole world, would use for intercommunicai ion The snread of, the English lanfjnarje would be enormous. At prosent English presents to the foreigner greater difficulties than any other ton'"There have been reforms in German. French, and Dutch. If we could got English as well spelt as Spanish the gain to all coming generations of English speakers would be incalculable. "An objection which is raised by somo people to any alteration 171 spelling is that it would destroy the beauty of the language, but thnt is a delusion, for ihe beauty of the language lies in tko kiu!!'.!, and we do not wish to aiter the sound of any word." Among the vice-presidents of the Simplified Spelling Society are Sir William Ramsay., the president of the British Association, Dr. Macnamara, M.P. (an ex-teacher^ and Professor Skeat, "the great philologist.