West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 1878

West Coast Times, Issue 2740, 12 January 1878, Page 2

West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 1878

As our readers are probably aware, the new Education Act comes into force on the Ist of the present month, and all the various Provincial Ordinances, on the same subject, are now merged into this Colonial measure. It is hardly necessary for general iuformatiou to go into detail as to its provisions, for tho Bill originally introduced has not been very materially altered in its passage through the Legislature, and of that the fullest information has already been afforded. The peculiarity, and in our opinion, a most valuable one, is that education under its provisions must be of a purely secular nature, and to parents and ministers of the various denominational flocks is now left the religious instructions of the rising generation, at least as far as State schools are concerned. As a natural consequence, the revenues that formerly were diverted into numberless denominational streams now flow into one channel, and, by such concentration, a far higher class of education will be within the means of the various Boards to afford. Under the Act a Minister of Education, a functionary long wanted, is provided, as also an educational department with a full staff. There are twelve education districts, that of Westland, including the present Counties of Westland and Grey. The election of Boards for the various districts does not vary greatly from the old system the power of nomination lying with the Local Committees. Each Board is to consist of nine members, and they must be elected not later than the 15th of March by an absolute majority. Should there be an equality of votes, the Board is to decide which candidate shall be member. With respect to the appointment of School Committees there is a great deal of room for amendment, and tbe mode of their election is very far from satisfactory. The Boards of the different districts are to appoint a day on which a meeting of " householders " is to be held to elect such committees, each of which are to consist of seven members, but here we come to a difficulty. A portion of the 64th clause says :—": — " At such meeting a chairman shall be chosen, and the committee for the preceding year shall give a full report of its proceedings, and thereupon the electors present shall proceed to elect by ballot, as hereinafter provided a new committee for the election of seven persons qualified as prescribed by the Act, and may re-elect all or any of the persons going out Jof office to be members of such new committee." The italicised word is not so italicised in the Act, but is so distinguished" by us as on it a great deal hangs. The above is all having reference to the mode of election. As our readers are well aware in case of more members being nominated for any public position where a majority secures election, a poll is taken to ascertain in whose favor that majority lies, and a subsequent date to the day of nomination is fixed for holding it. No such provision is made in this Act, which apparently contemplates the election of

the committee right off at the meetiugf I of householders iii question. Thus a very small section of* tbe public will have any voice in the appointment of local committees, only those in fact who cau attend a long and probably wearying meeting duly called for the above purpose. It is simply ridiculous to suppose that all householders in this town can attend, and the absurdity in j other places is still greater. There is j in fact no building in Hokitika large uoough to hold them. The Press (Christchurch) points out this great omission in connection with the elections of committees, and suggests that by way of getting over the difficulty the chairman, of the different meetings might sit all' day, and, the nomination having been raado in the morning, ratepayers could come iv from time to time and record their votes, tho meeting being thus a continuous one. Possibly this might be a means of solving the problem, but it would be at the best an unsatisfactory one. The word " thereupon" seems to be conclusive as to the absolute necessity for an election to be finally accomplished at the one meeting, but if such be the case the results cannot be other than unsatisfactory. In the first place it must be hurried under any circumstances, and a packed and well organised clique may put in who they please. Next, there are many who pay education rates, and take a deep interest in the election of committees, who would be sorely puzzled at having to write out seven names from a group of candidates, and mistakes without end would unquestionably follow. Possibly the objectionable word referred to, may be construed in other than a literal sense, and the Boards, who are endowed with considerable powers, may have power to allow the elections to be conducted in the ordinary way. On that their le^al advisers can best offer au opinion. But, we think, there is another bdutiou, that is at least equal to that of our contemporary above referred to, and that, is that the meeting may be duly held, nominations accepted, and then adjourned till next day, when the ballot could be taken as provided, with the additional convenience of printed ballot papers. The adjournment of any meeting is, we hold, as much a continuance of it, in such a case, as its prolongation over hours of the same day, and if this be so, the trouble vanishes. In any case the present Board, the member? of which retain oilice till the committees arc- elected, will no doubt take legal advice on the subject, and be guided thereby. On the election of able com-mittee-men to adminster the detai's of the new measure much will depend, and it is to be hoped that all the t'lao possible to make a judicious selection from the candidates offering themselves, will be given before the elections take place. This is a most important point, and will, we feel sure, aieef. with the attention it deserves at the hands of the Board. There are many other matters in connection with the Act that we shall from time to time touch on, for the new system may be deemed nltnost a revolution in education, but at present content ourselves with pointiug out ihe injustice that must be done to ratepayers generally, if no means of getting over the hasty method of electing local committees can bo ascertained. There can be no doubt that the mode laid down waß an oversight on the part of the Legislature, and that on Parliament again meeting it will ppeedily be amended, but, in the meantime, it is tolerably certaiu that the proverbial coach and six can, somehow or other, be driven through this, as all other Acts of Parliament, to remedy or avert any disfranchiseraent that adherence to the strict letter of its provisions must inevitably entaiJ.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Messrs Patten and Todd, J.P.s, John Cameron, J. Hawkins, T. Ecclesfield. J. Mandl, J. Jamieson, and D. Cameron, were each fined iv various sums varying from 10s to 53, with costs, for allowing horses to wander at large. Under civil jurisdiction the following cases were disposed of—Paterson, Michel, and Co., v Rohloff and Braver, £7 7s 3d, judgment by default; Itobinson v H. Meyer, struck out by consent ; Levy v Martin, £6 8s 9d, judgment by default; and the trustee in Lassen's estate v Ward and party, £3 ; judgment for the amount. There vras no other business. His Honor Judge Weston opened a sitting of the Greymouth District Court at Grey- [ mouth yesterday. The Government will no longer dispose of stores to the settlers at Jackson's Bay, having made arrangements that supplies will be sold by private hand. Mr John Marks, storekeeper, Haast, was the successful tenderer for the stores at present in charge of the Resident Agent there. Settlers will, in future, be settled with in cash, for any Government work they may perform, and will be at liberty to procure what stores they may require in the ordinary way. This will be found to be a great convenience, not only iv saving the Government the time aud labor in keeping store accounts against each of tho settlers as formerly, but will be a boon to the residents by allowing them to make what purchases they may choose for cash. Mr Marks proceeds by the Waipara in a day or two to take over his new charge. The annual meeting of tbe Hokitika Harbor Board will be held in the Board's Room, Gibson's Quay, at noon to-day. I We are requested to inform contractors tbat they can have the deposits, sent in with their tenders for the Dillman's Town road, returned to them to-day, by making application at Mr Seddon's store, Kumara. The County Clerk calls on all persons having claims against the County Council up to 3lßt December, 1877, to render their

accounts at once. Mr Frew has been busily engaged during the past few days making a survey of tbe lower part of tbe river, and preparing plans and specifications prior to the Harbor Board calling for tenders for that portion of the protective works. The Board now only want the completion of these plans, and the assent

of tbe Governor, when tenders will be invited. It is believed that the Board will have no difficulty in raising tho supplementary amount of .£IO,OOO, in addition to the Government grafit, to have the works completed.

Mr W o Staite, solicitor, has decided to leave lteef ton for Australia.

We take the following from the Melbourne Leader of December 22nd 5— "Mr Joseph Mauton, a Solicitor, was killed at the Moe on Monday. He aud his brother, Mr Henry Mantou, were falling a tree which bad a few days previously been completely hollowed by fire, when, as it fell, the trunk broke into several pieces, ono of which struck Manton, completely burying him in the ground. When the brother, who was also somewhat injured, got to his assistance, he found life was wholly extinct. The Mantons arc well connected about Melbourne. The sad accident has caused much excitement, regret, aud sympathy. The body will be conveyed to Melbourne for interment. The Dunedin Herald is informed that Bishop Neville's residence, known as Bishops Court, Dunedin, has been sold to Mr Roberts of the Bank of New Zealand for £10,000 Mr J W. Watt tbe Dunedin Police Magistrate intimated that he would dispose of any business coming before him on New Years Day, as he had nowhere to go aud did not care foFliolidays. The hotel keepers of Dunedin and the neighborhood have been victimised lately by , persons passiug valueless cheques. There were no fewer than eight charges of this nature agaiust a man mamed M'Gregor. The Port Chalmers Board of Health have had to isolate a family in which typhoid fever has broken out. The following excellent sketch of Canterbury's last Superintendent and present representative of Avon district iv the Assembly appears in the Lyttelton Times :—: — "Mr Rollestou is a man sut generis. With all his sterliug qualities and public experience he has, when responsibility comes, the unfortunate infirmity of vacillation. He doubts, aud doubt makes him melancholy, lie is the weeping philosopher of public life. From Dan to Beershoba all is barren. He seeks what he never can find, political perfection The result ia that he ever takes refuge iv opposition. For the 10 years during which he has been in Parliament he has never supported any Ministry, although he has aided in turning out each one successfully. Liko Diogenes with his lantern he is still searching for au honest Government." The Premier is likely to visit the West Coast shortly, and the Otago Daily Times understands that during the recess the Minister of Lauds aud Immigration, the lion Mr Mfieandrew, will probably visit Jackson's Bay, Martin's Bay, and the West Coast settlements. The visit will most likely be made towards the latter end of February. A certain resident of Wellington, who appears to have been given to practical joking, played a trick a few days ago, the result of which was rather serious, particularly to himself. As told by the Argus, hia wife was lying asleep on a sofa when some friend suggested to her husband that it would be very funny if he gave her a galvanic shock, lie proceeded to do so. Having taken down his battery he placed the positive and negative poles in her hands—one in each —and then turned < the handle. The effect was surprising. The woman had previously been iv a calm, and no doubt innocent sleep, but* the inatant |she felt the shock, she gave a shriek that might almost have awakened the dead. She did not comprehend exactly what had happened at first, but when she did find out she naturally lost her temper; in fact, she became furious, and gave chase to her husband with a hatchet. As the mau was endeavoriug to get out of the room, he put his hand ou the handle of the door to close it after him, and the woman made a blow at his baud with the hatebet. Unhappily tho blow took effect, the result being that tyro of the man's fingers were completely severed from the hand. Medical assistance was procured, and the unfortunate practical jokor is now progressing favorably. The police will probably proceed agaiust the woman. " Tahite," the dramatic reviewer in the columns of the Australasian thus refers to the death of Mr George Cotterell :—lt: —lt was not unexpected, but it ia Hcvertheless a source of regret to everybody who knew him. For he was not only an actor of the highest order in a particular direction, but he was a good, kind-hearted, and most genial minded man. In manner he had the simplicity of a child, but there was a quality of poetry in his nature which made everybody who knew him instinctively like him. Like many other men of rare gifts he never was sufficiently understood, and never estimated at his proper value. In my opinion he was never excelled in the power of what is understood as " character " representation, I never knew any comedian who could more thoroughly sink his identity in the characters he personated, and although bis rare excellence never had an opportunity of showing itself upon the regular stage, it was for all that of the most genuine kind, I had always hoped we should have seen him in regular comedy, and if be had lived I think we should hiive so seen him, and then he would have taken the very highest position as an eccentric actor. I shall always think of him with affection, and remember his great talent withmelancholy pleasure. The rapid progress aud advancement of civilization, this age of rapid action and profound study, the wear and tear of the bodily powers, the constant strain on the nervous system, call aloud for timely help ; the overworked body and braiu seek and require the timely aid of the kindly antidote of tbe many ailments engendered by overworkTake those marvellous mixtures, known as " Ghoixah's Great Indian Cures," and your sicknesses disappear. The. weak man becomes the Giant of strength. See testimonials

For the following elegant extract, we ar indebted to the versatile writer of " Notes" in the Timaru Herald: — "We have been asked to settle a dispute as to the nationality of the present Colonial Treasurer. One of the disputants declares that he ia a New Zealand Native. Not a Maori of course, but born in the Colony. Another is confident, ufter reading his Financial Statement, tbat be lniils. from the land of the shamrock and shillelagh Both we believe, are wrong. Mr Sheehan the Native Minister, is an Irishman, every inch of him, but yet he was born in New Zealand. Mr Larnach, however, answers to neither description. He was if we mistake not, born in New South Wales; where his father was a large squatter iv the early days; aud his family are of ancient Scottish origin. They were originally Campbells of Argyll, but went into Sutherlandshire in the train of a daughter of their lain who married a Sutherland centuries ago. Their new hosts called the strangers " Lornach" or the men of Loin, and this epithet, slightly corrupted into Laruacb, beciimu the patronymic of several considerable families. Colonel Whitmore and Mr Fisher are the only Englishmen in the present Ministry. Sir George Grey is we believe Irish, both by birth and descent; and Mr Macandrew presents every outward and visible sign of belonging to the land of cakes and barley juice. Let us hope that wherever they come from, they will one and all prove true patriots in faithfully and heartily watching over the interests of the nation of New Zealand. Dulve est pro patriu mori — "The morel see of the couutry the sweeter it is."

The Tuapeka Times mentions a rather hard case. A man was arrested at Tuapeka Mouth for felony, but when the case was brought before the Magistrate, it was proved that the accused was not the man who committed tbe offence. The accused then applied to the Bench to defray his expenses back to the place where he was arrested, but the Magistrate explained that he had no power to accede to the request.

Referring to the rumor that Colonel Eeader is to be appointed Under-Secretary for Defence, tbe Auckland Star says: — " Probably a good many inquisitive people in Wellington and elsewhere will be. curious to learn what services Colo.iel Reader has rendered to the colony to deserve, or what qualifications be possesses to fit him for this promotion. He has for some time past drawn a handsome salary for doing practically nothing at all, except lounge at the Club; and on more than one occasion has kept the Volunteers of Wellington waiting half an hour after the time be had himself fixed to inspect them."