Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1876.

Wanganui Herald, Volume X, Issue 2803, 6 June 1876, Page 2

Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1876.

The result of the investigation into the state of the Provincial Treasuries by Messrs Gisborne, Knowlos, and Seed, must bo already known to the Government. We are very much mistaken if there are uot liabilities of a very formidable amount to be taken over, which will swallow up the savings anticipated from tho consolidation of offices. In his last reply to the Superintendent of Otago, tho Premier again returns to the charge that branch railways have bosn contracted for in that Province without tho means to pay for them. If our surmise be correct, then. we are at a loss to understand how the Premier can carry out his promise to make education a charge on the genoral revenue, | unless provision be at the same time made by fresh taxation. The school system of the Colony must be maintained at least on its present basis ; but the people will be disappointed if a great deal more is not done. Elementary education must be brought within the reach of all, and a roorganisation of the system is essential to satisfactory results. There is no subject which is more involved in doubt and uncertainty than the public school system of the •colony. Amongst the ! chaos of opinion, there is no unity of I decision, and the Premier's enunciations on this subject have not tended to clear away the mist that surrounds it. Sir Julius Vogol has definitely pronounced in favor of a secular system, and a few narrow- minded bigots rest and are thankful. It is very true that a secular system only is possible, public opinion having pronounced itself in many ways in its favour. This is not not the difficulty. There are two questions of great magnitude which will have to be first settled. One is tho question of revenue, and the other the principle of administration. If tho consolidated revenue will not yield sufficient to maintain the school system of tho colony as it exists at present, the Government will be called upon to devise a new tax or rely on local rates, It was surely not wise policy, at a time of great financial confusion and uncertainty, to announce a determination to part with a local rating power for the support of schools. It was no doubt popular, but it had nothing else to recommend it. The large landowners are always anxious to throw every burden on the consolidated revenue, trusting 1 to a turn of the wheel of fortune that the screw may not bo put on in some new direction. But wo must look a little beyond the present. The expansion of the school system implies an increasing expenditure, perhaps proportionate to the increase of health and prosperity. We fear however that the necessities of the public treasury will not permit either of aliberal endowment in the iirst instance, or of that elasticity which would fairly meet the increasing" demand for school accommodation.

Sir Julius Yog-el scorns to prefer the present- ceutralistic and Provincial system to local administration Bncli as that established in England, We grant that unless the people have the administration in their own hands, a local rate will always be unpopular and objectionable. Local Boards possessing largo administrative powers inspire confidence and enjoy a certain amount of solid popularity. They could understand how desirable it might be that the district should be called upon to erect and maintain its own schools, while the toachors were paid out of the Consolidated Fund. A central Board, such as that at Wellington, certainly does not represent the outlying districts, but is a kind of delegated body chiefly composed of the cits of Wellington. How then could itbe expected that people would willingly contribute a rale, however small, to a body of the kind 1 The teachers in their recent interview with the Premier took the opportunity of having a slap at local committees. Now we do not defend the Wellington system of appointing committees which have no statutory existeuce,and are without any clearly defined function, except it be to worry the teachers by complaints. -But we place every confidence in local boards constituted like the Education Boards in England. We must guard against i bureaucracy in our educational system. Local self-government is as great a principle in this as in paving 1 streets or erecting bridges. It may bo accepted us a safe conclusion that the parents ofj childrou are the best judges of the capacity of a teacher to " bring- them on." inspectors also claim great privileges find exemption from local control. They do not like to bo interfered witli by perhaps a slightly illiterate body in their arbitary decisions and recommendations. No doubt, their comfort would be abridged by a strong expression of local opinion and a veto. They would rather deal with a Minister of Justice who would be too far removed from the scene of action to be capable of doing otherwise than acting upon their report. Yet, as we have said, we cannot afford to dispense with local supervision, which would be an educational! itself to fathers of families in the art of selfgovernment. The educational sysh-m of ihe colony can only be satisfacioiLly constitute:! by leaving to dkjfiicts the initiative of providing instruction. This is the grains of tli« English system, \\hich is having unqualified success. Local control and administrative efficiency arc in a word inseparable.

During a discussion at the Education Board, (says tho Evening Argus), as to the price to bo charged for boarders attending the Tenui school, the Hou C. J- Pharazyn said that during his station life he kept himself aud family of nine on £100 a year. Tho statement was readily believed. Mr Pharazyn would have been believed had he said he could keep a family of twelve on £50 a year.

The Wangauui Rifles parade on the Market Square to-morrow afternoon at 1.30 o'clock, and tho presentation to Major Kemp, and Sergt. Austin will .take place on hlio Market Square at 2 o'clock, and not the Racecourse as advertised.

Tho following passage from Goethe would make an admiral motto for a Government journal : — " Ich singe iclc cler Voyel siiujt "—" — I sing as tho Yogel (bird) sings.

With regard to tho sudden departure of Mr R. J . Creighton to San Francisco by the last mail steamer, it is said that he has gone to act as a newspaper correspondent at the Philadelphia Exhibition.

The New Zealand Times says, we have seen a private telegram received in Town from Hokitika, sent by a Jackson Bay settler stating that gold had been found in a quartz reef there, Tho reef is stated to bo 20ft. in thicTEuies3, and the gold shows coarse in the specimens taken ftoui it. It is uecdloss to add fchas the discovery has caused great excitement in Hokitika. , t3l7 ~^j

A special meeting of tho Council will bo held to-night (Tuosday) at a quarter to seven to confirm and pass bye-law No 10, referring to licenses for carts, &c, plying for hire within the Borough ; after which the ordinary mooting will be held,

A good audience assembled at tho Odd Fellows' Hall last night to witness the performance of •' Kenilvrorth " by theLydiaIlowardo Troupe, and judging from the outward manifestations of approval, they thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment. The performers enacted their parts well, and occasionally the plaudits were loud and prolonged. The mechanical part of the arrangements was faultless. The " Kiss in the Dark " elicited much laughter, and sent the audience away in a merry mood. Tonight " Lucia Di Lammermoor " will bo Di'oducod.

At Reef ton, a small town in the Province of Nelson, the Fire Brigade a few eveniug's back formed a torchlight procession in Broadway. Blue lights were burnt, aud during the evening fireworks discharged throughout the town.

The people of Invcrcargili are now considering what are the most desirable steps to bo taken in order to afford increased accommodation to ships,; visiting Bluff Harbour.

A new kauri-gum field, 1400 acres in extent, has been discovered in tho Auckland Province.

A wag who recalls Mr Eitzherbert's celebrated speeches of thirteen and nine hours' respectively, says that he considers the hon gentlomen has earned the title of speaker better than|j any other man iv the House of Representatives.

Croup may bo "cured in one minute, and the remedy ia simply alunifund water. The way to accomplish the act is to take a knife or grater and shave off in small particles about a teaspoonf ul of alum, then mix it with twice its quantity of sugar to make palatable and administer.it as soon us'possiblo.Alniosl instantaneous relief will follow .SgJHoJdiptr in the nioufchfa^soliitiou otjbicarbouate of soda is said to be a cure for toobh-ache, and blanched celery^used as a salad, for nervousness. following remedy* has been prescribed^ orfscropulous sores 4 o r runuiugs.Put throe grains of oorrosivo sublimate in a pint bottle of whiskey ; a rag dipped in this twice or thrice a day, and laid on the sores, and continued lill a all tho sores are dried up, is all that is needed.

The Bruce Herald takes Mr MacAudrew to task for his recent statements regarding Education in Ofcago, which it characterises as " simply an attempt to'cast a|alur upon his political opponents," that is, on the Goveruuieut.ltsayß that before Abolition became the leading question of the day, the Education Board of Otago was unable to meet the growing demand for school extension, aud that it was the duty of the Provincial Government to have foreseen it, and made provision i'or it, instead of frittering away the revenue of the province on branch^liues of railways,, constructed for politicaljpurposes, and other works thai could have very well been put off for years.

Another old resident of Wanganui passed away last (Monday J evening iv the person of Mrs Blair of tho Steam Packet Hotel, after an illness of some two or three days duration. As Mrs Davidson, the deceased was ono of the earliest settlors in the district, aud outsido the circle of her friends, which is a Largo one, there are acquaintances innumerable who will hear with dee|) regret that, another of the old familiar faces has disappeared from amongst us. " The place thereof shall tcuow it no more, aro words which will occur with new significance to the visitors at the tSteam Packet for many a day to come. Mrs Biair, as hostess of that hospitable establishment, has seen a new generation grow up around her, of whom are her own children, for she leaves a family of six. daughters aud a sou. We are requested to state that, in consequence o£ the review taking place at 2 o'clock tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon, the funeral will leave the Steam Packet Hotel at 1 p.m., and not as originally intended, at 2 o'clock.

An enquiry was held this afternoon befprc jf. Gr. Woon Esq., Collector O£ Customs, into the collision between the schooners Peri and Tauranga. The former belongs to Sydney, the latter to Dunedin. The evidence went to show that the occurrence was accidental and uaayoitlable. The following is the decision of the Collector of Customs : — That tho collision was purely an accident, and that no blame appears to attach to either of the masters or pilot in charge of the vessels at the time of the accident.

Throe hundred Calif ornian quaill will be shortly turned out in South Canterbury.

The soil and climate o£ California are in many places favourable to the growth of coffee, which is beginning to form one of the staple products of the eouutry.