"OMNE SOLUM FORTH PATRIA." TUESDAY, MAY 12, 1871.

Waikato Times, Volume VI, Issue 311, 12 May 1874, Page 2

"OMNE SOLUM FORTH PATRIA." TUESDAY, MAY 12, 187 1.

The draft of the Education Bill to be brought before the Council on Tuesday is before us. In, our lusfc issue we commeute 1 on the rate of Od per week to bo charged as school fees. We were in error in supposing that Gd was the absolute fee fixed upon ; jt provides that fees not to exceed Gd shall be levied. The first clause in the JJill that calls for notice is the transfer of its administration by a Board of, J&lucation, as in the present Act, to a commissioner who shall he a member of the Council and of the Executive. The commissioner may, with the consent of the Executive, make regulations for apportioning and advertising all the money raised under the Act. For examining and classiiyiog teachers. For tho examination of candidates for scholarships established under the provisions of the Act. For defining the standard of education to be reached by children to entitle them to exemption from school under the compulsory clauses of the Act. For defining the duties of the Inspector of Schools. For the guidance of School Committees and teachers in carrying out the Act. The idea, .©f course, is to make the commissioner responsible to the Council for his act*, yet we are doubtful as t) the advisability of investing any man with snch excessive power over one of our most important institutions. It has been pointed out that political responsibility only imposes tho penalty of resignation, and the moment that takes place all responsibility closes. There is the danger of such arbitrary power being used for political purposed to the detriment of the causo. Tho Board may be cumbersome, but it is at least not lublo to abusy its power for any such objects, Ail the Highway .Boards are fo bo District Boards. We before pointed out that in many case3the mom- { beis of tho former were unfit to have the control in uuy degieo of education :„ the members are* frequently elected for the purpose of getting a cer- ' turn road, bridge, or some woik carried out.'.

Hioir s\wnt term of uiiuo i a .i-.m^t thru- eflii-iuiit making- w.tli tho duties that at present devolve upon them ; this. would be still mure apparent if they were vested u ith tho munujjomeut of schools. The Uoindd, liuwcver, are only to nominate committees of management for each school. The committees by the ptesent Act arc elected by the ratepayer^ which appears to us a much better sjbtera. The commissioner has the appointment of an inspector, who bhall not in any way interfere with the leligious instruction given in any Hc-hool under tho provisions of the Act; his duties aro the general supervision of all the schools. The commissioner is to appoint all teachers provided they hold a license or certificate to teach. These are to be granted by the commissioner who has the solo management of the funds, to buy land for schools, for residence sites, to build schools, or grant money in aid. Truly, the commissioner, whoever he might happen to be, would be vested with more power than any individual in the pro. vince, not excepting the Superintendent. In addition to the above, the fixing of the grades of the different masters and mistresses is to be entrusted to him. In our next we will complete our digest of tho Bill, aud point out its weak and strong points as compared with tho Act now in force. The measure appears to us to be change for the sake of change, except as regards the rating clauses, and it is questionable whether they are any improvement.

We hum on reliable authority that our representatives, { in reference to the sitting of the District Court in Waikuto, have engaged the attention of the Minister of Justice, and that there is little doubt but a sitting of the Court will be 7 held every two mouths. Mr Judgo Ecckhani will pre«ido. A Prospectus is issued of a new Bank, to bo established t in Dunedin, and to bo call 3d the Colonial Bank of New Zealand. A large number of influential names are appended as a provisional committee. It is evidence of the advancing wealth and prosperity of the colony that colonists are willing to, and see the necessity for, venturing their money in another colonial bank. The proposed capital is two millions in four hundred thousand shares. A meeting of the Teachers' Association was held in Auckland on Saturday. The convener said he called tho meeting, under tho impression that the second reading of the Education Bill would have taken place on Friday. This not having proved the case, the meeting was adjourned for a week. We learn from tho Kew Zealand Gazelle of April 30th 'that' the quantity of gold exported from Auckland during the quarter ended March 31st last was 15,5560z5, valued at £61,585. Tho quantity exported from the colony «nco the first April, 1857, to the above date is, 7,332,532 ozs of a total value of £28,488,510. Wo are are glnd to report that rain, so long looked for set in on Sunday evening, and has fallen almost continually up to the time of our going to press. This has been an ex- | ceptionally dry season, and our two rivers have been lower than in the memory of any settler. For tho Mercer contract of the Waikato railway the tender of Briton and Martin, Gtrahamstown, has been accepted, the amount being £21,529 10a 3d. The unaccepted Auckland tenders were as follows, leas fractions:—lackj land and ,T. Welch, £23.119; Ware and Co., £23,9f15; O'Biien and Victory, £30,998;' William Kirby, £31,513,' M. Edgar, £33,5(57 ; John Goodall, £39,G59. For tho Jiangiriu contract on the s.imo line the tender of John Briton, of ttrabamstown, has been accepted, amount £3,098 9s 4d. Declined— R. Dicksou, £3,393; O'Biien and Vickery, £4,974; James McConuochie, £5,933 We have received the following letter from a correspondent. If the 18 stone man wins his bet, it will be the most extraordinary feat in modern times :—" Sir,- -It is lumoured that a match isabouj^to take place between Waikato hotel-keeper and anofc'ier resident of the district, I to ride one horse each troni Mr Denny's place at Te Awamutu, to Sonierville's corner, Auckland, for £100 a side, within 24 hours. Now, Sir, as lam personally acquainted | with the former of these gentlemen, aud am aware that ho cannot possibly ride under 18 stone, I wish to enquire whether there is a branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals here, and if so, whether they will not at once take action to prevent such a disgustingly cruel exhibition taking place.— Yours, &c, Htjaiaxitas.", The Oiago Daily Times calls attention to a discovery. It says :~Steam is, without doubt, one of tho most potent ' elements jut discovered for extinguishing fires A gentleman informs us that ho was present when a ilavmill took fire in the North Island. When the flax became ignited, the fire burnt most furiously until the valve of the engine was destroyed, when the escnpo of steam completely smothered the flames and extinguished tho fire in a very short timo. There are other instances whero it had been observed steotn vapor been effectual in subduing fires. It appears the invention of Mr James Gh Scott consisted of a main steam pipe attached to the steam boiler of a donkey-engine aboard ship, by which ho could, by a simple contrivance, fill the hold of a, ship with steam vapor, which would completely smother the most raging fire ; and in smaller vessels, a Bteam boiler ; attached to the galley, from which by a similar contrivance, ' a jot of steam vapor could be dispersed through the hold. In premises where engines arc] used, firo could bo at once extinguished by attaching » hose to the steam boiler, and applying tho steam vapor to the ignitod matter. It is to be hoped that public attention will be more earnestly directed to this important, matter. i The Episcopalian clergy in Sydney have, ( ia ys an ex- ' chnngo) arrived at a conclusion which cannot be othenvioo than satisfactory to their congregations. There may be bnzaars, but these are to lose one of their greatest feminino attractions. There ore to bo no more raffles and no more : lotteries. It has been decided in solemn conclave that raf- ' fling ft pmcusluon worth hnlf-a-crown, while asking for 20 members at a shilling a member, is not altogether orthodox, : and not in accordance with commercial morality. So in Sydney a resolution lias been passed stigmatising these practices in my hard and unpleasant language. And what is 1 more, all the clergymen have promised compliance with the l unexpected admonition. Tho departure of the mail steamer from A uekland with tho San Francisco mail has been delavod till Wednesday. ' The Rev Richard S flns*ud, M A., has been appointed c incumbent of St Matthew's, Auckland. "