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colony If I wanted to-morrow a clerk at £2 per week in the City of Wellington, and called for applications, I would have from two to three hundred applicants, and any amount of these same men would be men who had received a collegiate education. If I wanted a man for the position of tradesman, or an artisan for the better class of trade, I should find that I could get very few and those I did get I should have to pay £3 per week to. New if I wanted some young man to take charge of a farm, and that man was required to understand chemistry as applied to agriculture, and to have a knowledge of geology, I should find very few in the colony in other words, if I asked for young men to fill the better positions, much more permanent and better paid than clerical work, or even the professions, I could not get them. This is a mistake that has been made, there are too many of the one class, and not enough of the other The parents should always consider this—namely, the great drag these youths are upon their parents, not while they are at college, but when they leave it. They want to get something, and the parents take perhaps four or five years before they can do so. In the meantime they have to clothe them well, keep them in a firstclass position, compatible with the professions they are eager to enter, and in many cases the parents are not in a position to do it. The same would apply to most of the girls. The mothers seek a great position for their daughters—go to great expense teaching them the piano and other accomplishments , but they do not teach them what all women should know—the position and duties of a wife and mother, and to do what would be required of them in after-life. Now, there are any amount of girls who can sing and play the piano, do a little drawing, and dance to perfection , but if you asked them to cook some food, asked them to make their own underclothing, to knit you a pair of stockings, to mend your clothes ; or even their own clothes, you would find they would not be able to do it. The neglect lies, of course, with the mother and parents, because they have been—what we call in English—creeping up on a bad foundation , because these accomplishments should be given with the former I have mentioned, but the latter are absolutely essential and necessary lam now bringing you to a point where I want to use what I have just now said simply as an illustration. I say if you will see that your children go through the Sixth Standard in the primary schools, and are well up in the subjects, and pass well in such standard, they are then sufficiently well educated, and able to hold the best positions in the colony You take the number that pass satisfactorily the Sixth or Seventh Standard—which is, of course, attached to most of the schools—and you will find there is a very small percentage. Now, it is simply madness to attempt to send any boy to college who has not passed the Sixth or Seventh Standard in the public schools. If a child in the primary schools shows superior natural ability, and proves his or her superiority over the others, then there is the system, by means of scholarship, which enables the parent to send the child to any district High School in the colony Whether some special facilities should be given in regard to this phase of the question in reference to our Native schools is a matter for inquiry, and I will look into it. I will see, to show I am sincere in dealing with this question, what the position is. I will get a return of the number of youths of both standards who are in the Native schools north of Auckland. If you ask for the Sixth Standard in your schools, you are only asking for what you should have , and I say at once, you are entitled to it, and should have it. If the children are only being taught up to the .Fourth Standard, what is the use of talking about secondary schools ? They must first advance to the Sixth and Seventh Standards then you could talk about a higher. The children should be taught up to the Sixth and Seventh Standards in their schools at home— that is the remedy If the matter is brought before the Government, I shall certainly say you should have this done. If you were to ask that there should be some school centrally situated, which required an increased building, an increased staff, a staff competent to teach up to the Sixth and Seventh Standards, and that such school should subsequently be made a district High School, then, I think, that is a step in the right direction. In reference thereto I will have inquiries made, and see whether something can be done, for I do see the danger of children going to a place where they contract disease. I can understand that, and Ido not think it is right that children who only get past the Fourth Standard should be sent from school. You want a school where they teach up to the Sixth or Seventh Standard, and you should ask that it be made a district High School. When you have asked that, you can ask for a teacher to come and teach the higher subjects afterwards. I will discuss the matter with the Minister of Education on my return to Wellington. Of course lam Premier, but I have not the management of the Education Department. However, I know this that the Minister of Education is most anxious to assist, and so are all my colleagues. Yesterday I was very hospitably entertained, and was very much pleased at meeting the Natives, but to-day is to me a great pleasure, and my visit here—a much greater pleasure than any I enjoyed yesterday. lam pleased to find the parents of the children here taking such an interest in their education. This proves they are good parents, and the children will in after-life bless them for it. I should now like to hear the children, if the teacher will take them in hand. The Premier, after hearing the children read and sing, expressed himself as much satisfied. He told them they had now an opportunity of obtaining education, and without that education their position in life would be a worse one than if they were educated. He hoped they were good children, and regular attendants at school. The party then proceeded on their journey to Kawerua, and thence via Helensville, Kaukapakapa, and Warkworth to Auckland, where they remained two days before proceeding by steamer to Whakatane via Tauranga. The Premier received several deputations of Europeans at each of the above places, but the meetings with Natives were only resumed at Whakatane where a large meeting was held on the arrival of the Premier from Tauranga. The first speaker was Tamati Waaka. He said, —Welcome the Premier to Whakatane, that you may see the people of this part of the country and hear matters which may be laid before you. These are the congratulations I have to offer you. I will now address my remarkjs to the Hon. Mr. Carroll. Welcome, Mr Carroll, you who have come here with the Premier, and brought him to