%M lIW Iptatut fairly. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, JULY 30, laBo. THE DANDY SHOE IHAT PINCHES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VII, Issue 380, 30 July 1880, Page 13

The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, JULY 30, 1880. THE DANDY SHOE THAT PINCHES.

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the 18th of this month the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse made a motion in the Legislative Council in reference to education expenditure. In doing so he stated, amongst other things, that, "the colony was paying something like 18s. lOd. per head of the population for education, while in England the amount stood at something like Is. lOd. per head. Such a disproportion ought

not to exist, and it was suggestive not only of the necessity, but of the possibility of effecting great reform in the expenditure connected with this important service. The education/ he added, " imparted by the State should he of a much more elementary character than was now imparted. He believed the present character of the education imparted was such that it was doing injury to the children. The colonial system of education was such that it was unfitting a large class of persons for the positions in life to which they were called. It was fitting them simply to be oflicers of Government. He looked with some feeling of anxiety on the course of the existing education system." (" Hansard," No. 14. p.p. 175.6.) The Hon. Colonel Whitmore, who followed Mr. "Waterhoube, said : " The amount of capitation now being paid for the education of the children of the colony was in excess of that paid by any other country in the world, and as it was absurd to suppose that the circumstances of New Zealand were so peculiar, or so different from those of other countries, as to] require so large an additional outlay on her part, he thought that in the education expenditure there was plenty of room for economical reform. But he would go further and say that the present system cost a great deal too much, and was likely to cost more. He was aware that there was a great deal of free education of an advanced kind, and he was not certain that the colony was not running to the dangerous extreme of over-educating. And there was this to be considered : that the present system of education was ruining the grammar schools and the private schools, from the competition among which had arisen such excellent institutions in Great Britain and all civilised countries. The competition which ought to exist was being throttled, and, as the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse had pointed out, it was most lamentable to find that in comparison with their fathers, the new generation were growing up very poor colonists." (" Hansard," No. 14, p. 176.; The Hon. Mr. Reynolds came next in the debate. He said — " There could be no question that, within a very short time, the public of the colony would begin to look narrowly into the whole question of education. It seemed to him the colony was running riot in the education expenditure, as well as in many other items of expenditure. There could be little doubt but that they would have to curtail expenditure in connection with education, and, therefore, it was well that such a return as this had been asked for, because honorable members would, by it, be put in a proper position to judge of what amendments could be made in the Education Act in the direction of economy." — ' Hansard,' No. 14, p. 177. The Hon. Mr. Lahmann said — "The cost of education no doubt was large, and he was disposed to agree that great reductions could be made if the administration was made more economical. He only regretted that honourable gentleman had not added the cost of these central Boards, which he would find to be large too. For his own part, judging from the management of the central boards in the place he came from, he might state that although the expenses of these boards were very excessive, the benefit which they conferred on the cause of education was very little indeed." — ' Hansard,' No. 14, p. 177. The Hon. Mr. Hart looked upon " the system of education as established in this colony for the bulk of the people as absolutely mischievous in its results, or as likely to be mischievous in its results. As to the present course of education for every boy and girl, he thought it most unwise, because he believed in its consequences it was likely to be most mischievous." — ' Hansard,' No. 14, p. 178. This is what hon. members of the Legislative have to say in reference to the extravagance and demoralising influence of our present godless system of education. And yet there are members of the House of Representatives who have made the continuance, without change or modification, of this demoralising system the condition of their support of the present Government. In fact, these gentlemen have sold themselves, and their price has been the perpetuation of the present godless system of schools. The condition on which they support the Government is — no change in the education system, no admission for God or Christianity into the schoolroom, no lessening of the people's burdens, no diminution of the taxation which, in order to maintain a godless system of eleemosynary education, is crushing the prosperity of the country, and banishing capital from our shores. The Evening Star of last Saturday affords the means of forming a just judgment on this state of things, to all who care to consider

the subject. From a summary of the Education Report, published by the Star, we learn that whilst during the last year £28,500 were spent in the erection of schools in Otago, and £33,750 in Canterbury, £40,000 were expended for the same purpose in Auckland. This is a handsome expenditure, and would be very praiseworthy, were it not provided out of funds contributed by an overtaxed people, and by people who derive no benefit from it, and for a purpose which issues in demoralising youth, according to the opinions given above.