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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIV, Issue 38, 14 January 1887, Page 17

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The buildings are progressing as favourably as can be desired at Magdala, while at the establishment in Manchester street there are already ten penitents, An increase in the numbers is probable at an early date and there are signs already of a great increase of the usefulness of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in other directions. People in high position are beginning to realise that Mount Magdala is destined to play a great part in the history of social reform, about all of which much will be said, I hear, when the collection begins. The unemployed, though we are well into the summer, are still in a state of grievance. The Government think it is time the I ordinary labour market absorbed them, but there is no sign of lincreased absorbing power. The immigration officer has offered to take the names and addresses of employers of labour in country districts who require bands, and hopes his experiment may succeed. In tbe meantime, tbe Mayor and other local dignitaries are bestirring themselves to find work for which the Government will pay. In the end it will not be surprising if the Government throw tbe whole cost of employing the unemployed on the local bodies. They will, however, not cease from their policy of village settlements, of some of which in South Cau terbnry I hear very good accounts. Education has had its annual discussion and review at the hnnds of the Council of the Institute, this time in Christchnrch. There was quite an irruption of schoolmasters, who wound up their three days' discussion with a pleasant dinner. During the talk the teachers passed resolutions to the effect that the system tries to teach too much. At the dinner the Premier, who came up on purpose to be present, said that the teachers ought to look upon the syllabus as a guide rather than a law of cast iron. Everybody was agreed that morality is being very effectually taught in the State schools, and at the same time agreed not to say on what basis or in what manner. Everybody also agreed to leave it out of the list of the proposed shorter curriculum, which was found to contain only the famous and much-persecuted three R's. The late tram accident (curiously enough there is a fatal accident every Christmas) has started a host of people proposing guards for the wheels of the tram cars. If some one high up on the social ladder were to be fined roundly for getting on or off a tram in motion, there would be no need of guards for the wheels.