The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. THURSDAY, MAY 3, 1883. Industrial .Education.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 933, 3 May 1883, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. THURSDAY, MAY 3, 1883. Industrial .Education.

It certainly seems strange that in a country like New Zealand, where the • most advanced theories find so much favor, the question of industrial education has not been taken up in earnest. ,Now and then, indeed, some member of Parliament will bring forward a scheme advocating the establishment of national workshops where the young can be initiated into the mysteries of various useful trades, but beyond a little discussion nothing comes of it. Yet it is a question of the very highest importance, and the sooner this is recognised the better it will be for the colony. The Colonial Treasurer, it will be remembered, pointed to what he called over-population as beingoneofthe causes of poverty, and he was particular in stating we suffered from this evil in only a limited degree, namely, insomuch that many men came to New Zealand who were quite unfitted for ordinary colonial life. He probably referred to the large number of people who have never been used to any but purely clerical work, who have not been brought up to any particular business, but trust to an ordinary education to earn them a living. That we have far too many of this class in the colony cannot be denied, and yet it is an equally undoubted fact that fathers here are bringing up their children in a manner to fit them for being no better than the ordinary run of clerks. Take the average youth when he leaves school, and consider what he is fit for. He may write a fair hand and possess a superficial knowledge of arithmetic, but of all else he is abjectly ignorant. When the inevitable question comes as to what he is to do to earn his bread, there is but one answer. He must become a clerk in a bank or some business establishment, and he thus goes to swell the ranks of a class that is already too numerous, and he has to fight in a competition which in ninetynine cases out of a hundred is too keen for him. The result of this is easily foretold. The young man looks upon his work as an arduous task to be got through as quickly as possible, and when it is finished he spends his spare hours in loafing in public-house bars and billiard-rooms, or, if he is inclined to literature, he occupies his leisure in the perusal of “yellow back ” novels of doubtful morality. We admit that there are some few exceptions —very few, we fear—but our picture of the modern clerk is not a whit overdrawn. He is a poor effeminate creature, the outcome of a civilization that looks down with contempt upon honest and earnest work All the fine talk we hear about the dignity of labor is only from the lips outwards, and there is not one of these clerks who does not consider himself immeasurably superior to the working man. The only cure for this evil is to inculcate into the youthful mind the truth that, to use the words of Ruskin, “ there is no degradation in the hardest manual, or the humblest servile, labor when it is honest.” If workshops were attached to the State schools, where the boys might be taught the rudiments of certain trades they had a liking for, it would have a better result in forming them into useful members of the community than cramming them with a lot of knowledge that will be a burden rather than an advantage in after life. It must not be forgotten, however, that there are some children who are physically unfitted for such woik as we have mentioned, but a scheme of industrial education that did not include facilities for teaching the art of designing would fail in its intention, and the weaker boys would by this means be enabled to learn what would be of inestimable use in the future. As to the Government art schools established in the colony, they are absolutely worthless for the purpose we have indicated. We were told a good deal lately about the wonderful merit of the work turned out at the Christchurch school, and how astonished the people of Auckland were when the specimens sent to the Exhibition reached that city. No doubt it is very pleasant for young ladies and gentlemen to attend these classes, and learn how to stain large quantities of Whatman’s paper with paint; but who derives any benefit from the productions except the colorman ? And yet the State contributes to the support of these institutions because an unmeaning cry was got up to the effect that the people would become more cultured if an art education was made easy. Such tuition as is to be got in New Zealand is not likely to do much good in turning out artists, and more wisdom would have been shown if instruction had been limited to architecture and purely industrial art. At any rate the problem , of what is to be done with the colonial , boys will have to be faced, and of the two courses whether it is better to fos- i

ter a race of clerks or to train up the children with a love for mechanical labor, so that they may think manual work no shame, it is not difficult to say which is the wiser.

Mr Fuchs, whoso wife had her foot crushed at the late Sailors’ Home, excursion by the Wakatipu, intends suing the Union Steam Shipping Company for damaaes. The Company has not replied to his solicitor’s demand.

k meeting of the Rinking Club was held last evening in the Town Hall, when the following officers were elected for the ensuing season ; —President, Mr T. Bullock ; vice-presidents, Messrs M. Friedlander and S. S. Rcvena ; secretary and treasurer, Mr H. Zander; committee, Messrs Hutchinson, D. Zander, Pixley, Brett and J. Fooks.

At the R.M. Court this morning, before His Worship the Mayor and R. Alcorn, Esq., J.P., J. M'Connel was brought up charged with the larceny of half a sovereign, the property of J. McClure. Accused pleaded guilty to the charge. The police gave him a good character, and he was released on his recognisances, to come up for sentence when called upon within six months.—J. Hill, for being drunk, was fined 10s or 48 hours.

A fatal accident is reported from Dunedin. Thomas Meek, an engine driver, was oiling his engine at the main station last evening. He was on the ground, and asked the fireman to move the engine a little. The fireman seems to have misunderstood the request, for he moved the engine towards Meek, and it crushed him against the coal-shed. He was dreadfully injured, and on be ng taken to the hospital died within an hour or two. He leaves a wife and three children.

Captain J. Hammond and the chief officer of the barque George Bewley, which arrived at Auckland from London yesterday, testify to the wonderful effect of “ oil on troubled waters.” When the vessel was running before a fierce gale with affair breeze it was found that large quantities of water constantly broke over the stern, and the cabin was partially flooded. Captain Hammond determined to try the “ oil experiment,” and accordingly two canvas bags were prepared and filled with oil. These were hung over each quarter and produced a wonderful effect, fer subsequently scarcely any water broke on board. The necessity of obtaining increased dredging plant has forced itself upon the attention of the Auckland Harbor Board, and the matter was discussed at some length at a meeting. A recommendation from the Committee was read as follows : —“ That in the opinion of this Committee it is necessary for the Board to provide itself with increased dredging plant, and we recommend that application be made to the Lyttelton and Otago Harbor Boards to ascertain if their dredging plant would be available for hire to the Board for, say, twelve mont -s, and that failing dredging plant being available for hire, a dredge be procured by the Board at a cost of about L 20,000. ” The clause was adopted, with the exception of the latter part, referring to the purchase of a new dredge at a cost of L 20,000. The fifth annual report of the Colonial Insurance Company, to be presented at a meeting on the 16th inst., shows the gross income for the year ended March 31, 1883, together with the balance brought forward from the former year, amounted to L 82,242 12s lOd ; expenditure under all headings, including losses, being L 73,084 12s Bd. There is therefore a credit balance of L 9,158 Os 2d. For the disposal of this sum the directors have placed L 2,590 to the reserve fund (which now stands at L 10,000), and have recommended a payment of a dividend of 10 per cent, to the shareholders (equal to L 5,090), leaving L 1,658 Os 2d to be carried forward to next year’s account. The directors congratulate shareholders upon the substantial increase of the Company's business. The Customs revenue collected at the several ports in the colony last month amounted to L 121,086 8s 9d ; the largest

contributors being Dunedin, L 33,035 13s 2d ; Auckland, L 24467 10s 7d ; Lyttelton and Christchurch, L 20,106 8s lOd ; Wellington, LIB,IBO 15s 4d. For April, 1872, the total amount collected was L109,3G3 13s 3d, of which Dunedin supplied L26,(J09 9s sd; Lyttelton and Christchurch, L 21,960 10s 6d ; Auckland, L 19,844 10s 2d ; Wellington, L 14,752 2s lOd. The beer duty for the colony for last mouth was L 5,032 8s Id, the largest contributors being Dunedin, L 1,317 5s lid ; Christchurch, L1,05412s 8d ; Auckland L 997 4a 4d ; while Wellington was only L 314 8s 6d. The amount paid for April, 1882, was L 5,151 15s Id. It is questionable (says the Australasi ’n) whether anything in the way of newspaper sarcasm could be more severe than the umpires’ notes on the Yolunteer sham fight at Queenscliff. There are some doubtless well-deserved acknowledgments of merit, but, if intended to be amusing, the umpires attained their object when it is noted that “ the artillery of the defence force exposed themselves very unnecessarily, and fired into their own infantry in a wood.” To this may be added the account of the undaunted bravery of the cavalry, which allowed itself (on paper) to be swept out of existence, and provoked the French comment on the Balaclava charge : C'est magnifique ; rnais ce n’est pas la guerre!" And the climax was reached when “ the forces of the and the retired at an unnecessarily early period, and the storming thereof was not made until the defenders had retired over half an hour. ” The annual meeting of the Northern Steamship Company took place at Auckland yesterday. The balance-sheet showed the net profit for the year ended March 31st to be L 11,063 3s 2d, or, including the balance from previous year, L 11,518 8s 9J. The appropriation for the payment of the dividend for the six months ending March 31st, at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum, was L 2.607 4s 6d ; written off for depreciation, LI,OOO ; amount carried to insurance fund, L 2.500 ; balance to new account, L 1,053 19s 9J. The retiring Directors, Messrs McFarlane, N. B. Cruickshank and T. Morrin were reelected. It has been decided to proceed at once with the new steamers for the Tauranga, Russell, and Auckland trade, the plans and specifications for which wore sent Home about nine months ago, Entirely new machinery for the Wellington will also leave the Clyde in July. In order to raise the money necoisary lor the construction of the new steamers, it is intended either to call up some further capital, or make a new issue of shares.

Several applications for licenses were made to the Otago Land Board yesterday on behalf of purchasers at the sale of deferred payment pastoral land. They were deferred for a week. The Board decided to grant a license to Matthew Elliott, who applied last week, but to take no a tion with respect to the applications of Joseph McGaw (rabbiter), and Daniel McEwan Fisher (laborer), also made last week. The question of what should be done with the runs passed in at the sale a week or two ago was also brought up. The Chief Commissioner said he was at his wits’ end about the matter. The responsibility in connection with the rabbit pest was so great that people were afraid to take up these runs. Mr James Qreen expressed the opinion that the Rabbit Act was far too drastic. Nothing tended more to impede the settlement of the country. Mr Stout mentioned instances in which inspectors used their powers despotically. Eventually consideration was deferred for a fortnight.

Seddon and others v. Nancarrow and others, a motion to declare the plaintiffs elected as the Westland Board of Education, instead of the defendants, was brought beford Judge Johnston in banco. Defendants are to receive three weeks’ time to file a defence, the plaintiffs having leave to re-enter the case, and to give defendants a week’s notice of motion.

The Otago Acclimatisation Society’s annual report for ihe year speaks despondently of the results of acclimatisation in regard to fish, birds, and animals, except small birds and hares. The brown trout has been fairly successful, though in some streams quite a serious depopulation has been going on. In the Wakatipu and Hayes Lake very large trout are numerous, but they are dreadfully poached. With regard to English salmon no reliable information has been obtained, nor have any Californian salmon been seen, though introduced five years ago. Pheasants and partridges have become so scarce as to lead to the conclusion that much poaching goes on. Black game, which were turned out in 1879, have not been seen at all during the year.

An application was made in bankruptcy yesterday, before Mr Justice Johnston, for leave to appeal from an order of the District Court, Timaru, adjudging Patrick Ryan a bankrupt. After argument, His Honor, without calling- upon opposing counsel, said he was clearly of opinion, from the facts as stated by the debtor, that no case was made out for an extension of grace ; nothing was shown to bring him within the exercise of the discretion with which the Court was invested in cases where, for some reason, it had been im possible to comply with the Statute. The bankrupt evidently left the colony in contemplation of bankruptcy, and there was no reason for believing he would ever have returned had he not been brought back by the police. Having been brought back in December, he should have taken the earliest opportunity of appealing. His Honor would sum up by saying that on the facts stated it would be flying in the teeth of the Legislature for any one to say that this was a case of innocent laches such as would justify the Court in granting further time. His duty, therefore, was to refuse the application. The summons was dismissed.

In the Wanganui Supreme Court yesterday morning, in the action brought by Major Kemp and other owners of Rangipo block against Studholme and Morrin, to recover L 3.276, rent from 1874 to 1881 prior to its being passed through the Lands Court, Mr Travers appeared for plaintiffs and Mr Bell for defendants. Mr Bell brought forward a section of the Native Land Act rendering void all contracts or promises entered into in respect of land where the title was not put through the Court. The issues of fact were agreed to between the parties, and the amount claimed by Mr Bell, subject to large advances on account and to payment being conditional on all native owners signing the lease. The Chief Justice ruled in favor of Mr Bell, and direct d the jury that plaintiffs were not legally entitled to recover. A verdict was given for defendants, with leave to plain tiffs to move in their favor. A second action was brought by Kemp against Studholme and Morrin to recover L4OO agreed to be paid him for services in obtaining signatures to lease. The defendants admitted the agreement, and the case resolved itself into one of accounts. It was found that Kemp had been overpaid by L 5 13s, and the jury returned a verdict for defendants for that amount.

A peculiar affair occurred at Invercargill yesterday, in connection with an action for malicious prosecution —Macintosh v. Basstian, sen.—which has occupied the Supre'me Court for three days. In summing up Mr Justice Williams formulated a series of questions for the four special jurors, who returned answers equivalent to a verdict for the defendant, which His Honor entered. At a late stage of the sitting, Mr Harvey for the plaintiff, informed the Court that he had just received a notice from jurors that they had misconstrued the drift of the questions given them to answer, and that their intention was to give a verdict for the plaintiffs. Counsel therefore asked his Honor to hear the jury in explanation. His Honor said he could not see why the jury could be .mistaken, the questions being very clear. They had found that the prosecution was not malicious in the lower Court, but still it seemed to be their desirb to give the plaintiffs damages. If the jurors had anything to present they could come to him.

Our attention has been called to a paragraph in one of the business advertisements, to the effect that persons holding small auction sales would do well to buy from them. Now, as C. R, Church is the only one holding auction sales of drapery, and although the cap fits him he does not object to the joke, yet we would advise the writer to call on Mr S. D. Nathan and look at his books, when he would find himself so astonished at the results of the “ small auctions ” that he would for ever after hold his peace. The last monster auction will be held on Saturday next, when Mr S. D. Nathan has imperative instructions to let every line go without the slightest reserve. Mr Church leaves Ashburton for Christchurch next week, and will be happy to sea all his Ashburton friends and customers at his establishment, Kiver’s Buildings, Cashel street, when they come to Christchurch.— Advt.

Holloways Pills.—Nervous Debility.— No part of the human machine requires more watching than the nervous system—upon it hangs health and life itself. These pills arthe best regulators and strengthened of the nerves, and the safest general purifiers. Naue sea, headache, giddiness, numbness, and mental apathy yield to them. They dispatch in a summary manner those distressing dyspeptic symptoms, stomachic pains, fulness at the pit of the stomach, abdominal distension, and overcome both capricious appetites and confined bowels —the commonly accompanying signs ef defective or deranged nervous power. Holloway’s Pills are particularly recommended to persons of studious and sedentary habits, who gradually sink into a nervous and debilitated state, unless some such restorative be occasionally taken. —[Advt.]