The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 1878.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 207, 28 June 1878, Page 5

The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA : FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 1878.

| The report of the Education Board of y Otago has been published and circuv lated. The former report was for the 7 year ending 31st March, 1877; the ? present report is for the nine months between the last-mentioned date and 31st December last All the education t reports* used to be for the financial year * of the Provincial Council, which"terminated on the 31st March. The Council used to meet soon after this date. The most recent information on the subject of education was therefore in the hands | of members. The most recent information contained in the present report is I even now. six months old. We cannot ] but think that by the time the General r Assembly meets the present report will .be rather antiquated. Indeed a supf l Elementary report for the first half of \ the current year would require to be prepared, but we do not think there is any intention of preparing such a supplementary report, or any statutory provision requiring its preparation. It is highly desirable that the Assembly when it meets should be in possession of the most recent information regarding education. By that time the country will have had seven months' experience of the new system. Though this is a very short time for bringing out the excellencies and defects of the system, yet it is desirable that these y- should as far as possible be known to the Assembly, especially as legislative changes . will probably be proposed if 4 not actually canned into effect. In, glancing through the report the L- first thing we noticed that may be con-

7 sidered a little peculiar, and therefore 4 worthy of remark, was that there are very I? many more female than male pupil p| teabhers. There are 26 of the latter, It? but no fewer than 62 of the former, or, Wf yin other words, for ? every two male there are five female

pupil teachers. Our business at present is not so much to account for this curiou*. circumstance as simply to draw attention to it. Had we time we believe we could show satisfactorily how it comes about. Such action on our part would at present appear a digression ; we therefore content ourselves by simply referring' to the fact that a very large ' proportion of our pupil teachers, are girls. It might be supposed at first sight that the effect of this would be to increase very much the proportion of female teachers in our schools. At present about one-fourth of our teachers are schoolmistresses. This is exclusive of teachers of sewing, of whom there is a considerable number. Is this proportion to increase ? We are inclined to think that it will, although not to the exteut that the number of female pupil teachers would indicate. It is probable that all or nearly all the male pupil teachers will stick to teaching- as a profession. We may expect, however, that in due course a goodly number of the female pupil teachers will pass into the no less honourable position of wives, and thus drop out of the list of teachers. Some of those who marry teachers may themselves continue as teachers. But in regard to those i who marry out of the profession, the probability is that the teacher will give place entirely to the wife. Still we think there is a tendency in the direction of an increase of the female element in our teaching* staff. Whether this is a healthy sign or otherwise we do not venture to express an opinion. Though as we have seen more girls than boys take to teaching as a profession, it by no means follows that there are more girls than boys attending* our public schools. As our statistics show that male and female children are born in about equal pi*oportions, we should expect that the attendance of boys and girls would also be in about equal proportions. This is not the ease. For every seven boys attending our schools there are ouly six girls. How is this ? We know that in this country, where labour is high, the inducement to keep children at home to do little pieces of work is very great. The inducement, however, appears to be quite as strong in the case of boys as of girls. We are inclined to lay the blame on the had weather and the bad roads. Boys may sometimes be able to make their way to school when it would be almost impossible for little girls to do so. There may be other things besides bad weather and bad roads that tend in the direction of preventing our schools being as well attended by girls as by boys. We trust, however, that this does not arise in any degree from a mistaken notion that education is more necessary for boys than for girls. And here we may refer to the question oi the regularity or rather the irregularity of attendance at our public schools. There is no table showing the average number of pupils on the rolls for the year. There is, however, a table showing the number of children who have attended at all during the year. This table we admit is not quite fair for comparison, because children may have been on the rolls during the currency of the year, and may have left school for good— some of them in the early part of the year. Still, after making all due allowance for this, the attendance seems to be very irregular. Of 19, G00 children who have attended at all during the year, only 11,700 have been in daily attendance. We cannot refrain from saying that the irregularity which these figures bring out is not very creditable to us. The new system of education may have the effect of increasing the attendance at our schools. We hope and believe that it will. Still we do not think it will have the effect of increasing it to the extent to which it should be increased. Many parents will still incline to keep their children at home when they should be at school. We would urge parents to be on their guard against this unfortunate tendency — unfortunate at all events so far as the poor children are concerned.

The early age at which children are withdrawn from school is also clearly brought out in this report. By far the greater number of children at school are between the ages of five and ten, There does not appear to be any record kept of the number of children at school between the ages of ten and twelve. At least such information is not tabulated and given us in the report. This information used to be given us in our education reports, and it brought out this not very satisfactory fact that a very small per centage y of children beyond the age bf twelve years was at our public schools. We think it is to be regretted that this information is not given us in the present report. The number of children at school between the ages of ten and fifteen is given. But this is not of much use to us, so far at least as showing the age at which a large number of our children leave school.

There are many other points in the report to which we should like to refer. We may do this on a future occasion.

The County Council of Clutha will meet here at noon to-day.

During the beginning of the present week Tapanui was visited with tho heaviest fall of snow that has been known for several years.

The English mail via Suez was delivered here yesterday. The outward mail by that route leaves Dunedin on Monday. Letters -must, therefore, be posted hero before 5 p.m. on Sabbath. .... . .^.y4. y

The Tapanui Athenseum Committee are making application to have themselves registered a corporation. There-after it is their intention to proceed with the erection of a substantial building on the reserve set apart for Afchen_eum purposes in that township.

"We have received a long letter from Mr Thomas Jolly, teachei*, Waiwera, in reply to the communication from the School Committee, published in last issue. We regret tho letter has been received too late for appearing this week, but ifc will be published in next week.

It has been resolved to form a Joint Stock Company, for the purpose of erecting a Temperance Hotel, in Christchurch, to posess attraction in the shape of amusements. It is also intended to endeavour to establish a Working Men's Olub in connection with. it.

The Good Templars at Catlins have started a new mode of imploying then* usual monthly harmony night. They now occupy part of the time by the reading fof original papers. The first was read hy Mr Sandilant^the other evening, the subject being " Ambition." It was a good paper and well received.

The Owake School Committee, with the concurrence of the teacher, this year postponed the usual harvest holidays till winter. The children are, therefore, now enjoying (?) their annual holidays. Owing to the peculiar circumstances of the district, this step has given universal satisfaction to the parents.

In a recent issue we called attention to the inconvenience of tha mail arrangements at Ofcatia, and urging that the mails should arrive and depart on Tuosdaya and Fridays instead of Mondays and Fridayß. "We are glad to know that this arrangement has been made and is now being carried oat.

Mr John A. Barr, late with Messrs Sievwright and Stout, was on Wednesday, the 19th inst., admitted and enrolled a barrister of the Supreme Court, by His Honour Mr Justice Williams. Mr Barr is son of Mr William Barr, Kaikorai, and his many friends iv this quarter will be glad to hear of his success.

Residents in Cook's Strait, and along the adjoining coast, wiy the gale on Monday night was the severest experienced there for fifteen years. Hoofs were carried off, chimneys were blown down, fences and outhouses destroyed, and damage to a large extent occasioned. We are bad enough, bub not quite so bad as this iv the Clutha,

Considerable jubilation was caused in Tapanui last Friday by the receipt of a telegram from Mr Bastings, M.H.R., intimating tbat tenders for the Tapanui railway would be out on Tuesday, 25th inst. lt is to be hoped that preliminaries will be arranged in time to allow the successful contractor to have the work well forwarded during the ensuing season.

At a meeting of the Otaria School Committee on Thursday, last week, Mr Jame3 Scot, was elected chairman in room of Mr E. Couperthwaite, resigned. The Secretary waa instructed to write to those parents neglecting to send their children to school, and inform them that the compulsory clauses of the Education Act would be put in foi'co in the Otaria district.

In last issue we called attention to the fact of next Friday evening having been fixed for a concert in Balclutha and also at Inch Clutha. We then expressed the hope that the latter might be changed to some other evening, so as not to interfere with tho attendance at either. The Committee, however, find it inipos.iblo to do this, and therefore both concerts will be held next Friday evening.

The claims against tho Insurance Companies' on accouut of the late fire in Balclutha have, we understand, been settled in full. It was at first intended by the Companies to rebuild the jSfewmurket Hotel and hall, but, as they discovered this would be the more costly plan, ihey gave it up.— On difc that Mr Dunne intends *to erect a new hall of brick, tho same dimensions a3 the former. Tliis, if correct, is most welcome news, as the late building k \&iy greatly missed.

Notwithstanding the wretched state of the roads to Catlins it would seem they are not altogether impassable and that the difficulties can be overcome by pluck and persoverence. As an instance of this we may mention that on Monday last Mr Collins thresher aud engine were safely conveyed from Ahuviri to tho Owake flat and commenced work there on Tuesday morning. After finishing in the lower Owake an attempt is to bo made to take the mill and engine to the upper flab where there is also a considerable amount of work to be' done.

We regret to learn that a case of sheep worrying upon rather an extensive scale occurred at Kaihiku on Friday morning last. Upon going out at dawn that morning Mr Robert Fleming noticed his sheep scattered throughout tho paddock, and hearing dogs bark he went to the paddock to see what was the matter He saw two dogs worrying a sheep but upon noticing him they made off. He then found that a large number of tbe sheep had been worried. Thirteen were so badly torn that he had to kill them, Several others are severely bitten but are expected to recover. It is really provoking tbat people should have their stock destroyed in this manner. If people will* not keep their dogs chained up at night we would advise the whole of the settlers to lay poison in every paddock where they have sheep. Let it be laid as far as possible from a road line, and take chance of the legal consequences.

The storm, wliich apparently has been raging with great severity all over the Colony for past few weeks, as yet shows no signs of abating in this quarter. Snow, sleet, and rain, with occasional fair blinks of only a tew minutes duration, make up the prevailing weather. "Upon the low ground the snow has not lain to any depth, but the surrounding hills, and ridges have a heavy covering. Stock in unsheltered paddocks must have suffered severely, and must have deteriorated in value to a greater amount thau would have been required to provide ample shelter by planting and otherwise. Probably the experience of the storm may have some effect in inducing settlers and others to provide shelter for the future. That celebrated individual the " oldest inhabitant " assures ua he does not remember of so long continued and severe a storm in the Clutha. Considering the large quantity of snow that now covers the hills on both sides of the river up the valley of the Clutha, the prospect of a sudden change to warm weather would not be a pleasant one for the citizens of Balclutha as in all probability the flood would prove a heavier one than any of them have yet witnessed.

We understand Mr John Dunne has purchased from Mr Mollison the Crown Hotel, Balclutha, of which he will take possession in a

day or two

The ballast hitherto obtained from Waipahi, for the Clinton -Balclutha line has been condemned, and it is expected it will now have to be brought from Gore.

It will b© observed that in consequence of the inclement state of tho weather the sale afc Mr Hector M'Kenzie's, The Gorge, Clinton, has been postponed until Friday, sth July;

The result of the nomination yesterday of members of tho Board pf Conservators for Inch will bo found in our advertising columns. The poll takes place on Monday.

Ephraim Harris, an old and respected miner, died suddenly while at work in bis claim at Tuapeka Creek on Wednesday. He cooeyed to his wife living close by, bub expired before she could render any assistance.'

The poll in the election of a Borough Councillor of Balclutha in room of Mr Cramond, resigned, was taken on Saturday with tho following result :— P. Mason 87, W. Lloyd 79. MiMason was therefore declared duly elected.

In a local in last issue referring, to the result of the Matau Road , Board election. Inch Clutha Buh*divisiou, Messrs P. Lawson and R. Darling were mentioned as the successful candidates. Theso should have read, Messrs James Wollocks and Peter Lawson.

Mr Barton has made another application to the Government as to his complaints againsb the Judges. The Government adhere to their former resolution, tbat Mr Barton's proper course is himself to bring the matter before Parliament* and decline further to interfere in the affair.

It will be observed that the code of bye-laws recently adopted by the Borough Council of Balclutha are now in force within the Borough. It. would be well for the citizons to procure copies from the Borough Clerk, and peruse them bo as to prevent misunderstandings iv the future.

The following was the result of the poll for members of the Otaria Road Board, on Thursday, last week : — Templeton 20, Catto 20, Nelson 14, Gordon 9, Young 9, and Lumsden 5. The Returning Officer Qttr Scott), therefore, declared Messrs Templeton and Catto duly elected. A good many of the settlera were present to learn the result.

At the R.M. Court Port Chalmers, on Thursday, George Neall, George Chick, George Dodson, William Fitzgerald, and T. M'Guire, hotolkeepers, were charged with selling drink on Sunday, tho 9th inst. ISTeall and Chick were fined L 5 each. In Dodsons case judgment was reserved. In the cases of "Fitzgerald and M'Guire the informations were dismissed.

It will be observed that at the -meeting of the Waste Lands Board, on Wednesday, it was decided to have the Balclutha reserve ou the east side of tho river surveyed jinto quarter acre sections and partly into suburban sections of from one to five acres, and sold. The Chief Surveyor was instruebsd to have the survey carried out at his earliest convenience.

It will be observed that the Clinton Road Board has taken action in the matter of the resolution of the Clutha County Conucil to levy a rate of one shilling in the £. A conference of Chairmen and membei'3 of Rord Boards is called for Saturday tho 13th July at the Warepa School. Considering the interest the matter is exciting, we have no doubt there will bo a full attendance. The nomination of candidates for Crichton Road Board took place on l'riday hist, ab Lovells b'lat school. The candidates proposed were Mr Alexander Kerr, and Mr William Durrie. No other candidates beiog proposed, aud these being the number required to fill the vacancies, they were declared duly elected. At Stony Creek, on the 2_.t.d, Mr John Bryce was duly elected to fill tho placo of tho retiring member for that subdivision.

The weather and the state of the roads have effectually put a stop to the despatch of giaiu at Lovells Flat. Three bullock drays arrived there per train, all the way from Waikouaiti, the teams travelling overland for tho purpose of carting wheat from Begg Bros, to that station ; and all tliis is sticking to tho motto " never say die" with a firm resolve; Still by all appearance " never say drown" will have to" bo the watchword with the bullocks. We are credibly informed that small bullocks that cannot swim will have no chance amongst the ruts.

A meeting of the Clinton Road Board was held on Wednesday last, when it was resolved that a protest be lodged with the County Council against any alteration being made in the boundaries ot the Clinton Riding ; also, that a meeting of the chairmen and members of the various Road Boards throughout the Clutha be held at Warepa on Saturday, 13fch July, for the purpose of considering what steps should be taken by them in regard to the rate proposed to be levied by the Council over the whole of the Road Districts. The feeling among the Ratepayers is running in addition to ihe heavy rate raised by the Road high against a rate being levied by the Council Boards.

Sir Geo. Grey, Mr Sheehan Mr Fisher, and staff, arrived at Waitara on Friday evening, last week, to attend the Maori meeting. Tho wet and stormy weather tbat has since prevailed has prevented some of the prominent chiefs and their followers getting forward and the meeting has, therefore, been postponed from day to day, Rewi has been waiting all the time, and he and Sir George have had several friendly meetings, A large number of natives with 44 carts laden with provisions, consisting of potatoes, kumeras, live pigs, etc., passed through new Plymouth on Wednesday, on their way to the meeting which was fixed positively to take place yesterday. It is expected that final amicable arrangements will be accomplished between the Government and the native race before the meeting breaks up.

A large meeting of owners and occupieTß of land on Inch Clutha was held yesterday in the schoolhouse, for the purpose of electing members tp compose the Board of the newly constituted River District of Inch Clutha. MrW. : A. Mosley was called to the chair, and explained the powers and the nature of the Act undor which the Board was constituted ; after which those present were called upon to nomiuate : members. There were eight gentlemen norai- . nated, but as the Board will consist of only five members a show of hands was taken with the following result :— James Smaill, 22 ; P. Lawson, > 18 ; W. A. Mosley, 17 . J. C. Anderson, 17 ; Jas; Bell, 17. Jas. Wollocks,l3; Geo. M 'Donald, -9*; Wm. Pillans, 8. A poll having been demanded, the same will be taken as advertised -'in another ■ oblurai-.;;7 ? '7' '"H;" '■'.:[ y. '444. yJ-fJyA y : - A'\-i

During a violent gale on Monday night the Hyderabad, a home vessel, was driven ashore on a sandy beach near Otaki. Her cargo, which mainly consists of railway engines, carriages and wheels, is valued at L 25,000. It is expected the vessel may he got off without much

damage.

An occurence took place on the ClintonWaipahi line last week which very nearly torminated in disastrous results, and should, act as a warning to others. A truck with timber was left at Wairuna siding, and the owner, for the sake of more conveniently unloading, shunted the truck near the main line. During the temporary absence of the owner the ballast train came aloDg at great speed but luckily the driver espied the dangor from a distance, and at once slackened speed, reversed the engine and put on the brakes. By dint of great exertion he managed to bring his ODgine to a stand still, when nearly touching the truck. It was lucky for all concerned that the engine driver noticed the danger in time, or fatal consequences might otherwise have been the result. Tho offending party was summoned before the Invercargill Bon-lb and fined £3 and costs.

" Owake " sends the following items from that district :— The inhabitants here were taken by surprise, whon they noticed in your | last issue that Messrs Dabinet and Young had | applied for a slaughtering license. It seems i butchering is a very profitable business, and remembering the old proverb that opposition is the life of trade, I have no doubt Messrs Dabinet and Young will have a share of the trade. But I think if we can sustain two butchers we much more should have two bakers. With flour at Lll or Ll2 a ton,' the present price (8d) of the loaf seems high. Perhaps a little of the proverbial life.'of trade would remedy this.— A few robberies havo occurred in this district of late. Mr Jones had a pile of rails laid down at the landing, but when he (went to remove tbem he found some one had saved him the trouble. He then laid down another pile at the same place, and watched for a return of the thief, but apparently he had got as many as he required, At all events the bait did not take. The other thefts were a bag of flour, belonging to Mr Meader, a cask of treacle belonging to Messrs Dabinet and Young, and a bag of cabbages belonging to Mr Bryan. The names of certain parties are mentioned in connection with these thefts, but there was no proof. Really parties should be careful againsb whom thoy make such accusations, as a good name is sometimes valuable and if once interfered with, or lost, is nob easily regained.