AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 884, 2 August 1910, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY

AEROPLANE SENSATION. A large crowd assembled on the Cheltenham Racecourse, Adelaide, on Saturday afternoon, July 23, to witness the first public aeroplane flight in Australia. Tho trials had proved successful, and, with good weather, Mr. H. C. Rolfe, the aviator, was confident of aVgood ilight. The Bleriot-failed to rko at the first attempt, and on thn second rose a little. The left wing was seen to elevate, and the aeroplane then swerved to the right and dashed amongst the spectators, some of whom were knocked down. Ewart Lock, 16, of Essex Street, Goodwood, where lie resides with his parents, was the most unfortunate. The propeller of the aeroplane, which was making 1500 revolutions per minute, tore his hand oil at the wrist. He was at once removed froni the racecourse, and at tho hospital bis.arm' was amputated below the elbow. The boy's arm is also fracftired above the elbow, and little hope is' held out of recovery. Two women who were standing near fell down with, fright, but soon recovered. Tho airman, before the second. attempt to fly, beckoned the people to give a clear passage of forty yards, but, with insatiable curiosity, they continued, to force forward. The propeller was smashed into pieces, and the ribs of. the-right wing were broken. Rolfo, tho aviator, said afterwards.:—"l have made successful flights with the machine, but this morning the weather was not clear enough to permit of a successful flight." The propeller is made of cedar, and ie six feet long. . POSITION OF TEACHERS. Mr. James I.o\vi9, retiring president of the Victorian Head .Teachers' Association, .in an -address delivered to lutmbors at, ttto;annual'meeting, said the present position of teachers in the State 1 was decidedly one of unrest. Ureat attention was being directed to the intro-duction-and advancement of secondary education, and earnest efforts were being, made to carry on, the work of instruction beyond the State school years and programme. jThey had no quarrel with the object aimed at, but they objected to the deprivation. of legitimate expenditure on primary education. Legitimate expenditure on primary, school buildings could not be carried out for want of money. Buildings were neglected year after year, and tho sanitary state of many old buildings was bad. They were reported on every year as fresh cases, but the reply-1 came over and anon, "No funds." Each year .seemed, to become more harassing to the teacher. Thero was not always that trust of those in authority which there should be. The position of the teacher. required the strongest sympathy between tho teachers and the inspectorial staff, but that was not always shown. Parent and public were too often considered as having claims diametrically opposed to the teacher. Many inspectors had not had the.experience which would prevent them from being theorists. The superannuation of teachers was an important question which could not be efficiently handled until teachers were united. Teachers must bo trusted, not dealt with as so many criminals, and inspectors must not be detectives. ..LETTER PROM GENERA!/BOOTH. • An interesting letter from Gouei-al Booth was read at tho annual interState congress of officers of.the Salvation Army, held in Melbourne.. The letter was addressed to the Australian officers in council. General Booth commended the officers for their, faithfulness to the principles, of the army, and regretted : that he was unable to be among them. The future was uncertain, and anything like a journey to Australia in his present condition was impossible. He continued—"You will know something of the trying experience through' which I have passed in the last eighteen months. There came first the operation on my oye. Then unfortunately followed an accident which more than undid all the good work that had been done, and which called for tho .exercise of all the patience that. 1 could command. . The doctors who are interested in my present affliction are amazed at the power of recuperation which my nature has manifested in the trials through which 1 have' passed. They cannot understand how a man of eighty-one years of age has been able to suffer with so little evil consequence, or continue to work at such high pressure for so long n time in tho face of the disadvantages that I have had to endure. They openly confess that but for my rational diet and my self-denying habits I should have been a. helpless invalid or laid hi the grave long ago. Profit by my example, as well as my precept. Moderate eating and drinking will prolong your days. Increase your vigour and oxpand your opportunities for'the work of God." POPULATION' OP AUSTRALIA. According to the population statistics just, issued by .the Commonwealth Statistician, Australia's inhabitants on March 31 last numbered 4,330,325. These wero distributed among the various States as follow:— . ■ ; State. Males. Females. Total. N.S.W '..870,308 705,789 1,G3G,01>7 Victoria 05-1,870 ■ 647,553 1,302,423 Queensland ... 314,578 ' 263,550 .578,13-1 South Australia 223,728 .191,0-12 418,370 West Australia 159,491 .110,421 275,915 Tasmania 94,880 _ 90,500 .185,380 Coramonw'lth 2,317,858 2,078,407 4,390,325 A DISTINGUISHED VISITOR.' The Rev. W. Temple, M.A., a son of tho late ArchbishoT) of Canterbury, arrived in Adelaide by the R.M.S. Marmora on Saturday, July 23/ He is visiting the Universities oi Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney, under the auspices of the "World's Student Christian Federation, and will spend about twelve days at each' centre; lecturing and delivering addresses on Christian apologetics and social subjects. .Mr. Temple is president in England of the Workers' Educational Association. He will leave Australia-on. September-1 for London, and upon his arrival in England will take the mastership of Eepton Grammar School, one of the. big public schools .of Derbyshire. ORNITHOLOGICAL EXCURSION. Tho Australasian Ornithologists' Union, which will hold a series of meetings at Brisbane-in October next, intends in connection with them to undertake an expedition for the study of biid life in tho islands of the Capricornian Group, offtho Queensland coast, and also on part of the Great Barrier Reef. :J!r. S. A. ■Wliito, of Enlhani, as the official representative of the union in South Australia, has received notification that the Queensland Government has . placed' its steamer Cit-z.roy at the disposal of the union for the purpose, from October 7 to October 17. YOUNG' AUSTRALIA'S FAILING. . A lack of interest on the part of young Australians in (ho history of their coun-. try was complained of by Mr. Prank Madden (the Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly), at tho first annual meeting of the Historical Society of Victoria. Mr. Madden said tho native Australian did not know much history, and had little regard for it. It was not taught in schools. The young Australian had no veneration for tho things that had He thought more of a champion of cricket than (hose who made this continent. He hoped that the society, by disseminating Knowledge among people, would interest the young people in the past. The history of Australia was of much more importance to them than the older generation. It would bo the young people's duty to carry on when the old colonists had gone, and , make a history of their own. Mr. H. Gyles Turner .said that the teaching of history had always been absolutely neglected in tho State schools of Victoria. Thero had been a little improvement in the last lew years, which was mainly due to Ihe great advance in tliu "State School Taper." What was wanted was that the history of their own country should be brought homo to thpso on whom the future or tho Commonwealth would depend.. There was much romance in the history of the country, and much stimulating interest in its social movements.