EDUCATION COMMISSION. AND PHONETIC SPELLING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1500, 24 July 1912, Page 6

EDUCATION COMMISSION. AND PHONETIC SPELLING.

Sir,—Mr. Georgo Hogben, who has been incessantly before the Education Commission as apologist for that Department which ho commodores, makes some rather droll euggost.ions. It is a curious circumstance that he should bo at such pains to explain so many things, to point out so many defects, and to offer such useful suggestions. Why should all this bo necessary? Is not Mr. llogbcn's kingdom so much under his control that in all these years such a capable administrator could uot liavo put educational institutions. on a. satisfactory, basis? It is significant that so many complaints of "faddism," so much general dissatisfaction, mid such an astonishing increase in the cost of administration, should mark the progress of so many years of tho domination of Mr. Ilogbcii. "A movement towards phonetic spelling" is certainly opportune, in Mr: Cicorgo llogbcn's opinion. He quite overlooks the dignity of the words which c.lotho or disguise peopled thoughts; lie docs not consider that tho history of races and of empires, the progress of civilisations, and the rise and fall of all the influences that have affected the world are recorded in our language, and especially in the forms of spelling. He assumes that children rely upon dictionaries for their pronunciation of words, but no doubt tho pressure of his Departmental duties has not afforded hiin an opportunity for investigating such a bosoless hypothesis. ' 'Without offeiinp; any opinion upon its utility (except that phonetic spelling would bo as difficult to learn as tho existing spelling), would Mr. Hogbcn admit, for instance, that there is any great advantage in omitting tho letter, "g" from a word?—l am, etc.. "A NTI-SLUMMICIvY SPELLING." July 19, 1312.