NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1742, 6 May 1913, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

A deputation licntlccl by Sin E. S. Baden-Powell has requested the English Board of Education to make provision for more cohesion between the schools and the Boy Scout movement. As the cablegram gives no details as to the proposal one cannot express an opinion as to its merits, but it may be pointed out that a similar suggestion has been made by one of the leading English educationists, Dr. J. J. Findlay, Professor of Education at Manchester University, writing of the possibilities of corporate life among boys when pursuits are chosen which correspond to their stage of development, Dk. Findlay states: "General BadenPowell has undoubtedly diagnosed with rare insight the qualities which distinguish boys between the ages of ten and fuiii'leen. At present his plans are conducted outside (he. machinery of our schools, but it will lm a misfortune if the pedantry ul' school officials prevents the appropriation by our school communities of all (hal, is best in this unique enterprise.'' Dii. Findlav is of opinion that "the time is ripe for the serious study of this enterprise by teachers of the young; if, as a result new life and vigour is brought into the primary school, i,t will not be, the first occasion on which the teaching body has accepted instruction from without/' There may no doubt bs serious difficulties in'the way of giving effect to the suggestion," hut the grounds on which the President of the English Board of Education (Mi:. Peace) bases his adverse reply arc far from convincing. He said there was some justification for the feeling that the Boy Scouts' training was merely a military movement fostered in order to secure compulsory service throuirhout tho oountry, and ho was anxious that no spirit of militarism should be associated with the elementary schools. It seems surprising that a Minister of the Crown should consider it an improper thing to teach boys that it is their duty to lit themselves for the defence of their country in time of need. There is no doubt that the spirit of eo-op-enil.ioii. discipline, and resourcefulness which Scout work inculcates

does make it easier for a lad to become a good citizen soldier; and surely (lie movement should be encouraged on that very account, instead of being treated as a danger from which English boys should be carefully shielded.

A good deal of nonsense is being written by some of the opponents of the Government just now as the result of the report of the Commission on the Public Trust Office. The authors of the opinions which are being put forward profess to be greatly concerned as to the fate of tliis large and valuable State institution because the Commissioners expressed the view that there had been a tendency on the part of the Legal Department- to compete for business. The would-be alannisls are much more concerned to make a point, fairly or unfairly, against the Government, than to protect the interests of the Public Trust Office which they know arc quite safe. In seizing 011 the one point relating to the legal business done by the Office the critics of the Commissioners' report conveniently ignore the fact that a great many valuable suggestions were put forward in other directions calculated to not only the working conditions of the staff but also the methods of the Department in certain particulars. It is idle to pretend that any responsible Government would to-day take any step likely to prejudice the working of a (State institution which has proved of such value to all classes of the community. Still, any stick is good enough these days for the antilleformers to hit at the Government with, and some of the sticks used are not over-clean.

The Prime' Minister intimated a day or two ago that the whole of the surplus of some £700,000 would be transferred to the , Public Works Fund, and spoke hopefully of tho financial outlook. This is pleasant enough so far as it goes. What we find it difficult to understand, however, is why tho Government should continue to spend "-ood money in pandering to the demand from Canterbury and Westland for the construction of the costly and unprofitable Otira tunnel and railway undertaking. Presumably Ministers consider themselves committed by the action of their predecessors in office and are reluctant to leave lying idle and useless the money already expended in carrying the work as far as it has gone. It would be far bettcr, in the interests of the Dominion, to cut the loss already incurred than to go on piling up further expenditure on.the construction of a line which, when completed, will only increase tho drain on the pockets of the taxpayers by adding the loss on tho working of the line to the interest charges on tho capital sunk in the venture. If there is one work more than another in New Zealand at the present moment which should bo laid aside for a more fitting time it is the Otira tunnel and railway. There aro a thousand different directions in which the money could bo sDent to better advantage, and if the Government arc not already aware of this it is about time the fact was brought under their noticc.

The protest made by certain members of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday against the procedure followed ill calling an emergency mcetinc of the Board to rcconsider the proposals for conducting bacteriological work at the Hospital, was quite warranted. It is by no means a satisfactory state of affairs which permits a meeting of the Board to be held and important decisions arrived at without the whole of the members being notified and having the opportunity of attending. In principle the thing is bad, and nothing short of an emergency calling for immediate action offers any ground of justification. At the same time the fact must not be lost sight of that in the case under review the ■occasion undoubtedly was one demanding immediate action if the Board was to secure the advantage of the offer' made by the InspectorGeneral of Hospitals to share the cost of the new Bacteriological Department at the Hospital. Any delay might have resulted in Dr. Hardwicke-Sjiith carrying out his original instructions and making appointments in Eneland, which would have created enbarrassment and possibly have debarred the arrangement now arrived at. While, therefore, those members of the Board who made_ their protest on the point of principle were quite justified in doing so, (hey might well now permit the matter to drop. A substantial saving has been made possible as the result of the chance decided on, and l.lie purpose in view will still be satisfactorily .served. Taking into consideration the heavy and increasing cost of. Hospital and Charitable Aid there can lie little doubt that the decision of the emergency meeting of the Board will meet with general approval, and any attempt now to upset it at the expense of the taxpayers will receive little sympathy from those who have to foot the bill.