ROYD GARLICK CASE

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1835, 22 August 1913, Page 4

ROYD GARLICK CASE

THE 'INQUIRY*

MORE EVIDENCE BY EXPERTS.

PROCEEDINGS STILL UNFINISHED.

The committee of tho House of Representatives eet up to inquire into tho appointment of Mr. Royd Garlick as Director of Physical Culture in the primary schools of the Dominion resumed its sittings last evening. Members of the committee present were the Hon. J. A. Millar (in the dhai-r), Hon. A. L. He-rdmon, Messrs. G. M. Thomson, H. 'Poland, T. K. Sidey, D. Guthrie, and J. C. Thomson. Tho Hon. J. Alien (Minister for Education), Mr. G.' Hogben (Inspector-General of Schools), and 'Mr. Royd Garlick also attended. Mr. T. ; M. .Willord, on whoso instigation tho easo was opened, was present to load evidence.

. Tho chairman reported that he had consulted Mr. Wilford with' regard to the witnesses to lie called. Ttliey thought that ono more night -woiiild sufiico for the coiu•plotion of IMiiy Wilford'» evidence. Tho total expenses of his' witnesses would not exceed #15. An Old, Grenadier Guard. John Bertram Parkes, sergeant of the Grenadier Guards, : now on • appointment a3 • Sergeant-major of thp : New Zealand Defence Forces, said'that he had joined tho Army in London in 1904. He earned a salary of .£IBO a year.' Ho held'the instructor's cEirtiticato in the military system of physical training, dated May 1, 1907. Tlio Army system was based on Swedish drill—tho Ling system, 110 knew the Education Board manual of 1909: He trained ,the New Zealand team of. cadets who went to Canada last year. The boys were placed absolutely in his charge, his instructions being to do what he could with them. Major Hume on ono occasion put them through. an hour's course of physical drill, and subsequently asked the witness what he thought of it. Witness had to criticise his work, as Major Hume had put tho boys through the most violent exercises first. N'ext day Major Hume came down with Colonel Heard and otlier officers, and watched him. at work, after which they complimented him. Major Humo then retained him to drill tlio Permanent Artillery, until the boys came back from Canada. It was he who had put the,return-id cadets through their drill behind Parliament House on their return from Canada, when tho Minister for Dei'enco (Mr. Allen) had complimented him-on his work.

jfr. Wilford: Could a man conduct the exercises in the manual without having a knowledigs of drill ?—"Undoubtedly not." In answer to Mr. Guthrie, the witness said he had found tho Department's book suitable for children. Thero was nothing wanting' in tho book. Ho thought it would take .a man .three years to learn to teach the.Army system of physical training. 2?o one could possibly learn it ■in six months. Tho training which ho had imparted to the cadets for Canada was the Army system, not the system which had .been,adopted by tho Department for children.

Replying to Mr. Sidey, tho witness said -he had not seen Mr. Garlick or any of ■His assistants at work. To be an expert in physical training, a man must have somo knowledge of Swedish drill, as all systems were blended together in a perfect system of training. A man familiar with Swedish drill would be competent to give the words of command in tho book.

To Mr. Poland: A man could not pick .up tho book and learn the .system. from it. Ho must'have had instruction from a professional. To Mr. G. M. Thomson: Ho did not distinction between the terms "physical trailing" and, "Swedish drill." In answert<r the chairman, tho witness said that a school teacher would not learn the book in a long time. To.-conduct training thoroughly, a teacher would require to know the whole system. Mr. Millar: What I am trying to get •at' is whethen-there-i3 .any.-prospect of our teachers ever learning to teach tho system. Mr. Herdman: Tho instructors . will como Tound, and the teachers .will re-/ ceivo their lessons gradually. "' Mr.-Millar: 'But what aro the Fifth and Sixth Standard boys doing in tho meantime?

Mr. Herdman:.They have to start wjth tho elementary' rules. Mr; Millar:' And they, leave without having learnt the system ?, i str. Herdman: I'or year' or two. " .' ''' ' - '

Mr. Millar: Well, it will take five or six years before all tho pupils havo learnt tho system. Mr. Wilford. That is why we say the system is a waste of time. [ Mr. Allen said there was a special chapter in tho book dealing with breathing exercises. Was this necessary? The witness thought it was. The Minister handed the witness three cards," containing 21 tables of drill. Ho asked if theso tablos could be learnt by a teacher in a fortnight. The witness thought the timo was qui to insufficient. Three tables a fortnight would be quite sufficient for one man to learn.

Mr. Allen: Do you know that teachers aro instructed to confino themselves to ono table for the first month?—"lt is quite right that they should be." And an instructor could continually improve .those teachers ?■—'"Yes." Mr. Wilford: Can a man be a-physical trainer without a knowledgo of Swedish drill ?-"No." .

There is no doubt whatever about that? -"No doubt whatever." ■ ,

Can a man call himself a physical training expert without knowing Swedish drill?—"No."

Did you apply for any of theso positions?—" No. I was engaged to the Defence Department." Did you know of them ?—"No. I should not havo applied for a position as instructor, as I was attached to tlio Defence Department." . . ' .If you had known that there was a salary of .£3OO a year attached to it, would you havo applied ?—"Yes, the salary would have attracted me."

The witness -was asked if ho had ever seen wrong instructions given to men undergoing 'training on the system of the military handbook, and , replied that he had, in a certain camp of instruction. Mr. Herdman: The camp to which you liavo recently referred was - a military camp?—"A military camp. I am entirely an Army man." Do you know Mr. Royd Garlick ?—"I have .seen him on ono occasion." You have seen liis work?—" No." You have no knowledgo of his capabilities?—" No." So far as you "know ho may be an efficient instructor?—" That is so." Some discussion followed on tho conclusion of Sergeant-Major Parkes's evidence. in the course of which Mr. Allen stated that tho instructors of the Department had be<!n appointed on tho recommendation -of Mr. Garlick. A Masseur's Testimony. Axel Theodore Holtz, masseur, said be. was born at Gothenburg, Sweden. Ho had been present at the exhibition given by Mr. Garlick in the Town Hall. 'Mr. Wilford: Was that an exhibition of . Swedish drill? ! Witness: It would.not have been recognised in Sweden. • The witness said that he had had nino years' training in Swedish drill—the Ling systeni—and anatomy, followed l,y eight years in athletic clubs, and for five vears and a half he had been a masseur at tho Sanatorium at Uoforua. He had for several years been a constant, advocate of the Swedish system, as tho =cheme which should be adopted far New Zealand child'ren. This system had been adopted by 'tlie British Army and Navy. There we.ro mn.nv mistakes in tho exhibition given in tho Town Fall, and almost all of tho positions wero wrong. A man could not master the Swedish system—primary and advanced—in less than five years. He had seen tho manual adopted by the Education Department. If a man had no pre r riou3 experience of drill, it would take him a year to learn the .book. To learn, one of the tables placed, by. Mr. Allen before the previous witness—even with a competent 'instructor—would take about a fortnight. To learn tho 21 tables would take twelvo months. It wiis o. dangerous thing to have tho exercises taught, badly. The exhibition be had seen, if carried out, ..jMuld have a tad-effect on the rising gen-

eration. Tho first positions were tho chief thing in Swedish ilrill, and if they wero wrong tho exercises would .he wrong all through. Mr. Wilford: You are not looking for any position out of this?— No. Oros.«.\'aniiiicd by 'Mr. Herdman, the witnnss said that lie was not n rival of Mr. Garlick, nor of Mrs. Garlick. 110 knew that Mrs. Garlick was a massouso, and that her advertisement appeared in the paper just above iliis own. 'Mir. Hordmaii: Did you ask the newspaper people to placo your advertisement be.sids Mrs. Garlick'sF—"No."

Wero you at the Town Hall when this exhibition took placo P—"Yes." Did you see Mr. Garlick givo any directions?—" No."

So far as youi know he took no part in tho exhibition?—"Ho may have done bo us manager."

To Mr. Sidoy: At tho Town Hall exhibition, wrong positions wore taken up, not by tho whole class, but by individuals. He therefore concluded that tho fault lay more with the pupils than with tho instructor.

Mr. Wilford: Have you seen Mrs. Garlick's prospectus issued since Mr. GarHole's appointment?—" No." tMr. Wilford handed the witness'o prospectus, in which Mrs. Garlick stated that sho was prepared to receive students for a coura) of training as teachers of physical education.-

Mr. Herdman: What has this to do with it?

Mr. Wil&rd: Mr. Allen, has said that appointments are made on the recommendation of Air. Garlick. Do you not see the connection? If physical ' training teachers are taught, whom are thoy to bo employed under but Mr. Garlick? Mr. Wilford stated that Mrs. Garlick had raised her fee for sucih instruction.

There was some discussion as to whether Mr. Wiiford's position on this point did not reflect on Mrs. Garlick, but Mr. Wilford said that ho did not for one moment wish to do so.

It was decided that the committeo adjourn until 3 p.m. on Wednesday next.