NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2156, 23 May 1914, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

Rather a good joke has been unconsciously perpetrated by one of the snore indiscreet of the mouthpieces of the Anti-liefora Party, "With a quite commendable desire'to impress the electors of Hawke's Bay with tfio immensity of the favour conferred on them by Mr. 'M'Nau deigning to offer his services as their candidate, the journal in question grew almost hysterical in depicting ' the virtues of the gentleman named and the tenj.ib.lo struggle he has been going through to -avoid being captured by other electorates eager to claim him as tftc-tj: own. This is really very amusing when it is borne in mind that on the last two occasions : on which Mr. M'Nas offered his se.r- ---[ vices the ekctoi s s-~at Mataura and i Pahnoi'ston North respectively— era-' piratically declined the honour of sending him to Parliament as their representative. But the cream of the joke is the effort which tha paper referred to makes ; to paint Mb. M'Mao ns' the champion of "the democratic cause" untrammelled by tho chains of wealth and position, invading the territory of the- rich and affluent and "throwing down the gage of battle to monopoly,''' The Vvardisfc journals are so accustomed, to writing this sort of thing that it has become a habit with them. Mr. M'Nab, of course, will be a good deal- more at home- with the .gentle? meti who own the big estate's in Hawke's Bay than would be Mm. MasseY. Mr. H'Naßj it is pleasing to know, is extremely well endowed with worldly goods,, and, unless helms recently disposed of his extensive landed interests, has a very material stake ift th« country as owner and part owner of country lands. Ho no doubt has many friends amongst "the. squatters" of Hawke's Bay who will enjoy with him tho unconscious humour of his newspaper admirer's effort to depict him: as the struggling champion of demo-. cracy burdened with nothing more', substantial than a burning ?( c a ! t-o smite.at wealth and monopoly.

The high regard in .which -Mb. IloiißEi- Lee is field by,all who have marke'd the progress of public education in. the Wellington districtduring his long and praiseworthy connection with school' administration was given public expression a-fc the; meeting of the Wellington Edit: cation Board yesterday, when Mit. Lee relinquished the Chair, and definitely retired from active participation in educational-matters, jin. Lee has been' in harness in the cause I of education in New Zealand since i 1864, and in this district since 1873. Ho first served here .as inspector and secretary of an education district which was than practically in a-'vir-gin state, so far as public instrue- : tiqn was coJiccrned. Later be became chief inspector, and served in that capacity during, a period when important changes in the form and practice of educational methods (tad administration were in process of development. Latterly.he has filled the position of -Chairman of a body whichliaa now the oversight of many important departments of primary and secondary education. In all the phases,of his long and varied experience as a responsible supervisor .and administrator, Mb, Lee has been croditedwith a sterling capacity for fair dealing, and witifo. disposition to meet new ideas in educational science with a broad and unfettered vision. The cause of education in the Wellington, district is immeasurably indebted to M&, Lias for his great services, and the high encomiums which wore expressed hyhis colleagues on the Board yesterday will, we feel sure, be widely echoed throughout the district with which, as a sovind and progressive educationist, ho has been so long icleati-1 lied. ■ i