NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 194, 12 May 1921, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

Mr. P-trr has promised New Zealand an educational overhaul, and nowhere is reform more needed than in the rearrangement of the educational ladder. At present the free-place system loads an increasing number of children each year 'into secondary schools to take up a course designed as a preliminary to a university education. Last year’s report showed over 16,000 children receiving secondary education, an increase of 50 per cent, over the figure of five years ago Of these children a quarter leave after a year in a secondary school, and at the end of another year half of them hare dropped out. At the Secondary School Teachers’ Conference, now sitting, Air. Renner declared yesterday that half of the children atteriuing these schools are unfitted to be there. We are not Tm a position to know whether this is so or not, but the folly of leading all the children into one narrow educational alleyway has long been apparent. Last year Mr. Pan- outlined his scheme for reform. It is, briefly, to raise ihe .schoolleaving age from fourteen to fifteen; to end the primary course at twelve; and then io draft the children to (a) secondary schools, (b) junior technical schools, Of (c) central schools, where they could take up courses with a bias in some special direction. Mr Parr, whose enthusiasm is now generally recognised, talked of bringing his scheme into operation in about eighteen months’ time. Education is a spending Department, hut it is a Department on which the future hangs. The present depression may block Mr. Parr’s reforms in their entirety, but they are badly needed, and every endeavour should be made to provide at least an instalment of them.

Floggings are but. rarely ordered by New Zealand Judges. In the bygone days of slocks anil pillories, a flogging was one of the commonest punishments imposed by English law, but where our ancestors thought mainly of the punishment of-fihe criminal we to-day take a. larger view, and look’also to his possible reclamation. There are some crimes, however, of so atrocious a character that a sentence of imprisonment with flogging may be very properly imposed. One such was that in which Mr. Justice Adams at Auckland yesterday ordered a prisoner lo be given ten strokes. In this case the prisoner had committed a bestial offence, his victim being a kittle girl playing in a public park. Whether such offences are regarded as arising from depravity or disease, or Troth, a flogging is probably about as salutary a medicine as anything that could be ordered. A man who behaves <in a way that would disgrace an animal deserves to be treated as an animal that has disgraced itself. If he is dead io the ideas of ordinary human and cannot be reached through his mind, the only course left is to get at him through his skin> A flogging speaks a language that even the most debased can understand, and of 'it. even they will desire to avoid a repetition. It should be one of (he last resources in punishment, but the ease in which Mr. Justice Adams imposed it is one that calls for almost the last possible resource.

New Zealand wool-growers probably bare shown a wise discretion in deciding to retain their independence in the disposal of their wool. The outlook for wool is extremely clouded, and the BritishAustralian Wool Realisation Association is feeling its way.as uncertainly as everybody else. Its policy may prove the best nr it may not. and it is at least a doubtful policy for New Zealand to stake everything on its wisdom. The Producers’ Committee yesterday decided to co-operate with the 8.A.W.R.A., but to retain the final control of New Zealand wool in New Zealand hands. During the war New Zealand found that while outside control of its wool might have certain advantages it was by no means without very marked disadvantages, and it was not always evident that New Zealand interests were closest to the hearts of those at the head ol affairs. The new organisation is, and must be, predominantly Australian in its outlook. Our interests are to a large extent the same as Australia's, but when differences occur New Zealand views are likely to receive more consideration if we are. working in loose, co-operation, instead of being tied hand and fool to the association.

The acceptance by Germany of the Allied reparation terms ought to give a. great impetus to the process of economic restoration. The difficulties of the Allied countries have been intensified by uncertainty in regard io the enforcement of the reparation terms, and (lie definite settlement now reached will assist in a marked degree Io re-establish confidence and will favour the effective concentration of effort. Reading between the. lines it may be inferred that even in Germany the settlement is regarded with relief. The manoeuvring of par-

ties, inspired chiefly by a desire to evade any active share in an unpopular task, is of slight importance in view of tho substantial majority in the Reichstag in favour of accepting ihe Allied terms. Before long the Allied countries ought to derive appreciable benefit from the reparation payments, more particularly since tho arrangements for payment have evidently been framed with due regard to the necessity of safeguarding Allied industries. No information lias been cabled regarding the ratio in which the different Allied countries are to divide the sums collected from Germany under the amended plan, but the proportions will presumably be relatively the same as under the earlier plan of fixed indemnities. Under that plan at was proposed that the annuities should be divided in the proportion of 52 per cent, to France, 22 per cent, to Britain, and 26 per cent, to the other Allied Powers.