LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 205, 25 May 1921, Page 5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

BUSINESS METHODS HERE AND ELSEWHERE

Sir, —Your correspondent ('Traveller’*' in attributing to me certain statements which assuredly I have not made remind! me of a little story. "Traveller” may have heard tho story; if so, he must have forgotten it or overlooked its manymorals in writing his letter. For tho benefit of "Traveller” and the majority of anonymous newspaper correspondents will you please grant me space to repeat it. An English schoolmaster, after giving JJT-3 class a half hour’s lesson in grama mar, asked his scholars to write a para-* graph using tho words “put” aud "put. ting.” In a few moments a small boy, without having attempted his task, but. having overlooked his neighbour, eagerly appealed to tho teacher in these words: “Please, teacher, Willie is putten 'putj ten’ where he ought to be putten 'put.' , —I am. etc., A. J. WYCHERLEY. May 23. A NATIONAL OBJECTIVE —i— Sir, —Being somewhat fond of trying ta eolvo riddles, I eagerly tackled a lette# under tho above heading, signed I’. G. Dalzicll, appearing in your issue of May 21. I have read it through many tinies, but must confess that I 'have completelyfailed in trying to grasp what tho writer is driving at. It is the stiffest riddle I have tackled for many a day, and. others from whom I have sought assistance are completely mystified as to its meaning. Mr. Dalzicll says: "Our one true objective then, to which we should definitely pledge ourselves, ie the development of all nature.” A very worthy object, no doubt; but will Mr. Dalziell explain in clear and simple language how his fantastic theory is to be carried out, and will ha illustrate it by one concrete instance, and'so enable your readers to grasp his meaning?—l am, otc , PUZZLED. Palmerston North'. May 23, 1921. WOOL PAUPERS AND SHEARER KINGS Sir, —We used to be described as “wool kings,” but I notice that Mr. A. Cook in a recent Dominion describes the farmers as "wool barons.” I suppose we will be "wool knights” next time. We era descending the social wool scale, and presently wc will be able to talk about the workers as "shearing kings" ami the farmers as “wool paupers.” With wool at its present price and sheepskins worth about 4d. each, shearers getting more than -well paid, I am afraid, this is what it is coming to. My advice to every farmer in the country is learn to shear, get your sons to shear, and be independent of every well-paid agitator, the majority of whom are drawing big screws themselves at the workers’ expense.—l am, etc. 1 ANOTHER FARMER.

RE COMPETITIONS SOCIETY Sir, —I -have perused with interest the extract from the Truant Officer s report presented at the last meeting of the Wellington Education Board, also the letter which appeared in your columns and signed -"Sympathiser," and I would beg your indulgence in order to make further reference to this matter. It is to be regretted that “Sympathiser,” when quoting from the "Musical News and Herald,” did not add a further paragraph which he will find in the issue of that paper dated March 12, 1921. In reporting the fact of the “People’s Palace Festival," the paper referred to says: "No fewer than fourteen girls’ schools, five boys’ schools, and four mixed schools entered from council schools as well as six Jewish schools, and wolf clubs and bands of hope also appeared in good numbers.” The Wellington Competitions Society has not so far received such enthusiast io support in this district, although a considerable amount of sympathy with the competition has been shown in some of our schools. The chief difficulty (although not insuperable) lies in the fact that the attendance of school children—either as competitors or listeners at the competitions in school hours and their consequent absence from school affects the average attendance at our schools, and until the educational authorities recognise tlie value of our Competitions Society’s efforts, wo cannot expect a full measure of sympathy from the members of the various schools’ staffs. Recognising this difficulty, the executive of the Competitions Society made two decisive efforts to relieve the position.

First: The competitions this year have been fixed to take place during the schools* holiday, but owing to the large number of entries, it is unlikely that, tho children’s portion can be completed before the school holidays end. .Secondly: Some months ago the Com-, petitions Society waited upon the Minister of Education in order to urge that' some arrangement would be adopted whereby the children would be enabled to attend the session of the Competitions; Society, and at the same time the schools; should not be penalised because of the absence of these children who wore attending nnd taking part in the competitions. The Minister, who expressed his. full sympathy with the efforts of the society, also stated that the difficulty is largely a matter for the various education boards, fir* it must be borne in,mind that the disability referred to obtains in other centres in the Dominion where competitions societies exist. The truant officer of the Wellington Education Board, wns doing only his plain and simple duty in drawing attention to this question, but I should Vrfre to express the hope that the members of the board will give favourable consideration to the suggestion which was made to the Minister by which the attendance of bona fide competitors nt the competitions during school hours shall not affect the •frerage attendance of the schools from whiph the comnetifors come. Exemptions could justlv bo granted for the reason that tlie educative effect of competitions in Now Zealand has already been amply justified, and there are several teachers or public performers in the Dominion who can trace the beginning of their success to competitions such' as are kno vn. in Wellington to-day.—l am. otc., F. G. CRAY.