SIR WILLIAM FOX'S TEMPERANCE PRIZES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), 15 February 1883, Page 3

SIR WILLIAM FOX'S TEMPERANCE PRIZES.

(Rangitikei Advocate.) It is more tban a year ago since it was announced in our columns, and in those of most other New Zealand journals, that Sir William Fox offered four prizes of £10 each, to be competed for by children beingeducated in the Government schools, the subject of examination being . Dr. B. W. Richardson's Temperance Lesson Book. The Education department undertook the duty of communicating with all the school boards, of whom, however, no more cooperation was asked than that they should provide a, room for tlie examinations imd appoint someone to superintend them. All the boards except three, we believe, readily consented to give the aid required. The three which failed to do so were that of the Auckland district, who.se secretary stated that its members were of opinion that the introduction of the book would probably lead to very serious injury : that of Nelson, which coquetted with the subject for several months, and was finally shut out by lapsing of time; and that of Mnrlborough, which, we believe declined ■without any reason given. The total number who had studied either in school or at home who proposed themselves as candidates was only forty-six, while on the day of examination no more than thirty-three presented themselves. The highest possible number of marks being 150, two attained to 140 each, one to 13S, two to 135. two to 132, one to 130, and one to 127. In the cases of the "ties," we understand, the prizes will be divided £-3 to each. The following were the successful candidates :— Esther Ward, Hokitika, M 0 marks; Helen Soffa, Hokitika, 140 marks; Jessie Maekay, North Canterbury Normal School, 138 marks; Henry J. McLean, Tiinaru, 135 marks : Isabella Eedosfield. Hokitiki, 135 marks; Roberta J. Thompson, Bulls, 116 marks. Of those who, though not successful, attained to within a little of the highest were Herbert Lawrence, of Ashley, 132; Eose Moreland, West Christchureh School, 132: Henry Goodman, of Ashley, 130 ; and Mary Aim Malfroy, of Hokitika, 127. It may seem strange that a prize was awarded to "one candidate who only attained 116, but this apparent discrepancy will be understood when we state that the competition for each £10 prize was limited to one particular district of the four into which the whole were grouped. In strict accordance with this principle also, J. McLean and Isabella Ecdesfield would have failed to obtain a prize ; but District No. 111. having produced no candidate, it was thought desirable to divide the £10 which would have been allotted to it to the two candidates who attained the same number of marks next to the highest without reference to their district or to the fact that a. prize had been already allotted in their district to candidates who had surpassed them. I" strictness this prize might have been withheld altogether. The examination papers contained only fourteen questions but they were of an exhaustive character, and afforded a guarantee that the candidate who answered a large number of them had fully mastered the subject. They were prepared by the Rev. H. W. West. 31.A., ot tho Congregational Church, Wellington, who also"undertook the heavy labor of comparing the answers and making the awards of merit, after which they were submitted to Sir Wm. Fox fur his confirmation and approval. We understand that after roading thorn all he entirely concurred in the decisions arrived at by Mr West.