The Evening Star THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3908, 2 September 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1875.

; ’vTr Macandrew has at length realised ) the situation, and considers opposition ' to the measures of the Ministry equiva- | lent t<s beating the air.’* “ Having acted as he considered best in regard | to what may now be considered a dead i Provincialism, he has, true to the in- | tercets of the Province, set himself to work ro secure the reserves that Provinci’ihai* bars left unguarded, and to pruVidc for a systematic prosecution of public works in the Province. We do not know that he could have censured government, by Provincial Councils nu?ve sf?vvely bad he tried, than ho done by moving in the ' / necessary matter of placing cur' ia-oncadoni,; Reserves in trust. •Muri as o>ago bus done for eduCtiuou, tho success has been achieved mainly through the accident of having j philanthropic and earnest men con- j uected with the Education Board and I T iio share the Provincial j Conned o is ii .0 in ft has been spas-; and thpshod. Members have sometimes busied themselves about j

matters with which they should have had no concern, and have been by turns niggardly and profuse. Fond of power, they have not sought to place public teachers in positions in which, without distraction they could pursue their duties, in full confidence that, so long as they were well . performed, their bread and lodging was secure. On more than one occasion their characters and abilities have been subjected to unscrupulous and merciless discussion, and through the position assumed in consequence of wielding the power of the purse, every impartial observer must agree that hindrances have been placed in the way of the efficiency of our higher schools. It has long been patent that the Provincial Council was incompetent to judge of anythin" connected with education, excepting so far as it was mixed up with bricks and mortar. Although the need has been pressing for years, it is only a couple of years since the Board of Education was placed in a position to thoroughly inspect the highest as well as °the humblest side school; yet the Council entertained motions calculated to unsettle everything, and discussed them annually, to the neglect of those duties which come, more properly within the scope of their legislative functions. It is almost incredible that, although from time to time they have most liberally voted land for endowment of our educational institutions, they have not even sought to vest it in the Superintendent as trustee, but have left it open to be dealt with as seems best, should some unscrupulous Government step into power before it is placed beyond legislative control by bein" legally held in trust for the specific purpose for which it is set apart. Perhaps the Press may be somewhat to blame in not having drawn attention to the necessity ; perhaps the Superintendent for the time being. Most assuredly it should not have escaped the attention of the Education Board. But it is idle now to ask who has been to blame; it only illustrates the old adage, “ What is everybody’s business is nobody’s business.” Fortunately, it is not too late to remedy the neglect, and we feel assured that Mr Mac ANDREW s efforts to have our reserves secured will be cordially met by the General Government. We consider that by the course he is now taking Mr Mac Andrew has again proved how safe the interests of Otago are in his hands. So far as Abolition is concerned, he might fairly be expected to oppose it. He had taken an active part in Colonial politics from the date of his arrival, and had seen the rise and progress of the Province under the reign of Provincialism. We believe had his far-sighted views been followed by the local Parliament, much might have been effected that has yet to be done; and that, but 'for his influence, the Province would have been far behind its present position. We are not therefore surprised that he should feel regret at the destruction of machinery through skilful directing of which he has effected so much good: but on the other hand, as proved by the tate of the Northern Provinces, the Superintendentahip might have been productive of stagnation instead of progress. On the eve of the death of ids office he is still mindful of the trust the Province has reposed in him, and we shall do wisely in taking every means to strengthen his hands so that when Provincialism is swept away our land reserves may be secured, by legal investment in trustees, for the purposes for which they were set apart.