The Evening Star THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3931, 30 September 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1875.

While quite agreeing with his Honor the Deputy-Superintendent in the desirability of school extension, we would not, have that done to the neglect of an equally important educational establishment -the Museum, The work done in an elementary school is apparent, A boy, ignorant of reading, writing, and arithmetic, is sent to school, and in three or four years ac quires a knowledge of them. Men can see and mark the change. Ho has acquired new powers, by the cultivation of faculties that would, but for this training, have remained rudimentary and comparatively useless. It depends very much, .however, upon the circumstances of his after life whether he will put those newlyacquired powers to a profitable use or not. It is not purposed that he shall possess them and rest content. They are only means to an end. What has been done is but preliminary to further achievements. The misfortune of our time, ns well times gone by, is that there are phrases in common use among us indicating that with common school education all learning is ended. Wo hear frequently of “ finishing schools,” and of boys and girls “ completing their education,” when, in truth, all that has been done is to give them the command of maebi-

nery for beginning that self-educa-tion, that with the highest class of minds is continued throughout the future of life, no matter to what term it may be extended. In this point or view museums are educational institutions, Urn vast value of which has yet to be realised. We are too apt to regard museums as repositories of curiosities to be visited, admired, wondered at, and forgotten. No doubt there is much of this feeling among us. An observer of men and manners watching the well-dressed crowds passing through the rooms of a museum, cannot but remark how lew there are who evince intelligent appreciation of the exhibits. They peep into cases containing specimens suggestive of important lessons in modern science, spell out the name or description, gaze for a moment in a half-wondering, half-curious manner, and pass on to the next case, where the process is repeated. Wo are quite prepared to admit that this is a natural result of the nomenclature of science. We are not so wise as the Greeks and Homans of old; for their youth wore taught the science of the day in terms drawn from their native tongues, while with us, unless two dead languages are understood, the bare terms without further explanation convey no meaning. Thus the labor of acquirement is multiplied beyond all proportion to the result, while to those who have not specially studied the subjects, not even a shadow of information is conveyed. 'For a museum, therefore, to be a thorough aid to education, not only should the scientific terms be given but also their translation to such an extent as to convey some idea concerning them to the visitor. But, in spite of these drawbacks, museums are valuable practical educators, when weu 1 arranged and under skilful direction. |u this respect Otago is fortunately situated, W e' know of no one better qualified for the office of curator than Captain Hutton. With him, scientific classification is not only a matter of duty but of enthusiastic enjoyment. Otago should, under his superintendence, have one of the best museums in Australasia. But how is he to effect this if he is compelled to keep innumerable choice specimens shut up in boxes because of having no place in which to place them? In Otago we are very often too much inclined to dd things by halves : we are not thorough. We are very anxious that the Province should lead in all scientific and educational institutes, but we begrudge the cost. There are two essentials to a really good museum—an able curator and a suitable building. We have secured the one, but we are unwilling to pay for the other. And what is the difficulty I We have already spent a considerable sum on a foundation, but it seems we are like a man who has commenced a building without accurately counting the cost, and as it is likely to exceed the sum estimated by a few hundreds, although about fourpence a head of the popula-tion—-less than the cost of a nobbier apiece—would pay it, there is a risk of its being allowed to stand still. Agreeing with his Honor that schools up the country are necessities, and that they should be proceeded with, it forms no argument against going forward with the Museum, Were it a choice between the two, even, much might be said in favor of the more widely-extended edutional advantages of the latter. But there is no such limitation as a school and no museum, or a museum and no school. Both can be built without serious Provincial inconvenience, but if the building of the Museum is allowed to wait, the money already spent may be considered wasted—our curator will be laboring at great disadvantage, and the public will be deprived of much information on a vast variety of subjects that would please aud instruct them.