WELLINGTON NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 89, 24 April 1901, Page 2

WELLINGTON NEWS.

OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. Per Press Association —Copyright. Wellington, last night. Inspector-General Hogben states that his reason for supporting the colonial scale of salaries is primarily his sense of injustice of the system under which a teacher in one district is paid fifty per cent, more than the teacher in another district. Moreover, it is inevitable, ho says, that the bettor teachers will go to places where higher salaries are paid, with the result that the children in one district will have a better education than the children in another. The profession in New Zealand, the Inspector-General thinks, is not attracting to itself at the present time in sufficiently large numbers the men and women we ought to expect, and, if salaries are not raised, the inevitable tendency will be one of two things, either that the schools will be staffed by women almost entirely, or that the general standard of the profession will fall. In answer to. a question by one of the Salaries Commissioners, Mr Hogben agreed that there was a tendency on the part of the

promising men to use the profession as a stepping stone for other professions, and he did not blame them for it. “ Sir

y Robert Stout, the Chief Justice, is a case i, in point,” interjected Mr Mackenzie. The s question whether women teachers should . receive salaries equal to those paid to men 3 was briefly mentioned before the Commis--1 sion to-day. In drawing up his new 3 scheme, the Minister of Education followed 5 the plan of insisting upon equal payment . for male and female pupil teachers. Mr , Hogben stated to-day that his own peril sonal opinion is in favor of such equal , payment till a living wage is reached, > when there should bo differential rates, i He suggested that a male teacher who had l to maintain three persons besides himself E should receive double the salary paid to a woman who had to maintain one person and a half in addition to herself. This would bo after minimum salaries were passed, but until that minimum was reached the salary should be the same. There had been, he added, several representations that a woman’s salary should bo the same as that of a man, but the new scale had not been drawn up with that idea, The tendency in the new scale, however, was to increase the salaries now paid to women. THE MELBOURNE PICNIC. It has been finally decided that Major N. L. D. Smith, who commanded the Hotchkiss Battery in South Africa, will command the Federal Contingent. The Wellington Garrison Band has been ordered to leave for Melbourne with the Federal Contingent, by the Warrimoo on Saturday. CONDESCENDING “ KING.” The Maori “ King ” Mnhuta was not inclined to go to Rotorua on the occasion of the royal visit, though prepared to meet the Duke and Duchess at Ngaruawahia, and have them conveyed in state in canoes to Huntly. This, however, has been ruled out of order. LUNCHEON FROM PUBLIC PURSE It is the intention of the Government to 1 give a luncheon to the veterans of the i army and navy and returned men from s South Africa, in the four centres, on the £ occasion •of tha Royal visit. There will also be a Parliamentary dinner in Wellington, DESERVED PROMOTION. The Premier has been informed by cable that Major Madocks has been promoted to the rank of Major in the Royal Artillery, as from November 29th. o