TE AUTE TRUST.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1764, 2 June 1906, Page 2

TE AUTE TRUST.

MORE INTERESTING EVIDENCI

(Per Poress Association.! Wellington, last nig £ The Te Aute Trust Commission . cj t tinued its sittings to-day. The examination of George Hogben Inspector General of Schools, was. re suined. The witness made a stron; appeal for the giving of distinctly tech meal instruction at Te Aute, for it was : fact that when the Maori lads went awa; to their homes they were remote iron places where such instruction could b< obtained. If Europeans needed the sam kind of teaching as the pupils of Te Ant were receiving, witness saw no objectioi to admitting them, providing 'all Maor children were first accommodated, but hi certainly objected to admitting Europeai children in such numbers as would neees sitate an alteration in tbe character of tin teaching. No one suggested that -th Trust did not administer the funds to th best of its ability for the benefit of thi college, but witness thought there shouli be publicity given to the expenditure suel as was done in respect to Wanganui He did not look upon the printing of;th< balance-sheet in the Waiapu Diocesiu Synod proceedings as a publication. Examined by Mr Hogg as to the diffi culty in speaking English professed b; ex Te Aute College boys who gave evideuci before the Commission, witness saiijh knew that one of the witnesses couli speak English perfectly. - Mr Hogg replied that he knew Tfoyi Intimately (ex-pupils of the college) whe had great difficulty in making themselvei understood in English. r Mr Hogg further examined witness li to the advisableness of teaching the English language to Maoris by getting them to translate from one language to tin other.

Mr Hogben contended that such e method was utterly wrong fundamentally as a method of teaohintf. Direct tuition was desirable. The pupil should be taugbl to speak. thß language he was learning -Translation was ail right, as a means 'o developing tbe minde of eeoondary pupils To Judge-Kettle : Did not think then was too much lime generally taken n| with'athletics in the sohools of New Zealand. He believed in cultivatiog the body as wellies the miofl. As to tbe physical examination, oftpoprls .ho thought rather an exaggerated ideaT of. importance was being attaohed to the teetb, possibly be* pause some dentists required to do more business. The eyes aod ears were more important, for, lacking examination, defects in these were not discovered until too late, whereas the teeth bb a rule gave timely warning. It was sometimes tbe oaso that a boy was regarded as Btupid when his only fault was inability to see tbe blackboard.

William Watson Bird, Government Inspector of Native Schools, whose duty was to inspeot, examine, end report on Native Bohools numbering 118 in all, gave evidenoe regarding the. conditions of. life amongst Maoris which he had observed e.t first hand during his duties since 1901.