BUSH TEACHERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2050, 10 April 1907, Page 4

BUSH TEACHERS.

Tlio story told by a Canterbury inspector (states the Christchurch Press) of a hoardingliouse-koeper in tlio North, who was surprised at enquiries being made about washing facilities on a week day, is recalled by an article in an Australian paper oil some of tho inconveniences which bush teachers in New South Wales have to suffer. In the lonely settlements, a bathroom is unknown, and water is often too scarce to be wasted oil personal cleanliness. Ono teacher on tho morning afer his arrival at a selection, carried the family washing tub to his room, filled it from tho tank and had a bath. Ho was told by the lady of tlio house not to do it again, and not to empty out tho water, as it would do to wash the clothes in. She afterwards offered him a milk dish to wash his feet ill, hut water became so scarce that ho wrote to a friend in Western Australia enquiring into tho methods of dry blowing, which he thought might he applied to his own body,. In the meantime he washed his feet in milk ill the milk dish. Some years ago a young woman teacher went to board at a farmhouse. At dinner she looked round for a plate for the pudding, and was greeted with a stare of amazement. “Sure, everything goes tho same road, the puddin’ follows tlio meat, so wliait do you want a clean plate for?” We arc told that busli manners have improved since then. But there are cases of tragedy, unrelieved by humour. A girl who had to board at a rough bush hotel wrote begging for removal. . The inspector, who saw tho place for a few minutes once a year, reported that it was quiet and respectable, and the girl had to stay, though her room was separated from the bar by a thin partition only, through which all the foul language could be heard. At lengh, in one o: : the periodical fights in the bar, a man was killed only a few feet from where the girl lay in terror. She sent a report of the inquest to the Department, and was removed. There are some thousands of men and women teaching in tho hack districts, and discontent is said to be rampant among them. Condemned to a rough life of appalling loneliness, they are badly paid, and their chances of promotion are extremely, small. In the case of a married teacher the ohanco is said to be about equal to that of winning first prize; in "Tattorsall’s. Very few bush tea-; cliers are paid more than £l2O, and the public thinks they are sufficient-! ly paid for what is considered very light work. Country teachers in the; back blocks of New Zealand must be. considered a good deal better off than the corresponding class in New! South Wales. A