The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1907.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2214, 18 October 1907, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1907.

THE NEW SCHOOL REGULATIONS.

There is a good deal of shrewd common sense underlying the new regulations which have just been adopted by the Hawke's Bay Education Board, 'and as those affect local sdhools and involve important changes they are worthy of passing notice. The Board is to be congratulated first of all on having recognised two of the evils at present exiting in some of our schools, by sett:ng forth that corporal punishment ■must only be administered in extreme eases, and that excessive home lessons are not to be given. The spectacle of little “tots” of itender years being imarclied out from their scats to stand on tho floor for' a period in full view of the remainder of tlie class till isnch time as the teacher sln.ll be pleased to administer painful cuts with the strap or cane'because the youngsters have failed in some arithmetical calculation, or have not mastered the many intricacies of the difficult English language, lis not an inspiring one, and does not suggest that our educational methods have yet reached si high standard. There is no doubt that at the present time there .is too much euiiie and strap in our schools, and it is to he hoped tint this one of the new regulations will he taken to heart .by those of our teachers who show a disposition to rely unduly upon corporal punishment- as -an incentive to drive the youngsters willy-nilly through an examination. As the Board wisely puts the matter, “extreme infliction of corporal punishment will lie taken as an .indication of lack of personal influence oil the part of the teacher.” It ii.s possibly not practicable to entirely 'abolish corporal punishment from our schools, but it should certainly he recognised that it must be only used ■a.s a last’ resent as retribution for wilful disobedience or some such serious misdemeanour which, if permitted. would undermine the discipline of the school. The practice that is, unfortunately, still adopted of endeavoring to “educate” children by the terrorising influence of the strap or cane 'is one that cannot be too strongly condemned. Tihe new .regulation with regard to home lessons should he equally salutary in effect. If children, particularly those of tender years, cannot receive an ample lesson during the five hours they are in school, it- is a moral certainty they cannot in any longer period that may be named. To attempt to do more than this is simply to invite disaster. In the strenuous life that modern civilisation imposes-it- is necessary that the ■physical welfare of tilie younger generation must bo most carefully .guarded, and the constant endeavor to crn.m a certain number of facts .into the brains of the children, of which homo lessons arc the worst evidence, is entirely against the laws of nature ami of common sense. We do not blame the teachers entirely in the 'matters hero referred to; it is the -parents themselves who. must accent the chief responsibility. In tlie past they have become so wedded to the examination and pass system that they have looked upon the failure of a child to pass a certain standard as a reflection upon the teacher, and the latter has consequently found it necessary in the interests of his position to so cram ibis pupils with 'facts that they can ]i iss the test put to them by inspectors. AViitih an unreasonably heavy syllabus put before him he finds the task an almost impossible one, and he is almost forced to resort to all manner of means to achieve the desired jcsult, Therefore, the strap is

invoked to sharpen the memory ol a slow-witted bov or girl, and after the children have spent a tiling day in vile schoolroom they are sent home u itili additional tasks to occupy what should be itlieir leisure time at home. This is, of course, as wrong as it can ho, but until tho public realise that it.ho true mission of tlie .teacher should be to lead a. child to think for ihamsolf rither than to cram him with a stipulated quantity of facts .according to the .schedule of a fixed syllabus, we cannot expect more than a modification of existing delects.

Mails for Australia, per Wiminora, close at the Mull" on Tuesday, L2iul inst., at. 3 ii.mi.

Tho following addition has been made to the Telenhone Exchange: 11, C. Taylor, Show Rooms, 1 celstreet.

The Native Land Court is gazetted to open at Gisborne on the Loth inst., on Judge Jones’s return from .the Coast. There is a large nccumil--1 it,ion of business to be disposed of.

The inspection of shearing sheds by three officers of the Labor Department is proceeding satisfactorily. Mr Lynch reports to Air Donald, local representative of the Department, that he has finished the Bay of Islands and Auckland districts and is at present going through tlie Waikato district.

The second Limerick Competition in connection with “The Dairymaids” was, in regard to the mmiber ol answers forthcoming, even more successful than the first. During tho week letters of all shapes and sizes, and even a telegram, bearing one enthusiast’s line, simply poured in to the theatre.

Mr. Edwin Geaeh will arrivo from tho South on Wednesday morning to make all 'arrangements for tho Gisborne season of the Willongllby-Ward-Palotta season, commencing on 'Wednesday, the 30th inst. The season is limited to three nights, and Gisborne is promised three of the greatest •successes known on -tlie comccly stage, vise. “Mr. Honk in soil/’ “ r lho Psew Clown,’.’ and “The Man from Mexico ’ ’

At Whin-ray's Old Hall yesterday afternoon a sale of work was opened in aid of the funds of the Ruimabai Mission —a mission to help children, widows, and orphans in India. The •roods for sale were supplied from the Tlonics of the mission, and consisted of very delicate embroidery work of all descriptions. During the afternoon tea was dispensed, and good business was done at all the stalls both in the .afternoon and in the evening.

The ownership of the Te Reinga block is to bo determined by the Native Land Court, sitting at Waii'oa, early next month. The block as situate at Tiniroto, and contains over 3000 acres of high-class land. It has continually been advertised for hearing at Gisborne, but as there was no proper survey of tho block the case could not be taken. The Surveyor-General having given authority for the case to be taken on a sketch plan, it will now be proceeded with. There are numerous Maori claimants to the land.

Tho recent wet weather Ins had a bad effect on the country roads, and a Te Ivara'ka resident, in town yesterday, states that tlie Cliff Road is reallv impassable. Despite this fact loads have been taken over the road, but in every case the operation lias been carried out at great risk. Among Te Iyaraka residents in general the opinion is freely voiced that the Cliff Road will never he of use to tlie town, and that the bridges over tho Puli a .and Ruigitira Rivers are absolutely necessary. Agitation in favor of those bridges is at present suspended pending an estimate of their cost from the County Council.

When the town squad of the K.G.M.R. were returniing from .their practice on the 'sandhills an accident occurred to Trooper Guy Woodward. It is a usual thing for horses to become excited when, travelling along .the beach, and Trooper Woodwax's horse was no exception to the rule. It reared up, and Trooper Woodward hung on to it to kuc.li effect that with the heavy regulation curl) he pulled his horse right- on top of him. Mr. Woodward was unconscious for a time, but first a.id was rendered by a member of the corps, and ihc recovered sufficiently to proceed with the .squadron; hut when passing Mr. iSianson’s house in Victoria Township he became very unwell again. After a Short spell there lie continued his way, but later on a doctor had to be summoned. At latest advice Mr. Woodward was doing as well as could he expected.

A Baltic cream separator has been installed at tlie Kla Ora Dairy Factory, and for the four weeks during which the machine has been iin operation an exact tally lias been kept of the results. It lias been found, it is stated, that the separator leaves only .1 of butter fat in the skim milk, and that- the horse-power required was only half that provided for other machines, only two-horse-power being necessary for an SSO-gu'llon sepaator. .Air. R. L. Edgar; representing Afeissrs. J. B. Mac Ewan, agents for the machine, who is at present in the district, lias ipu-t the separator to the severest test, and the directors, it is understood, were so well satisfied that they will diistal a similar machine in a. creamery will cl l is to be erected next spuing. Tlie chief feature claimed for the separator is •that it can be run with a low horsepower, and that the bill for repairs is very light.

Mention liras been made of wlrat is termed an unprecedented case in tlie Native Land Court at Port Awanui, where a half-caste child was. born and accepted by the Maori husband of itlie woman as his child, and subsequently succeeded to his estates as his lawful son. Anyone calling such a case unprecedented must have .scant knowledge of Native Land Court matters, as such cases are of frequent occurrence in other parts of the Dominion. One exactly similar cise some little time ago'excited interest at. Hawera, owing to the estate being a valuable one, and to the fact that one Judge, appointing successors in one block, accepted the person —plainly a half-caste—-as the son of the deceased, while another .Fudge in dealing with another block dismissed the half-carte's claim and decided in favor of the next-of-kin. This latter decision was afterwards reversed by the Native Appellate Court.

The Rev. W. Grant presided at the annual meeting of the St. Andrew’s Christian Endeavor Society. The annual report showed that .the membership was 50 with an average attendance of 30. The sum of £ll 10s Oil had been collected for mission work, £6 for the suuport of a New Hebrides teacher, £3 Is Gd for the support of a. Chinese orphan girl, ■■and £1 17,s to Mr Stovrie and i2s for Maori Missions. The balance in hand was shown as £4 3s. It was reported that Mr A. Heffermoq would take nil Maori mission work early next year. The election of officers resulted as .follows :—President, ltev. A\ . Grant; vice-presidents, Miss AY-at-son, Mrs East,* Messrs E. Yardle.v, and H. Adair; treasurer, Miss M. AY'itty; secretary. Air Perry; convenors: social committee. Mass S. Skillicoru; missionary, .Air. J. Peach; prayer meeting, Airs' East; Sunshine, Aliss F. AVitty ; musical, Aliss 1fWarren; literature. Air. H. Adair; evangelistic. Air. C. Rosie; Lookout, Air. H. Aleßeatli.

It is reported that tho Record Reign Hotel has been purchased by Mr. Chilton.

The manager of Fuller’s Vaudeville Company lias kindly invited tho inmates of the Old Alen’« Home to attend Saturday afternoon’s matinee.

■McKillop’s Private Band is at present putting in hard practice, and the bandmaster hopes sit an early date to have the band in fit form to give a public performance.

Tho period lor the Army’s selfdenial collection closes on Thursday next. 'lntending contributors are kindly requested to forward their donations to Adjutant Dickens.

A proposal to appoint a. veterinary surgeon will bo decided at a general meeting of tho Farmers’ Union (Gisborne Branch) to be held on Saturday afternoon next. The requested extension of time for the telephone service will also bo discussed. New season’s lambs were prominent at yesterday’s sale at Atatawliero, and the vigorous bleating of each sturdy youngster for its mother produced in the aggregate a tumultuous uproar that the lungs of tho auctioneers were severely tested to make themselves heard.

Inspector Hill arrives from Napier on Saturday morning to make the annual inspection of schools. Inspector Smith is at present in tho district. The examination of tho Gisborne school starts on AVodnesday lioxt. Air. G. Craws haw, secretary of the Hawke’s Bay Education Board, will accompany Inspector Hill on his visit.

The latest bulletin from the waterworks contractors is that' the service will he completed by Saturday night. Wednesday’s rain caused a complete cessation of work lor that day, hut further progress was made yesterday. After tlie water is turned on some time will be needed to slush the pipes out. thoroughly before it is fit for drinking and other purposes, so that it will probably be the middle ol next week before the new service becomes available for general use.

Some twenty-two members of the East- Coast Mounted Rifles mastered yesterday afternoon for tlie usual monthly parado. Under the co> maud of Captain Tombleson the squadron (two troops) was exercised in skirmishing work on the sandhills. The somewhat meagre muster militated against effective instruction, hut still the men acquitted themselves very creditably. A dismounted parade was held at night ill the drill shed, when Captain Tomble:SOn gave an instructive resume or the work done at the recent school of instruction for officers, held at AVellington. Two new members were elected, viz., a new comer in Sergt. Spragg (connected with the local veterinary staff), who saw service in South'Africa with tlie artillery, and Trooper Rogers. A large attendance and an entertaining "programme were the characteristics of last night’s Band of Hope gathering. The juveniles entered into the recitation competition with great zest. The class for girls and boys between 12 and 14 attracted nine competitors. Master Janies Nisbett carried off the silver medal awarded by the AY.C.T. Union, the second ami third prizes (books) being won by Aliiss Daisy Andrews and Aliss Aniiie AVhite respectively. Others who took part in the contest were: —Edgar McLougliliin, Alec. Porter, Victor AA’est, Myrtle Church, Aluriel Peters, and Evelyn Twit. In the junior division Master Horace Rol.h was adjudged tlie winner, with Aliss Daisy Cole second. They were awarded books presented by the committee. The others taking part were: —Riay Hansen, Alary Dempsev, Samuel AlcKay, and T. Adair. Airs. Graham (president of Hie AV.C.T.U.) handed the medal to the winner in the senior division,_ and Adjutant Dickons, who presided, awarded the other prizes. The pieces for recitation were in all eases well selected, adorned mainly with a temperance moral. Taken all round the children made a. very creditable showing, and the competition was well judged. During the evening the 'following a.dditional items were rendered: —iSolo, Air. J. East; pianoforte solo, Aliss Langford; solo, Aliss Brokensh'ire; violin duet, Alasters Preston ; comic reading, Air. Palk; solo, Aliss Alvrtle Saunders; solo, Aliss Glover.