THE GLOBE. SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 1883.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1848, 24 January 1880, Page 2

THE GLOBE. SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 1883.

The period for the election of school committees throughout the educational district of North Canterbury is now close at hand, and the present seems an opportune time for calling the attention of tho householders to the necessity which exists of their taking a livelier intorest in the proceedings of these meetings than has hitherto been the case. The experience of past years —in tho city and suburban districts—has been that tho meetings have been very sparsely attended, and the important work of electing a committee for the year has devolved upon a few. This is not as it should be, because under the Act tho committee so elected is allpowerful in matters connocted with education in its district. To the committees is committed the supervision of tho schools and of tho work done therein, and upon tho vigilance and zeal with which these duties are discharged depends very materially the progress mado during the year in matters of education Tho intention of the Legislature in placing the election in the hands of the householders —that is, the persons most interested, from having children to educate—was that the public should, to the utmost, rogulato the affairs in which it should have the deepest concern. But, by tho apathy which is shown, tho pooplo themselves appear to be careless as to whether they exercise this right or not, and practically, as wo havo pointed out, allow it to remain in tho hands of a minority. It is to bo hoped that, bearing in mind tho groat importance of the subject, the householders in the various districts will mustor in groater force than has been tho case hitherto.

There is a point in connoetion with, the working o£ the Act which we hope to see discussed at one or other of tho inoetings to be held on Monday next. That is with reference to the election of members of tho Board. As rnnttors stand at present every committee has equal power to nominate members of tho Board. For instance, one of tho up-country districts with but sparse population, has a voico in the nomination of mombors equal t© that possessed by such large districts as East or West Ohristchurch, whero some thousand children aro in daily attendance. Tho anomaly of this must at onco bo apparent, and it is somewhat strange that no stops have taken ero this to altor such a state of things. Last year tho subject was mooted at ono of tho mootings hold in Ohristchurch, but nothing practical followod upon it. Without entering into the details of a schonio which would place the power of nomination on a fairer basis it might generally bo discussed whether it would not bo desirablo that a sliding scalo for tho nomination should bo adopted, Lot tho larger centres of population, as pos-

sessing greater interests, have powor to nominate in accordance therewith, the smaller committees being grouped together for the same purpose. This would place the individuals of educational constituencies (if wo may so call them) more on a footing of equality than is at present tho case. This and other subjects arisingout of the working of tho Act might profitably bo discussed at tho meetings on Monday, and perhaps such discussion might have tho effect of producing beneficial legislation. To do this effectually, howevor, it is necessary that tho pooplo themselves should tako a practical sharo in the work, and therefore it is that we urge upon all householders to attend and take part in the proceedings of tho various meetings.

In its loading column of Thursday our ovoning contemporary, in speaking of the reception of Mossrs Grant and Poster, the Lincolnshire Farmers' Delegates, and in dilating upon the general farming capacities of Canterbury, asks in despair who will show our visitors all there is to be soon. " If," says tho " Star," " they wero lords come to play a game of cricket, there would be plenty found to run after and wait upon them with humiliating sycophancy—that is just a little trick peculiar to us as a commituity —but being only plebian farmers, and the representatives of plebian farmers, there aro none here so poor as do them reverence." Messrs Grant and Poster, however, wo imagine will not find thomselvos at all out in tho cold. There is no doubt but that there will be plenty of gentlemen found most willing to dilate to them upon the grain-growing capacities of the country at large, and certain districts in particular. Delegates, acting as representatives of farmers with means, are not in the least likoly to be neglected, and the journalistic digestion of our contemporary need not bo impaired from over anxiety. To-day's telegrams inform us that a deputation of leading farmers in the Ashburton county will be formed to receive tho delegates on arrival, and no doubt much the same sort of thing will take place in the Timaru and Waimate districts. With regard to the assertion respecting the " humiliating sycophancy shown towards lords coining to play cricket," wo confess to have been considerably jjuzzled. It is to be presumed that the passage alludes to Lord Harris That enthusiastic cricketer, after going tho round of Australia with his team, made a tour through New Zealand with a few cricketing friends, not with the idea of playing matches, but in order to see the most interesting objects in tho country. On arrival in this city he very goodnaturedly consented to take part in a match, and the Ghristchurch cricketers had, in consequence, an opportunity of seeing a remarkably fine innings played by Mr Hornby. Wo aro not aware that any sycophantic demonstration of any sort was got up. Indeed rathor the contrary. Lord Harris was rather late on the ground, having, we believe, been hard at work looking over our Museum and other objects of interest, and a considerable amount of strong language was used on that occasion. Being unable to ascertain who wero the individnals who ran about and waited on the English cricketers, we have come to the conclusion that tho " Star's " reprosontative on the cricket ground was impressed with the idea that the Canterbury cricketers in the field during ti.o innings of the Englishmen were running about after the ball from purely sycophantic motives. These devoted admirers of tho English aristocracy wero only too eager, ho evidently considered, to spend their time in hunting after a piece of leather banged about by " milord" and his friends. Tho dastardly meanness of such a proceeding could only be equalled by tho heartless conduct of Mr Hornby in taking the utmost advantage of their poorness of spirit. Neither the sycophant at "long leg," nor tho sycophant at " long on," were in the slightest sparod. As for the bowlers, who of course with sycophantic complaisance confined themsolves to delivering a series of " half vollies," the haughty batsman treated them in a manner that could not have been but pleasing to all who saw so clearly through their little game as did the representative of tho " Star." It is very sad, this pandering to the nobility, and wo cannot feel surprised that tho gorge of our contemporary rose at tho painful exhibition. However, the " Star" has, at last showed tho wholo affair up, and the Canterbury cricketers will think twice before they again spend the best part of, a day in ministering to the morbid vanity of a bloated aristocracy.