Week-end Chat

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 1, 16 January 1937, Page 10

Week-end Chat

"WAYFARER."

"FATHER OF TWO.,»

"IDEALIST." *>.

COUSIN ROSE

COUNTRY AND „ TOWN. *

Jannary 1U, 198Y. Dear Everyone, — I am greeting thousands more readers this week on the eve of a new era, when Our morning and evening papers merge into One great Hawke 's Bay paper retaining all the traditions and enthusiasm of both the "Herald" and the "Trib-une." In the past this column has been printed each Saturday morning, and I hope the many friends from all over New Zealand who have sent letters to be incorporated in it, will continue to follow the topics of the hour, and will still send in for weekly interest and discussion frank cxpressions of individual ideas. * # * This. weekly column is for men and women who are interested in th.e whys and wherefors of life, in the progress of their country, in the discussion of abstract or practieal subjects. Times alter, thoughts change, and to progress, one must keep moving. Never has there been such wide recognition of the fact that there are great forces in the universe awaiting discovery. The effect of xadio on our civilisation, the use of electricity, and television, the educational possibilities of the cinema, the health-giving properties of the ultra-violet rays( to be found in sun-* light), all change our outlook and bring us happiness. Wjth the inspiration that this step forward of the " Herald-Tribune ' ' brings, Gousin Roae asks for intelligent co-operation from all readers, asks that it is clearly to be nnderstood that this column is for men as well as women- asks for eflfort from cleiar-thinking, public-spirited people, to write down their ideas so that everyone may read them. Letters must be brief, and should be addressed to Cousin Rose and sent in by Thursday each week. • . * * The following letter from, the Soutli refers to the question of school-child mentality as discussed last week: — ' Dear Cousin Rose, — No, 1 cftnnot agree with the person mentioned in your column last week who thinks that New Zealand children are two years behind English ones mentally. It depends of course on what the South African educationalist meaus The English children may have had more® teaching advantages, but New Zealand boys and girlg have always seemed to me so mnch more observant and quick-witted. I have Been struck, when taking English boys through bush, that they seemed to notice so little, whereas every leaf and twig had a different appearance from those in the Homeland. Perhaps someone would like to express their views on this matter.

* • * Here is another letter, from a Hastings man: — Daar Cousin Rose, — Now that the summer holidays are here my son and daughter are looking for some fun. It seems to me that in Hastings we badly need something of real interest to help young people cnjoy life. Napier has its beach. Cannot Hastings utilise a stream or river and, by cleaning out old branches and weed, make a beautiful place for rowing and swimming? Why not take energetio steps to deepen and clean the river running under the Havelock North bridge? It is within bicycling distance for many, and it is picturesque. Surely i the seheme would not be expensive? I can visualise boat sheds on the bank, where canoes may be iured as in Christchurch on the Avon, and I can imagine attractive bathing-shed cubicles of green shingles with fern trees near, and flights of pretty steps leading to high-water mark. Does this idea strike a responsive note any where? — Yours. . etc..

• • • Dear Cousin" Rose, — In reply to last week's question about whether examinations are good I would like to quote the following words from an article in the "Nineteenth -Century"; — "An essential of training is to produce teachers who have the power of arousing interest in the eubjects they teachi This is the element of bitter truth in Mr Bernard Shaw's words: It is gravely injurious both to children and adults to be forced to study any subject for which they have no natural aptitude unless some alterior object which they have' at heart gives them a factitious keenness to master it, Mental disablement eausod in this way is common in the modern examination-passing classes. Dickens's Mr Toots is not a mere flgure of fun: he is an authentie instance of a sort of imbecility that is dangerously prevalent in our public school and university products. Toots is no joke. " — ^Yours, etc.,

— w w Greetings again to readers— old and new.