The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29th, 1921 THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 October 1921, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29th, 1921 THE WEEK.

A deputation consisting of Otago members of Parliament that waited upon the Minister of Railways in Wellington on Tuesday with a request for

the institution of week-end seaside trains ami the restoration of the lull summer week-end excursions to Lake Wakatipu was taken aback on being told by Mr Guthrie that these services previously had l>cen run at a loss. The Minister confessed lie had been surprised himself, when he was informed of the fact by the General Malinger, hut Mr MeVilly had kept a rccoril ol the earnings of the services am! there was no gainsaying his figures. They simply were irrefutable. The truth was, the .Minister said, that the weekend excursions neither paid nor induced people to travel. What happened was that people who would have travelled in the ordinary way. had not excursion trains been provided, arlangod their business or their pleasure so that they might travel hy these trains and save money at the expense

ol the Kailway Dei>artmcnt. The same sort of thing, so the General .Manager said in supporting Mr Guthrie’s statement, happened during the weelt before Christinas, the week before Kastc, and the week before any big local holiday. Trains were then to In' seen running nearly empty, liecauso people wore post|Kining their travelling till they could get the advantage of the cheap holiday fares. "Some of the excursion trains," Mr MeVilly added, a little, inconsistently it would seem, "do not I pay the cost of advertising them.'’ j Tin’s may he a correct diagnosis of the trouble. The people of Hie country may have fallen upon such evil days that they cannot afford to travel except when the Minister of Kailways and the General Manager, out of the goodness ol their great philanthropic hearts, choose to run their trains at a loss.

I’t'T, as we have said before, we helicon among the chief causes of the extremely unsatisfactory leturns obtained fiolii the railways are the large increase in lares and freights, and the deterioration in the service. It appears to us that the attempt to squeeze more money out of the public for an inferior service has failed in its purpose. The increased fares and red tired trains have not only discouraged travelling by rail, hut also have driven (.radio back to the roads and assisted in establishing rival means of transport that will survive the return to a sane policy. The motor car and t.hc motor lorry in till the thickly populated districts are doing profitably, a vast amount ol work that ought to he done more cheaply by the Stale railways. The cheap and convenient suburban trains which were to relieve the threatened congestion in the hig cities, have been either abandoned altogether or so reduced in number as to he of little practical value to the worker who would live out in the country. Distance travelling is now the luxury of the rich and of members of Parliament enjoying a wealth of privileges. The same with goods traffic. An enormously increased volume of this traffic is hack on the roads, adding to the cost of maintenance and seriously embarrassing many ol the local bodies. An alarming feature of the position is that neither the Minister not the General Manager seems to know what is the matter with the services. Mr .MeVilly if he is correctly reported hy the Wellington newspaper from which we have quoted, stated with one breath that the ordinary trains ran nearly empty, while the people waited for the excursions, and in the next that some of the

excursion trains did not pnv the cost of advertising them. W'c do not wish to see another Ocneral .Manager imported at L'UCHH) a year unless that is shown to lie' the only remedy lor the present deplorable state of affairs, nor another Commission set till to reach an impotent conclusion, lint we do wish most earnestly that Parliament, which appears to have time hanging on its 'hands just now, would occupy one of its spare afternoons in directing the attention of the floverument to the gravity of the position. It is noticed that tin- Canterbury papers are lieing used fmr favourable propaganda work in connection with tin* present Forests Hill before Parliament. Seeing that the measure in its present form will tend to crucify Westland for the benefit of the rest of the Dominion, it is certainly high time those mainly concerned were alert and alive to tile position. The trend of the legislation aims at making a vast forest preserve, which will ho something distinct from a reserve. The preserve is to lie built around with an impassable harrier of regulations and restrictions, and the enclosure saved forpostei'ity. The present generation will lie told to hold oil. Industry may not develope; enterprise may not exercise itself. The natural asset of the district is to be apportioned to a future people, who knew not the perils and dangers of pioneering; and who will have done nothing in the way of genuine colonising to warrant the present grandmotherly treatment proposed for them. Meantime an asset will remain unproductive One of the reasons for urging the Government of the day to complete the Midland railway was to usefully and economically export the. treasure of timber in \Vestl.andi. The freightage (if this traffic alone under normal conditions would pay for the line—costly though it has been. But now on the eve of completing the through railway, an embargo is to he put on the timber trade, an embargo which will reduce production very niaterally if the promoters of the

Forests Bill are allowed to exercise their sweet will. So it is a time for alertness. To he up and doing and demand from the Government that reasonable handling of the great question that industry will not he checked enterprise discouraged and local body revenue not curtailed.

Wkstuand, wo realise, will he only one voice at this juncture. There is no reason why through the Canterbury Progress League, 'the members for Canterbury should not he enlisted on the side of Westland. The preservation of the forests of Westland for posterity wll lie a serious matter to the people of Canterbury as a whole. They will have their present day supplies of timhe, restricted. Tn any ease under the expensive Forestry Department they will find the cost of the timber 'rising. Also, the cheek of industry on the Coast will reduce the trade and traffic with Canterbury. AllVigethor. the prosperity of both Canterbury aiul Westland is menaced by this eoiiseiVative -ineasuVe which is designed by its expensive administrative methods to put up the cost and reduce tile output of a most essential commodity in the national progress. Westland, hut for this serious menace to its immediate future by reason of locking up its forests lands. would now he on a high wave of great provincial prosperity. With >'• tree timber market there would be no other port of the Dominion with such ji golden outlook before it. A\ e ask again, are the people going to remain tranquil and see this great injury done the district; are the snwmillcrs, their employees and the local Ihi dies going to continue indifferent and allow the great harm to be done without a voice of protest? It should he made soon or it will he too late. Why not point out the situation to Canterbury and enlist the good will and good offices of the Canterbury Progress League? Something must needs he done quickly-

The annual report of the Kdueatiou Department dealing with secondary schools states that the total number of children receiving secondary education in 1920 was C1G.418. Of 10.026 children who left the primary schools in 1919, 1323 entered the secondary departments of District High Schools, 1183 entered Secondary Schools, and 1303 Technical High Schools; lmme total of 7211 children or 71 per cent, of the children mentioned "titered ufton a course of secondary education. The number represents 17 per cent ol the total numbetr of pmpils leaving the public schools in 1919. In addition to tlic children enumerated, 2189 proceeded from the primary schools to evening technical classes. The average length of stay of hoys at secondary schools is two years and nine months, and of girls two years and seven months. The report states that the figures are-not quite as good as those of the previous year, there being no apparent, tendency to lengthen the period of stay at secondary schools. Little else can he expected unless compulsion is exercised while the age of pupils remains as high as it is. It is found that the average age of entrants is fourteen! years, t)yroo-qcarters of th t > entrants being lietwoen the ages of thirteen and fifteen years. It is clear that the most effective method of increasing the period of secondary education is to lower the ago at which it is entered upon. This question, which involves the reduction of the primary school syllabus, is at present receiving the study and attention of the Department. The opinion is expressed in a recent report of the English Departmental Committee on scholarships and free places that the best age for transfer from the elementary to flic secondary school is between eleven and twelve and rather later, if a junior technical school is going to he entered. The one years’ Snstruction for which 23 per cent of tho pupils remain at secondary schools (.tin he of little value, as it means that only a beginning is made in the study of several new subjects. If such pupils had begun upon a specially adapted secondary course at an earlier age, it is most probable that they would have been able to leave school at the same age as at present with a much more efficient educational equipment. The number of pupils holding free places at the end of the year was 12..11f. as compared with 123(5 at the

<>m! o!' the previous period. Tims ill per eent of tlie Government secondary schools pupils are receiving free education. 'i'ho eorrespoiuline (inures for scholarship holders was 758 and 7(i(i, the cost being £12.510 in 1020 and €12,01 din 1910. After reviewing in detail the staffing of the schools and (nullifications of the staffs, the report proceeds:—lt will he observed that a large proportion of the assistants are in the lowest grade, being either young or unqualified teaehoirs. The necessity for more adequate provision for the special training of secondary school teachers is fully realised. ITifoi'tunately it has been necessary owing to the expenditure involved, to postpone for the piesent- the carrying into operation of a scheme to meet requirements. 'flic inspectors of secondary schools report that the younger teachers ar,» showing a greater desire to complete their university courses. Owing to the return to duty of many men teachers who were on active service, a considerable improvement in the quality of the. teaching land the standard of work accomplished is reported as having taken place during the year. The supply of qualified male teachers is not yet, however, by any means I excessive,. and, in non-university centres difficulty is frequently experienced in obtaining suitable men ! teachers for the secondary school staffs. r g -