WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 December 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

SECONDARV EDUCATION. TECHNICAL TRAINING. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, December .'i. Acting upon the suggestion of Sir .lames Parr, the .Minister ol Education, the executive of the New Zealand Seedona i'v Schools Association lias been examining closely the report obtained by the Minister from -Mr Tate, a high Australian educational authority, on the education of the Dominion, and the conclusions it has reached as a result of its investigations are suminariM'd by Mr F. M. Renner, the honorary secretary of the Association in the local papers this morning. The summary is far too lengthy even for condensation here, but a parngrah referring to technical schools has such a ■aide application at the present time that it is entitled to the utmost publicity. •• The teachers in technical schools.” it runs, “are not trained ex- . eels ; they are not kept closely in touch with actual industries; they do not go high enough into specialised technical work. The technical high schools have attracted quantity rather than quality, and that the so-called technical education embraces much that is too general that ought to he cut out. Technical education in New Zealand Is, frankly, a misnomer. Tl is vocational training. The name technical is in many instances s 0 much camoiilitige.” Tim subject obviously is an extremely delicate one. their- being technical schools and technical schools, hut it is notorious that some of the institution, of tlie kind about the country ■ rive no useful purpose. A DEPRESSED MARKET. The continued decline in the price of New Zealand butter on the London market, which is exercising the minds ot many people from the Minister ol Finance to the share milker, is being

discussed irotn various Cablegrams received by the exporters lit-iv state roundly that the drop in value is due to the fact that stale stored butter from recent overseas arrivals is being pushed on an unwilling market. The shipping “ hold-tip. of course, is being saddled with a large share of the lilamc. probably quite justly. and the Dairy Produce Control Hoard is being licensed of having failed to regulate shipments. Other wiseacres find the source of the trouble in unduly high prices, or the lack of purchasing power among the consumers, or milch increased European production. The chairman of the Five-Mar-keting League, the organisation which represents the opposition to " absolute control ” by the Dairy Hoard, was lucky enough a week or two before the decline in prices began to predict that the failure ol the Hoard to regulate shipments, as the Aleut Hoard had done, would result in the loss ot many

thousands of pounds l>v the tanners. The Dairy Hoard retorts that in the absence of “ absolute control it has done everything that is possible in the interests of the producers and still is keeping a close eye upon the situation, fn the meantime the inexorable laws of supply aid demand appear to he workin"- their way. THE DIE PUT ED ELECTIONS. The inquiries info the two disputed election contests, that at Hokitika and that at Lyttelton, have now reached a stage at which their details cannot, with any propriety, he discussed. Hut it may lie permissible to mention that Doth parties in both constit uteiicies in coininuiiieations to Wellington express themselves as confident of the proceedings now in progress resulting in their favour From the parly point of view the chief interest in the outcome of the proceedings centres around the composition ol the Official Opposi-

lion. If Labour-hotilil recover t lie two scats it. would supplant the Liberals in the occupancy of the benches immediately on l lie left of 1 lie Speaker, and Mr 11. E. Holland would cliioy all t It" privileges tradition and precedent have conferred on the leader of 11 is Majesty’s Opposition. If. tm the oilier hand. Mr S’cddun should be confirmed in possc'-ion of the Westland seal, and Mr Lyons in possession of the Lyttelton seal, the Liberals would icniliiuie lo exercise the functions ol ihe party in the direct line of succession. The balance between the Liberal Parly and the Labour Party is now so closely adjusted that the scale may be definitely lipped by the decisions in Hokitika and West land. The Reformers have little need to be concerned about the results, but to the Iwo other parties they are of substantial importance. THE LICENSINC POLL. A consistent .supporter ol the Prohibition movement, who has not associated himself with tbo Now Zealand Alliance and its anti-liquor campaign, writes that the great majority of those in favour of no license would lie glad lo retain the issue of State Control on the licensing ballot paper if the issue were decided by preferential voting.

As it stands at present, lie states, the State Control issue acts merely as an aid to Continuance, living as certainly a vote against No-License as it would be if it were cast directly towards that cud. Rut il tiie preferential system of voting wore adopted, the electors taking State Control as their first preference would lie entitled to indicate either Continuance or No License as their second preference. In determining the result ot the voting, however, il would be necessary, this authority says, in order to ascertain an exact expression of public opinion lo pit each issue against each other issue. By this means the most popular of the three issues would be indicated by the adjustment of first and second preferences and the will of the majority would prevail. Preferential voting isnot nearly such a perplexing process as proportional representation seems to be to some people, and its application to the licensing poll might point the way to its adoption in connection with the parliamentary elections.