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Hokitika Guardian, 16 August 1928, Page 1

Something like a revolt would appear to be in progress against the place given to mathematics in our education system. . . • Air Justice Alpers was a school teacher before lie entered law. In both professions h never ceased to express bis scorn ol mathematics. Of a tiiiie when, to please a master who was “a- mathematician of the deepest dye,” he first began to treat his Euclid seriously, be writes in the posthumous publication of bis reminiscences: “It was little eriougu to do to humour so kind a friend, for 1 was not devoid of brains. a, K I if 1 had been, well, any secondrater can do mathematics in its lower branches if be applies himself, tor it is independent alike of taste, imaginations, or humour. Aly own brain, it is true, has always been obstinately im pervious to the attractions of the binomial theorem; even the minor blandishments of recurring decimals and simple equations have left me cold. That, no doubt, may prejudice inv view; yet I cannot but think that in' the next generation mathematic; will rank among the things that are • simple not done ’ by cultivated people-' we 'shall by that time have invented such perfect machines for doing it instead.” —Dunedin “ Star.