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Hokitika Guardian, 17 April 1930, Page 4

The Coast has no reason to complain of the lack of Ministerial visits on the part of the present Government. Vs far as this locality is concerned, the district has been very well served indeed, and full opportunity has been given for the people to meet Ministers and personally urge their major requests. This is particularly so with the country districts, and the settlers must be grateful for the attention paid them. The policy of Ministers in this matter in going among the people and learning of their needs, and in seeing local circumstances for themselves, is essentially democratic in its effect. It brings about the personal touch between Minister and people, and the latter have full and free opportunity to make their requests. The Government is to lie commended for this line of action, which serves the best of purposes in that a Minister can form a personal judgment, and does away with so much of the complaint that there is government by department officials. Once a Minister has Tooked personally into a matter, he can weigh the ndvre of his officers against his own judgment, and has the right to exercise that judgment in the best inlcosts of all concerned. The TTon. Minister of education. who is in the district sit the moment, is one of the most painstaking of the Cabinet. Mr ' fmore takes his high duties a! their full value and is bent on seeing ail parts of the Dominion to know exactfy the circumstances of the various schools. Air At moire lias been very thoroimh in his work from the outset. He lias m>l. spared himself and is at presnt fulfilling an earlier promise to make a complete personal survev of the educational district. Regarding local needs the chief want is- in the completion of the local school area so as to embrace the full block, and give the school the otTeoi ing set I ing it should have. This is a matter which has nev-

er been taken up seriously by the

people ns a whole. The matter has been left solely to the School Committee, which if it hud had Hie backing of the puolic could have done more than it has in the matter referred to. II is 1 to be hoped that on the present occasion the Minister will be made an fait with the position and his practi-al sympathy enlisted in the ‘right- direction. Wo are.sure the committees of die country schools will appreciate the present Ministerial visit, and the members will bo eiiouraged in their work by the action of the Minister in coining amongst them and explaining the desire oil the part of the Government to do all in its power to further the interests of education in this country.