Lytellton Times. Saturday, January 15.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 640, 15 January 1859, Page 4

Lytellton Times. Saturday, January 15.

Saturday, January It is too often; the case that the less a man has to do, the less he is inclined to do the little required of him. The danger of this contingency becomes very great in a country where those heretofore accustomed to toil and poverty find, themselves suddenly in a position of comparative ease and wealth. The necessity of exertion which braced the poor man to meet and to overcome difficulties is wanting:; and there are unfortunately too many who will not work without the spur. Thus many a well-fed pampered horse is so destitute of spirit and-courage that whip and spur are needed to keep him up to his work. But the case ought not to be the same with a man, above all where that man can boast of English blood. We all know the difficulties with which the' English labouring man was surrounded in endeavouring to educate his children. It is not necessary to enlarge upon them, or to dwell'upon struggles which happily are unnecessaryLjrei'e. ' In this country education is_ fortunately" ~a^<&^^^ Why then is it that some men are. so slack in taking advantage of the . opportunities offered? . Why is not every child in this province at .school?- Is it possible that the high.rate of wages and the value of labour make parents anxious to grasp at still more than they "*can earn themselves, by keeping their children at work instead of at school? Can we believe that the children brought-up in this country should have less chance of education than in England ? Yet, if we take the trouble to enquire, many facts will come to light which would lead to some such sad conclusion.

Again, it •may be asked, are there no schools established in the populous districts where a cheap education can be obtained? When we count the number of children in these districts and observe the proportion attending at the. schools established, it is surprising to consider that the education offered is so cheap as to be almost gratuitous. . -

We could hope for the character of our people that this gratuitous part of the business was the least acceptable —the inhabitants of Canterbury are, thank God, not in want of charity—we "would wish to see them decline to have their children educated by charitable aid. ...It is the duty of the State to incur the first, cost of building schoolhouses, and helping in the establishment of schoolmasters; it is its duty:to see that education is accessible to every one of its children ; but that education should not be gratuitous — independent men. who are able to pay should not be willing that their children should receive,; education for * nothing. They whose time is occupied by their daily toil have a ground of complaint if they find no school to which to send their children; but it' is certain that they will prize the education offered-more highly, and that they will be able to accept it with: far more self-res-pect, if they pay for it. Let the school fees cover school expenses. Thus some of the funds originally spent in establishing schools will be free to establish more schools, till the system of education is spread as far as it is capable of extension. Let it not be supposed that the fees need necessarily be high : many labouring men spend as much in one night on ' grog' as would educate a child for a year. ,

It is sometimes necessary to insist upon unpleasant truths, when an evil cries aloud for remedy. One of the most unsatisfactory features of sudden prosperity is the claim to be considered, thoroughly independent, while the habit of expecting" help is still prominent. If a man has risen in the world so far as to consider himself the equal of all his neighbours, he. should remember that it is hot ■right to beg' from one's equals ; and that to accept state assistance is equivalent to such a course. We have heard of a'woman in this province who complained that French was nottaught to her children, at a school'assisted by Government, although the children'of what

are called the "higto classes"' wj;*^' tVint ifuurunirG. It is to bo feared that there S m^S this good lady, who while they claim to receive the best of what others pay for forget to be thankful fop,what they themselves receive through the charity of the P\g C' W e said before, these are not pleasant truths to tell; but we believe that it is for the public good that the truth should be told. We are all proud of Canterbury, of its progress, and its energy; let us unite in endeavouring to get rid of any spot that may tend to tarnish the character of its inhabitants for real and healthy independence.