Marlborough Times. TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1880.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 101, 9 March 1880, Page 2

Marlborough Times. TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1880.

From letters addressed to us lately it is manifest that people here take a deep interest in educational matters and watch carefully the result of an

agitation got up apparently for political purposes by a local grievance-mon-ger in the character of the “Friend of the People.” A letter from one correspondent which appeared in our last issue, suggests an alternative for the establishment of sub-schools in Maxwell Road, Gro\eßoad, andHighstreet, the Borough school having more children sent to it than can be taught properly by the small sti'.tf of teachers allowed by the Board, and many of the little ones having to walk long distances to get to that seat of learning. We hope however that there will be no necessity to adopt this course as it would cause great expense and would, to a certain extent, interfere with the present organisation. In reply to another correspondent who writes to us respecting the Returns laid before the Education Board, we may state that we find the average attendance at the Picton schools for the year 1879 was 117 taught by four teachers—one teacher to every 29 pupils, the amount spent on salaries being £398 3s 4d, or at the rate of £3 8s 4d for every child in average attendance. At the Blenheim schools, including the much abused Distriot High School, the average attei dance for the year was 263 a j 1 the number of teachers six, or 44 pupils to each teacher. The amount spent by the Board on salaries was £BSO 10s, or at the rate of £3 4s 8d for each child in average attendance, being 3s Sd per head less than in the Picton schools, and this notwithstanding the fact that Blenheim had two second masters on the books and receiving salaries for a considerable portion of the time. The average attendance for the last quarter was, at Picton 124, Blenheim 276. The salaries for Picton arc now at the rate of £4OO. At Blenheim the salaries are £765, being, according to the present average attendance £2 15s 5d per head while at Picton the cost is £3 4s 6d per head. In fairness, our Picton contemporary, who has cordially joined Mr Henderson’s organ in the attacks on the Blenheim High school, should copy these figures and thus show his readers that the “ inflated institution ” has cost the Board less than any other school in Marlborough. As regards the payment of teachers, we hope the Committee appointed to report upon the matter to the next meeting of the Board will see their way to recommend an increase to the very small salaries received by almost all the teachers in Marlborough. The wonder is that gentlemen of proficiency can be found to discharge the dutiesand responsibilities, than which there are few more arduous, and in many cases, thankless also. An argument may be used that so long as teachers can be got for the money there is no need to give more, but as a rule good pay means good work, and we cannot help being of the opinion that a little extra pay would act as a great stimulus and encouragement to country masters and mistresses who are doing well to do still better, and it would be a guarantee that their services are appreciated. If the funds at the disposal of the Board are so low that no increase can be made there is of course no help for it, at all events until Parliament meets again, and it will not be right to raise the salary of one master or mistress and not do the same by all who have, an equal claim. There is no class of men or women who are performing a more responsible or important work than those to whom the teaching of the rising generation of the Colony is committed. The trust reposed in them, if faithfully performed, is scarcely to be measured by any money value, yet many of them receive an amount of pay which a skilled mechanic would not accept for his services. If, therefore, any means can be adopted by which school teachers’ salaries in this district could be augmented to something more in proportion to the duties and responsibilities of their offices, it is most desi .b e tl t it should be done. As regards t e appointment of an additional master at the Blenheim school it 1 is imperative that such an appointment should be made, unless the establishment is to fall to the ground, a thing we should greatly regret to see, as would also, we believe, the great majority of the residents here. A small section of the community may be disposed to adopt the Henderson tacticsof “bursting up ” an institution rather than seeking to improve it, but that is a sly’e of argument which ..an hardly recommend itself to many right thinking persons. If the Board does its duty it will do all it can to preserve to Blenheim its High School, and make the position of all the teachers in the district as good as possible. Parsimony in this matter will not prove, in the long run, true economy.

Wk continue to hear of parties being out gold-prospecting in the upper part of the valley of the Wairau, on the North bank of the river, and in another portion of our columns will be found a letter from a correspondent who has visited the locality, and appears favorably impressed with the prospect. A short time ago, Messrs Litchfield and Son, purchased at their store at Ren-, wicktown, about eight ounces of heavy nuggety gold, intermixed with quartz; which was brought in by persons working on the Wairau side of the dividing range, but at what precise spot was not stated, A party of 13, who crossed over the range a week ago from the Wakamarina are said to have obtained good prospects. There ap. pears as yet nothing to warrant a rush, but from the fact that enquiries have been

made as to where miners’ rights can be obtained, and that some owners of land have been complaining of their property being trespassed on by gold seekers fossicking about, we judge that “something is doing,” and hope that payable gold will be found. On Friday last Mr Litchfield purchased another small quantity of gold from the same locality, and lodged it in the Bank of New Zealand. There were stated to be between 20 and 30 miners working in a small gully, on or near Mr Hell’s run, with fair prospects up to the end of last week end. It certainly would appear that there is sufficient evidence to warrant the IN arden paying an official visit to the place and reporting upon it. From timeto time gold has been found on the Wairau side of the dividing range, as well as on the Wakamarina side, and the probabilities are that there is an important gold-bearing reef in the locality, but so far many years’ searching has failed to “ strike it.” As we have said previously, there appears nothing to warrant a rush, but at the same time it is quite on the car-ds that a payable goldfield may yet be developed, and if should be the case, a great stimulus will be given to the prospects of this highly favored district.