The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, February 28, 1914. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1214, 28 February 1914, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, February 28, 1914. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

In our last issue we mentioned that the Wanganui Education Board had selected the local State school as one ot its observation schools for the year. An observation school is so designated by the Board on the recommendation of the Inspector as being a model primary school in all respects, but especially in respect ol methods and management. The purpose of an observation school is two fold: (t) to enable experienced teachers to study the work of a school ranking high in the Board’s estimation ; and (2) to enable inexperienced teachers to study, record, and carry into practice such methods ot teaching, organisation, and general routine as they would do well to emulate. The fact of a school being constituted an observation school is proof that it has, in the opinion of the Board’s Inspector, reached the high-water mark of efficiency.

Thr manager of the Royal Pantomime Company was surprised at hoxtcn possessing such a commodious and well-appoiuted hall, which he said was a credit to the town. He questioned the wisdom of the Council in retaining the hall on two nights in the week, Wedues days and Saturdays for picture entertainments, to the absolute exclusion of first-class companies who may feel inclined to include Foxton in their tours through New Zealand on days which are now held by the Council. He added that it would have suited him to remain in Foxton to-night even if he had to pay £lO for the hire of the hall for the night, but it was impossible for him to break through the Council’s hard and fast rule. He did not deprecate picture entertainments, but he thought the Council should not debar the public from a little variety in their pleasure provided such could be given by first-class companies. At this gentleman’s request we submit his suggestion to the Council for consideration.

Between four and five hundred California ministers, representing all the sects in the State, were recently entertained for a week by the University of California at its farm school near the little town of Davis. The railways gave them free transportation, and the University furnished them with free beds and meals. The meeting was called Ministers’ Week, and its purpose was to make a closer connection between the organised work of the ministry and the organised work of the College of Agriculture for the welfare of the community. The initial idea of the meeting came from the Kev F. I. Drexler, whose idea was that the University should help the Church to realise itself as a social centre. As finally worked out, Ministers’ Week amounted to a brief continuation school, not in theology, but in agriculture. All branches of rural sociology are taught in the modern agricultural college, and, of course, the clergymen gathered at the University of California Farm School in Davis were deeply interested in lectures on rural hygiene and sanitation, and ornamentation of home and school grounds. But one ot the surprises of the meeting wa« the zest with which these ministers attended demonstrations or lectures on judging beef, cattle, plant - breeding, soil - formation, poultry-raising, irrigation, citricuuure, plant diseases, the handling and storing of fruit, and other technical farm problems. Everyone seemed to have taken to himself Mr Drexler’s brusque statement that “when a minister can talk to a man about that man’s business without making a fool of himself, he gains that man’s respect.” Every talk was interrupted by keen questions from the crowd which gathered around the speakers at the close of each lecture. The evening meetings were devoted entirely to the country life movement in its social

aspects. Tbtee round-table discussions were devoted to the social activities of the rural church.