MORE MEN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 6594, 11 January 1900, Page 2

MORE MEN.

I "** (Per Press Association.) ' • I ( Christchurch, January lit -. ~ The Press has closed up "more men number of lists-have to com 6in Kja^Wywg parts of the Colony, but shillings have-already is expected the J.2,otti^TQt' as • thSVii^SQier - third contingent, .£6OO has been' fund and putchas^ fpi^ the thir<J

colleague m men. At the only for the sake oM JPffosity, it is worth noticing what Mfl Walker's intentions iare, for we are bound to admit that during his term of office as Minister of Education he has established such a record for inaction as would be difficult to excel. Mr Walker states that he intends to introduce a Bill next session to provide " for a uniform scale of salaries for State School teachers throughout the colony, and that the Boards thus being relieved of the responsibility of fixing and paying the salaries of the teaching staff, would-be able to make more generous provision for the wants of School Committees." If such a measure has really been prepared it must have involved an enormous amount of work, for no two Education Boards in the colony pay their teachers similar salaries, or demand the same I proportion of work from each individual teacher, and the task of reducing the different systems to something like order would be incalculable. Undoubtedly it ! should be done, as it is ridiculous that j the class of the community who should j be particularly well looked after, as to j them is entrusted the greater portion of j 1 the work of training young New Zea- i , land, are so poorly paid as the school- | teachers in some parts of the colony. Only one serious attempt has been made Ito deal with this question, viz., by Mr George Fisher when Minister of Education, but unfortunately the wrong man : was entrusted with the work and it ended in sn'.oke. In the present case, we are sadly afraid that the surroundings are too much, like-fee previous i attempt. In regard.^ the relief to the Education Boards ,the adoption of ,the new scheme would be, we are afraid we must be numbered amongst the sceptics. As the present payment to teachep absorbs over £3 per pupil of the attendance, and it is not likely that the same capitation will be paid to Education Boards as hitherto if the General Government pays the teachers itself. So upon the amount by which the capitation is decreased will the results depend.

Fourth Page.—On our fourth page will be found the report of social to the Rev. Mr Chisholm, war news, sporting and other reading matter. Judgment.—No less than 153 judgment summonses were issued from the f Palmerston S.M. Court last year, in connection with which 15 warrants of committal were made, but only 2 of Jhe judgment debtors were actually inprisoned. Inebriate.—At the Police Court this morning a first offender was brought before. Mr R. Edwards, J.P., charged with being drunk in the Square, and was convicted and discharged. I Stoney Creek.—Mr D. Opie has taken i oharge of the Stoney Creek School. We feel sure that the residents will be satisfied with the selection made, as Mr Opie is one of the most promising young teachers on the Board's staff. Jubilee.—One of the monster functions of the present year is the Canterbury Jubilee Industrial Exhibition, which is to be opened at Christchurch in November next, in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the settlement of the Provincial District of Canterbury.

No Wonder.—The registrar of elec tors for the Thames electorate has been sending out,notices to those electors wht) did not record their/votes on December 6. Ho received one back from a lady with the following scrawled across it:—" Mrs—did voteXand "voted for Greenslade, and if tha/ is bow the

lalmle^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H not dol^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H Parnfflle^^^^^^^^^^^^H Lnecessary funds^^^^^^^^^^^H A Sell.—Some rrole^^^^^^^H who was amongst those^^^^^^^H woollen caps for the fourth cfl^^^^H Wellington pinned a note inside^l^^B veying » blessings to the boy whopß this, and I hope he'll come back to dear old New Zealand safe and sound." Adding, " I've had it on first." The cream of the joke is that the cap fell to the lot of Lieutenant-Colonel Collins, a staid, soberminded, rather stoutly-built gentleman of middle-age, who concluded that it was a "put-up job," and the endearing message only leaked out by chance, Return.—The following is the return of business transacted at the S.M. Court during the year ending December 31st. No. of persons summoned or taken into custody 623, persons discharged 86, cases dismissed on writs 33, persons committed for trial 13, persons summarily convicted 351, persons released on probation 1, orders made 67, persons eonvictedand discharged 75. Of the 351 persons summarily convicted 260 were fined, 46 were imprisoned in lieu of the fine, 39 were preemptorily imprisoned, and 1 was bound over to keep the peace. The following are the Civil returns :— No. of plaints entered 1008, cases tried 551, amount sued for 48060 lis, amount recovered £4512 13s 2d. Presentation.—A very pleasing ceremony took place at the U.P.C.A. yesterday, when the employes of the establishment met for the purpose of making Mr A. Giorgi, who is leaving ,for South Africa, a p- esentation of" a purse of sove-reigns-Mr J. A. Butler, in making the -presentation, referred to the long connection of MrjGiorgi with the U.F.C.A, where he has been employed for the last ten years. He also expressed the great regret felt by his fellow-employe's arid the customers at the departure of Uv Giorgi, who has became a general favorite with all by his courtesy and the ability with t which he_earried out liis deities. Messrs McDowell and Brophy also spoke in high terms of Air Giorgi. Mr Giorgi suitably replied, and stated that he intended leaving Palmerston on Thursday night.

B> & P. Show.—Many of the pupils of the College-street School have been interesting themselves in the Transvaal War Fund, and all sorts of devices have been resorted to for the purpose of gathering in the shekels. One little lad, however, takes the cake. He laid tribute on most of the folk in his neighbourhood for the loan of "birds and poultry and held what he called a " B. and P. Show" in his father's backyard, admission to which was fixed at the modest figure of one penny. With that faith in the immaculate judgment of the sterner parent, generally manifested up to the age of ten, the boy constituted his father judge of the exhibits, conditionally upon his finding the prize-money for his awards. The show is" described as a great success, the exhibits being displayed in fine style, while the receipts totalled 4s Bd.

Popular.—" Long live the Secretary ?" was the expression of the Chairman of the Conciliation Board (says the Post) in closing a eulogistic reference to Mr Ferguson—inferred in the term "the Secretary of a certain public institution." The Secretary of the Harbour Board had been complimenting Mr M'Laren's reasonable management of the Wharf Labourer's Union, and used that fact as an argument against the Board giving preference of empoyment to members of the Union —because the day might come when the Union would not be wisely managed. The Rev. Mr Crewes then said that the argument could be just as aptly applied to the affairs of "a certain public institution," whose affairs under the able guidance of a certain gentleman of whom everyone spoke in the highest terms, had "gone ahead with leaps anal bounds." People might fail to put their I trust in the mtur&of this fojjtf.'ution be- \ cause of a fear. that'Ni certain geutfs[man might not. remain it* Secretary,

canvass^oJH^^^^^^^^^^^^^H our price^^r^eVQ^^^^^Hß during present week—lastwlSßfsale —at The Bon Marche. Heavy clearance to be effected in each department.— Advt. Park's Book Depot.—Per lonic:— Windsor, Wide World Magazine, Weidon's Ladies' Journal, Illustrated Dressmaker, Children's Bazaar, Leach's Children's, Schild's Mothers' Help, Boys' and Girls' Own Paper for January, Family Reader (div. 115), Something to Read (div. 75), Whittaker's Almanac, Hazell's Annual and Live Stock Journal Almanac for 1900, newest books by popular authors.—Advt. We are having a record clearance of stock at The Bon Marche. But we want to see some more empty fixtures by the end of the week and fresh and further bargains will be offered in drapery, dress goods, mantles, millinery, clothing, furnishing, boots and shoes, &c, during this, the last week of our sale. C. M. Ross andJCo. —Advt.