The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, SEPTEMEER 5, 1878.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 186, 5 September 1878, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, SEPTEMEER 5, 1878.

The Raphael Family gave a most successful performance at the Stoke Public Hall last uight, delighting their audience by the skilful manner in which they performed their daring feats. The entertainment Will be repeated to-night. The firebells rang out the alarm between two and three o'clock this afternoon, causing the usual amount of excitement. The cause was a burning chimney at Mr Dee's tailor's shop in Bridge street, and at one time Mr Wymond's premises were in considerable danger, as there is only a very narrow passage between the two buildings, aud the chimney is just about the same height as the roof of his shop against which the flames were being blown by the strong Waimea wind. A small hose was quickly brought to ply from the upper window of Mr Wymond's shop, and by its aid the flames were extinguished before the arrival of the Brigade who were quickly on the spot. The servant girl market in Wellington should be well stocked shortly, the AgentGeneral having reported that he had despatched 100 single women to that port by the Rakaia, which sailed from Plymouth on the 6th July. The traffic on the Wellington tramway last week averaged 1950 passengers per day. The Ashburton Mali gives particulars of a strange proceeding which occurred in the Magistrate's Court. Having given judgement for the defendant in a civil case ; Mr Le Grand Campbell, R.M., ordered him to pay the full costs of the case; afterwards, however, Mr Campbell admitted from his place on the Bench that he had been too hasty in rejecting arguments of counsel, and said he would pay the costs himself. " Regarding the beer tax," says the Wellington correspondent of the Lytteltou Time*, " the brewers and publicans are moving all their forces to effect a defeat, and, singularly enough they are finding friends among the Good Templars, who go on this -^ulL^grj*!^inal : — Fi rst that it is unwise to free trade principle (how about th9Qggst.ou whiskey as manufactured at home and formerly here ?) ; and, secondly, because this taxing of beer is regarded by the extreme Templars as being a Legislative recognition of the pernicious practice of brewing, instead of the Legislature putting down brewing altogether. This last is as likely to occur as that thirst will cease in the human subject. The brewers, of course, readily accept the aid of the Templars, aud both sides, as well as numerous mercantile meu, are exercising more or less iufluence among members, and hence indications of that murmuring which is heard among Ministerial supporters on this subject." Mr T. Wakeiin writes to the New Zealander commenting upon the reports of the various Inspectors of schools recently published in the Parliamentary papers. After referring to the Canterbury and Otago reports he goes on to say:— Both the previous inspectors set themselves the task of studying man-devised systems, but the inspector in Nelson set himself a more difficult but truer task— what was natural and fit— it is easier to study principles possessing a clear mental form than it is to study human nature. In Otago and Canterbury it is system, in Nelson it is meu. In Otago and Canterbury there are are rigid railway lines of school action, in Nelson there are free wide coach roads. In the one case it is to shoot the child as quickly as possible through a large amount of knowledge. In the the other case it is to bring him into direct contact with nature and give the greatest freedom to his natural capacities. Happy is the system, if system it may be called, that dutifully works in the valleys of Nelson. Canterbury and Otago are the residences of education, Nelson is the home. Happy are her children, though quiet, though the inhabitants of commercial vortices may call her slow. Not more surely was the statue beautiful and worshiped of Diana to be overturned by the great tide of humanity springing from th 6 Nazarene source, than will the systems of Otago and Canterbury be replaced by the governing principles obeyed in Nelson. The report of the Chairman of the Nelson Education Board (I take it really by the Inspector) ?hould be painted in letters of gold and distributed to all the school committees in the Colony.