TRAINING BACKWARD CHILDREN.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10282, 17 May 1919, Page 4

TRAINING BACKWARD CHILDREN.

Auckland is at present tho only place where a special class for training backward children has boon inaugurated, the idea of which was incorporated in the Education Bill of 1914. This hns been held at tho Myers’ Kindergarten building, and recently Mr 11. Cousins, acting-principal of the Auckland Training College, invited members of the Education Board and school committees. to seo tho work done, by this class and discuss the possibility of its extension. Mr Cousins said he had boon always convinced that something was required to give young, backward children a better chance education-ally. This could only bo achieved by a special system that would ensure individual care and consideration of each pupil. Imbeciles wore not token in for instruction. The system adopted in Auckland, he was pleased to say, had proved an unqualified success in what was tho first and best school building for the work in this hemisphere. Tho speaker proceeded to explain tho work in detail, pointing out that tho idea of giving tho dhiildiren rhythmic exercise and accompanying music as a feature of the tuition, was to train them to be quick and brighter. It was found that physical development and agility had a strong relation to mentality and intellectual alertness. The first duty for the pupils each day was to do certain cleaning up of the room, for whicli the Education _ Board paid, the money being set aside as a fund which went to pay for tho piano and other working requirements of the class. There was assembly music, physical . work, games, reading, handwork, singing, drawing, and writing. Lunch was taken under supervision. Pull records of each child were kept, and in this respect the board’s doctors had given great assistance. He urged the extension of such classes in connection with all the schools. Tho chief inspector of schools for Auckland also approved the scheme. THE LINE OP BUOOLEUOH.

The - report, officially declared to be unfounded, of tho engagement of Princess Mary to the Earl of Dalkeith (says a writer in a southern exchange), makes the history of the Buccleuohs interesting. Tho peerage commenced in 1606 by the creation of Walter Bcott, only son and heir of Sir AValter Soott. of Bucoleuch and Branxholmo, County Roxburgh, and whose mother was Margaret, daughter of the Earl of Angus (one of tho Douglas clan), to be Lord Scott of Bucoleuch; he was succeeded by his son Walter in 16X1, who woe-created -Baron Soott of Whitehestor and Esdaill and Earl of Bucoleuch in 1619, and was succeeded by his son Francis, 1633, who, leaving no niqlo heirs, the earldom and barony descended to his daughter Mary, 1661, who was married in her eleventh year to Walter Soott, Earl of Tarras, hut she died without issue in her fourteenth year, and her sister Amte, 1661, succeeded to the titles. Like her sister, she was married early, at twelve years old, and created history, for her bus-

band was .the unfortunate James Crofts (afterwards Scott on his marriage), Duke of Monmouth (onlv twp years older than his bride), who was a reputed natural son of Charles 11. and Lucy Walters, and who was the first Duke of Buccleuch, There were two sons of this marriage, Charles, born 1672, and died the following year, and James, 1074, who was Earl of Doncaster until the forfeiture of his father, and subsequently Earl of Dalkeith. He does not appear to have succeeded to the Dukedom of Buccleuch, but bis son, 1732, did, and was also created Baron Scott of Tindall, and Earl of Doncaster in the English peerage, and restored to all the titles of his grandfather, except the Dukedom of Monmouth. The third Duke, 1761, whoso mother was a daughter of the second Duke of Argyll, succeeded to the landed estates of the latter. In 1810, by the death of his cousin, William Douglas, fourth Duke of Queenshury, ho succeeded to the title and estates, and as if this was not sufficient, he manned the only daughter and heiress of George Brudenhall, first Duke of Montague, and fourth Earl of Cardigan, and succeeded to his large estates.

The Una in inale tail has descended from the Duke of Monmouth to the present holder,' and he must he one of the wealthiest peers in Great Britain. His landed estates in 1883, besides those in the suburbs of London, total 460,108 acres, some of which are as follow: —County Dumfries 250,000, Roxburgh 100,000, Selkirk 6000, Lanark 9000, Midlothian 8000, Northanta 18,000, Warwick 7000, ' Hants 1000, Bucks 900, Lancashire 870. The principal residences of the Duke are Dalkeith House, County Edinburgh; Bowhill, County Selkirk; Branxholme, County Roxburgh; Drumlanrig Castle, County Dumfries; Boughton House, Northants; Ditton Park, Bucks, and Montague House, Whitehall, Middlesex. Boughton House was built by the late Duke of Montague at a huge cost late in the seventeenth century, after the model of Versailles, and possesses a garden of over. 100 acres, and avenues more than seventy miles long.

There is another “now” vogue which circumstances have brought into prominence onoe more. Pans has decreed, as we all know hy this time, that the very short-sleeved day-time dress shall be popular. It Is, indeed, there, and may achieve a, certain amount of success here, though it Is daring enough and chilly enough to daunt many girls (says a London fashion writer). But tho point is this: that with it comes a bracelet made of velvet, with a hand of little roses upon it made of gold and silver tissue, very delicate and vague, and most effective upon a bare wrist. Only one bracket is worn, ns a rule, hut two make a match 1

With the low-necked evening frock tho long transparent sleeve is a fashion decree. With tho high-collared frock ox blouse the elbow sleoVS is particularly smart.