THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION AT FEILDING.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9092, 11 March 1908, Page 5

THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION AT FEILDING.

Yesterday afternoon the Hon. G. Fowlds, Minister of Education, arrived at Feilding. He was met at .the station by the Mayor (Mr J. B. Trewin), the chairman of the Education Board (Mr Pirani), and the chairman of the Technical School Committee (Mr E. Goodbehere), and other leading man of the town. He was first taken by motor car to the Lytton street school and his attention drawn to the fact that owing to the insuifiicent capacity of the building 64 of the children had to be taught in a shed to the rear. The Minister promised to bring the matter under the attention of the Department. He then addressed the scholars, referring to the splendid education system of the colony and urged them to take full advantage of it. On visiting the High School the Minister gave a similar address. He visited the Taonui School and was delighted with the view of the first prize garden. He remarked that he had noted that where there was a good garden the scholars made good progress in other subjects. (In this case the theory of the Minister is .supported by the fact, as all the advanced pupils took the proficiency certificate). The Minister’s attention was drawn to the need of a large central school in this district, between Awahuri and Taonui, and he was informed that Mi Riddiford would give an acre of land and soil another at a reasonable price for a school site, hut at the same time lie was informed that some of tiie settlers would prefer the erection of a small school at Aorangi. Probably the most pleasant visit made by the Minister was that to Mr Mayo’s splendid garden at Aorangi.

BANQUET AT FEILDING. During the evening the Minister was the guest of the Technical School Committee at a banquet provided at the Feilding Hotel. The entertainment provided was a credit to the Host and Hostess, Mr W. Dickson and Mrs Dickson. Among other guests wore Mr S. J. Carman, chairman of the Kiwitea County Council; Mr G. Wheeler, chairman of the Oror.a','County; Mr Trewin, Mayor of Feilding, and Mr Piraui, chairman of the Education Board. An apology was received from Mr J. G. Wilson, chairman of the Manawatu County Council. The toast of “The King” having been honoured, Mr Lethbridge, M. P., proposed the toast of the Minister. He said it might seem hard to ask him, a member of the Opposition, to propose that toast, but he had known Mr Fowlds several years and during some of the time intimately. Ho had travelled with him on one occasion for three weeks and he would never wish to have a better travelling companion, lie believed Mr Fowlds was the best Minister for Education the colony bad had, since he (Mr Lethbridge) bad taken an interest in politics. He bad been associated with Mr Fowlds several years on the Education Committee of the House, and almost invariably he bad found it bis duty to support him on every question that bad come up.“ In the administration of his Department lie knew that Mr Fowlds desired to give the Education Boards more power in the expenditure of the building vote. Personally be took the same view, that the several Education Boards in the colony should control the building expenditure and he was sure there would be no waste of public money. :Mr Fowlds. in responding, "after thanking the Technical School Com- ( mittee for their hearty reception and Mr Lethbridge for bis kindly allusions, said be had been travelling during the last month doing educational work, having visited 57 schools. Primarily he had undertaken the journey to visit the native schools, for during last session deprecatory remarks had been made with regard to them, and he was now prepared to stand up in their favour. One charge had been their want of cleanliness. As a matter of fact the dirtiest of the native schools he had visited,’had been cleaner than the cleanest of the ordinary Board Schools. The Education Depart- ; ment and inspectors had made cleanliness the one test of efficiency in native schools,'and rightly so, foxcleanliness was one of the first essentials of civilisation. He could not speak too highly of the work being done among the Maori [people by the teachers. He had;uoted, too, ; that away back from the haunts of white men, where teachers residences had been erected, in several cases Maoris had erected dwellings for themselves of exactly the same type. Everywhere he had found the native teachers held by the Maoris in the highest esteem, not only because of the instruction they imparted, hut also because of their knowledge of medicine and nursing. He had noted good work being done in agricultural education and in gardening, both in native and other schools, and in such schools the pupils showed a higher standard of education in other subjects, indicating that the time spent on such instruction had not been lost. Referring to the education system of th,e colony the speaker said it had been a gradual development from the provincial rule. First there was the minute control of the school committee as the central pivot of the system, then the Education Board, and next the Department, which in the early days had only small functions to perform. In recent years there had been a vast change, as indicated by the bringing about of a colonial scale of salaries for teachers ; thus the Department was usurping what hdfi been the function of the Boards. There was also the superannuation fund, and now there was an agitation for something like a colonial scale for the promotion of teachers. He was at present engaged on a scheme of promotion, and to secure an alteration of- remuneration for teachers underpaid, but it was not sufficiently far advanced for him to make a statement in regard to it. He had also been exceedingly anxious to evolve a system by which the erection of school buildings could go forward where necessary. SUHOOL BUILDINGS. An automatic plan had been in operation some years ago, but it had not worked satisfactorily for the Wanganui and some other districts. He thought there would never be a satisfactory system until it was in some way connected with local rating. If only a small proportion of the money required for educational purposes was raised locally, it would give some guarantee that the money provided by the State would be judiciously spent. This question, said the speaker, was closely related to local government, and lie went on to say that it would be advisable to

form large districts for the purpose of dealing with education and local body work in some respects like the old provincial Councils, having also control of the harbours. He was not in a position to say whether such a scheme would be brought forward. Referring to the hearjy manner in which the toast had been drunk, Mr Fowlds said he took it they believed in the sincerity of the present Ministry. This element in politics was a most important one, for when they believed in a man, though they were not of the same opinion they could trust him. Then speaking more particularly of his own opinions Mr Fowlds said he believed Hiatt he world come to the parting of the ways. The masses w'ere getting education and were recognising that throughout the ages there had been a certain section Jof people iu possession of privileges that were denied to those not in possession of those privileges. They were now demanding equal rights to natural opportunities, and failing that being g ra, uted they would see in every civilised country the rise and development of a iLabour Party, such as was being formed in Britain. Tiiis movement was developing along two lines, one along the lines of socialism with all the restrictions which socialism implied to the methods and means of production, and_ the other was in the direction of individual freedom, with free access to all natural opportunities. He had no hesitation in saying which line he preferred the movement to take place on iu this country, aud that was along the line of individualism. Socialism would mean a state of repression. (Hear, hear.) The speaker concluded by stating that he believed the present Government stood for development along the lines lie had indicated as best for this At preseut’he believed the distribution of wealth was more just and equitable in Few Zealand than iu any other country in the world aud lie averred that Hew Zealand contained all the elements as regards climate, fertility and population to make it a worthy successor to the Britain from which they mostly hailed. (Loud applause.) FURTHER TOASTS. Mr G. Wheeler, in proposing the toast of the Wanganui Education Board, said this Board had probably taken the lead in imparting agriculutral education. He had heard speakers assume that agriculture, like the exact sciences, could be taught theoretically, but iu his opinion such education could not ho separated from experimental instruction such as was being imparted at the Lincoln College. Referring to the Technical School he said ho hoped the youths of the [country would come in and take a course of instruction during the winter. Mr P. Pirani, chairman of the Wanganui Education Board, in responding to the toast, said lie had been pleased at the tribute of the Minister to tho good work done in. the district, iu the matter of agricultural education, amT:he hoped the Minister would endeavour to get the grant for this work to the Board increased. It was now £2OO below the expenditure. He spoke highlyjof the services of Mr Grant, agricultural instructor, and of Mr Brown, the dairy instructor, under the Board. Referring to the Maori schools he said he had found some years ago that the scholars cost 30a per head more than those of the pakeha children. He said it would he better if departmental officers did not, as at present, staud'so much between the Minister aud the Boards. In Feilding there wore more contributions towards education than in any other town in the district. In the education district there were 2400 children and adults receiving technical education and showing-an advantage from it.

Mr Fowlds proposed the toast of the Technical School Committee, coupled with the name of Mr_Goodbehere. He said this committee had been a very active one, rather too much so on one or two occasions for his peace of mind. He said he believed that the cost of native schools per head was less than for pakeha schools, when excluding from the calculation, the large schools of the latter.

Mr Goodbohere, in responding, said the district for the Feilding Technical School covered 4 counties. The speaker explained the constitution of the committee, (some of the work done and the work yet to be done.

Mr Haggitt proposed in a witty speech ‘ ‘ The Press. ’ ’ Mr F. Pirani replied for the representatives present. Mr S. J. Carman and Mr W. G. Haybittle contributed songs during the evening.