Rangitikei Advocate. THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1909. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9468, 10 June 1909, Page 4

Rangitikei Advocate. THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1909. EDITORIAL NOTES.

WB referred the other day to the laudable though hitherto not very successful attempts to promote agricultural education in this country. A new step in this direction has been taken by Mr Hogben, the In-spector-General, who has suggested that instruction at District High Schools in rural districts should have more of an agricultural ■ bias, scheme prpvides for payment by the Department of a capitation grant at the rate of £5 10a per pupil,'if|a syllabus of work, based principally on subjects adapted to the needs of a farming community, and covering a period of not less than 20 hours per week, is introduced in rural district high schools. The subjects suggested in a tentative syllabus which has been drafted by Mr Hogben include English, arithmetic, and book-keeping, geography, civics, and economics, physios, agricultural science and rural economy, dairying and physical instruction, for both boys and girls; drawing to scale and building construction, surveying and mensuration, woodwork, elementary physiology, and the physiology of farm animals, for boys only; hygiene and physiology, dressmaking, cookery, and household economy, for girls only. The matter was discussed at a conference of school inspectors and Wairarapa headmasters hold at

Qreytowu the other clay. The headmasters were not enthusiastic about the proposal, and said that it would be impossible to prepare for Junior Civil Service and matriculation examinations if 20 hours a week bad to be given to, such a programme as suggested. This objection is of course ludicrous if the scheme of teaching outlined is likely to prove beneficial to the children, as no one can suggest that either of the examinations referred to would be of the slightest practical use to those who intend to take up farming. The real objections to the proposal are first that hardly any of the children attending District High Schools have any ambition to become farmers, and second that a syllabus evolved by the Education Department is not likely to be of such a kind as to induce farmers to keep th«ir children at school in order to take the agricultural course.

THE rage for' investigation which possesses Mr T. E. Taylor would qualify him for a place in the detective force, though his lack of discretion would probably soon land him in difficulties. Given but the faintest hint of a confidential document an d Mr Taylor is keen on the scent with of making it public. By some means he obtained possession of a telegram sent to all newspaper editors at the time of the offer of a Dreadnought and treated it as though it could be published without any breach of confidence. At the informal meeting of members of Parliament on Monday, Mr Taylor was extremely anxious to discover from Sir Joseph Ward whether he had received confidential communications from the Jbritish Government and if so what they contained. Sir Joseph Ward pat on his most virtuous air and intimated that he would perish rather than reveal any of the contents of these despatches, and Mr Taylor had to be content with this refusal. While condemning the attitude taken up by Mr Taylor it is only fair to remark that Sir Joseph Ward and other Ministers have also eired in giving hints that they had information in their hands which would if revealed throw much light on the serious state of the defoures of the Empire. It is quite possible that some military or naval authority at Home may have written privately to Sir Joseph Ward expressing the views, which it is well known are held by many of the Conservative Party in Britain, but it is quite incredible that Mr Asquith should have written to the New Zealand Government in such a way as absolutely to contradict his public speeches and actions. The mere fact that the offer of a Dreadnought was not accepted directly but deferred till next year is sufficient evidence that the British Government does not believe that there is any immediate reason for panio. Sir Joseph Ward may be inclined to think that the present British Government is mistaken in the view it takes of the position, but this would bo no reason for the mysterious hints that he has been giving as to what he ■ might reveal were he not so strictly honorable..

FROM the very outset Sir Joseph Ward has endeavoured to justify his action in offering a Dreadnought to Britain by hinting that a very serious crisis had arisen, whioh necessitated prompt action. Even on Monday he alleged that Lord Charles Baresford had written to a Navy League meeting on April 30th, stating that if the country knew the truth there would be a panic. But on April 21st Lord Charles Bereaford had a statement published through the 3 British press denying that he had made snob a statement. And on April 23rd in an interview with a representative of the Daily News, he said What sense is there in working up a panic? As a matter of fact, there is no panic, and there will be no panic if fussy politicians and hustling journalists will only use a little restraint and soine common sense. It is nonsense to talk of a scare. We can strengthen our Nary without becoming cowards. And because I demand a strong Navy, theie is no reason why I should become a scaremonger.”