MINISTER OF EDUCATION.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3446, 27 March 1920, Page 3

MINISTER OF EDUCATION.

ENERGETIC MEASURES PROIMISED.

\VELLINGTON, Mal'cll 25‘

The new Minister of Education,’ Hon. C. J. Parr, said to-day that hei intends to take up as his first task the over—crowding problem in schools. Hal has already had something to Say] about conditions in 11is own city ofl Auckland, and he has spent some time in acquiring personal knowledge of conditions in Wellington, where the state of things is considered to be almost as bad as in Auckland. Fortunately the very worst overcrowding is confined to these two cities. In Christchurch the evil is not very serious, and in Dunedin it hardly exists at. all. Hon. Parr feels his first important duty is to see that ovel'('l'owdil_lg is checked by the erection as speedily as possible of suitable school buildings after Easter, by which time Hon. ]f’arr should have been sworn in as Minister. He intends visiting Christchurch and Dunedin to see what are the conditions of schools in those cities in respect to this evil of overcrowding. “I consider this should be my first duty,” said Mr Parr. “I Kvant to see that the conditions in every school are made healthful. It is no use to provide the best System of education for children if at the same time we house them in schools under crowded condi-

fions, and so undo all the good work of physical training we are at pains to provide for them.

ROMANTIC MISSION.

MARCONI MYSTERIOI'h‘ VOYA(}i}~I

MAY CALL UP MARS.

LONDON, 7.\lal'ch 2:2.

)i[al'coni has returned to England, and is leaving immediately in a specially fitted yacht, “El'ettre,” 700 tons, of :1 voyage of wireless inve.<tigat.io:'l, likely ‘to produce important. and I'oman—tic results, including an attenipt to discover the origin of the my.»~tm'iolls

messages. Z\lal'coni, interviewed, freely di.<c.us~ sod plans for rounding Spain and Italy. He said he would be in the neighbourhood of Gibraltar on April 24th, when .\lars would be nearest the earth. The s°cientific installation on board the “Eletfre” included special long-distance wireless ’tolegr:lpli_v and telephony.