AN EDUCATIONAL EXHIBIT.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 471, 14 May 1890, Page 5

AN EDUCATIONAL EXHIBIT.

ITS VICISSITUDES IN TEE SOUTH. AN AMUSING STORY. Auckland, May 10. Practical scientific education in connection with our primary schools is “in the air ” just now ; indeed, we may say it has been in the air for some time past, and we fear is only too likely to remain there for some considerable time to come until Boards of Education and School Committees are happily moved to substitute intelli" gent action for mere meaningless talk with regard to the subject. Last year the Devonport School Committee resolved to do what they could to “ materialise,” as the spiritualists say, this airy phantom of the Education Department, and transform scientific teaching fiom the unsubstantial fabric of a vision into a useful working reality in the school under their charge. To this end the interest and assistance of Professor F. C. Brown, of the Auckland University College, was enlisted by certain members of the Committee, and that gentleman kindly visited the school, and made suggestions with regard to the appliances that would be required to do anything practical in the way of illustrative experiments in connection with elementary science. Amongst other things he recommended that the school be provided with a bench, designed to facilitate the making of such experiments which are so important to the effective teaching of science. He most kindly offered to make a working drawing from which such a bench could be constructed, and eventually the bench was made under his supervision, the cost being defrayed by the proceeds of a most successful entertainment got up by the head-master, supplemented by a small sum from the funds of the Committee. The members of the Committee, flushed with a sense of being in the van of educational progress, were naturally very proud of their beautiful bench, and conceiving that it was probably unique amongst public school appliances in this country, they re olved to exhibit it at the Dunedin Exhibition, which was just then about to open. The Board of Education were accordingly communicated with, and the bench was duly forwarded to Dunedin, according to their directions, as a contribution from Auckland to the educational exhibits of our Jubilee Show. Before it was shipped a printed label, supplied by the Board, was duly affixed to tne bench, and thus it was launched on what proved to be its adventurous caieer. When it arrived at its destination, the label, owing to its flimsy nature, had become totally destroyed, and as Mr Holland had not been supplied by the Board with a list of the exhibits he was to expect, he was at a loss to know what the bench was or who had sent it. This being so, it was impossible to classify it and relegate it to its legitimate department; but it remained in the Exhibition building for some time —a disowned and neglected thing, and a puzzle to everybody. Various people were consulted on the subject by Mr Holland, but to no purpose. All sorts of theories were started about the unfortunate exhibit and its probable purpose. Its zinc-lined sink and many drawers were curiously examined, but whether it was a new form of lavatory, a kitchen dresser, or a novel pattern for a bank counter, nc one could make up his mind. At length, a bright idea illumined the intelligence of a gentleman sent down by an Auckland firm of tea merchants. His employers had instructed him to advertise that afternoon tea would be dispensed to all and sundry at their stall, with a view to convincing the public as to the unrivalled excellence of their special blend, which was said to surpass all other teas in the matter of “ pungency, power, and grip.” < The tea merchant’s agent, not having

been furnished with the needful plant for the convenient brewing of this wonderful tea, conveniently, for his purpose, jumped to the conclusion that the Devonport science bench had been sent down by bis firm for his use in the afternoon tea business; the drawers weie, evidently, to store the tea in, an attachment for burning gas was to heat the water, and the zinc well was to wash the cups and saucers in. Glad to have the mysterious object owned by anybody, and assigned some definite function in the Exhibition, the bench was by' the authorities handed over to this ingenious gentleman, and in his hands it admirably fulfilled, like all things well and nobly planned, a useful purpose, although not so dignified a one as that for which it had been designed. After a time, however, the tea merchant himself arrived in Dunedin, and the agent was profuse in his commendations of the efficiency of the tea-brewing fixings that the firm had sent him down from Auckland. Somewhat surprised, the merchant went to look at this model tea brewery, and at once repudiated any responsibility for it, asserting that it was far too expensive an affair for his business.

So once more the unfortunate bench was turned adrift upon acold and unappreciative world, and stood some time in one of the corridors of the building, until it was on the point of being turned out of doors altogether as a nuisance owing to the space it occupied. At this juncture some one in charge of a book and nowspaper stall cast covetous eyes on the unknown exhibit, and feloniously or otheiwise converted it to his own use as a newspaper stand. Once more it satisfactorily did the duty demanded of it without a murmur, or any thought of putting on frills because of ! the more exalted destiny it had been created [ to fulfil. ;; All this time the Devonport School Com- [• rnittee were anxiously awaiting news of ; their high-toned bench, and scanning the : Exhibition reports for the honourable men- \ tion they felt certain it would secure. At last Professor Brown himself hunted up Mr Holland, who had returned to Auckland, and inquired of him as to the fate of his creation. Then and not till then did the Committee learn the foregoing particulars Little remains to be told. A suitable placard was printed, describing the purposes of the bench, and sent down to a Dunedin professor, with the request that he would rescue the ill-used exhibit, and after affixing the explanatory placard upon it, elevate it to its true position of dignity and distinction. This was done, and the enterprising School Committee have had the gratification of learning that after all its vicissitudes their bench for the giving of scientific lessons has been awarded a first-class certificate amongst the educational exhibits, where, we believe, it was the only thing of its kind and elicited a great deal of interest and admiration from competent judges. We trust it will at length arrive safely at the Devonport School, per varios casus, per tot discrimina rerum, there to oncer upon an honoured and useful existence.