The Daily News. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1901. THE MINISTER FOR EDUCATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 237, 18 October 1901, Page 2

The Daily News. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1901. THE MINISTER FOR EDUCATION.

Oh one plea or another, the Opposition press Jare continually nagging at the Ministry. .Finding general attacks on the Government, as a whole, futile, their latest move is to urge the necessity of a reconstruction of the Cabinet, on the ground of the unfitness or incapacity of this or that individual Minister. Some of these papers even have the audacity to profess concern for the welfare of the Right Hon, the Premier and Sir Joseph Ward, who, they assert, are being worked to death because other members of the Cabinet are not able to give them the assistance they should do. Of course all this is only intended to throw dust in the eyes of their readers, as the very last thought in their minds is to do anything to make the lives of the two gentlemen named easy. The Minister for Education is especially singled out, and in addition to other objections urged against this hon. gentleman is the fact of his being a member of the Upper House. This, we are told, is quite contrary to democratic principles, to have the responsible head of such an important department of tbe State in the Upper Chamber. No doubt there are members of the Lower Chamber who consider it a grievance their not being able to shock the feelings and susceptibilities of the Minister for Elucation, with the gross personalities which disgrace the House. As Minister for Education, the Hon. W. C. Walker has been an undoubted success, and his appointment and administration has been one of the successes of the Seddon Government. It is impossible to show that the administration of this important department has suffered in any way by the Minister in charge not being in the Lower House. Indeed, it appears to us, to be quite in accord with the f> tness of things for the responsible head of this particular department to be removed, as far as possible, from the stormy party s'rife of the Lower House. As Minister for Education, Mr Walker has made his department a live one, and numerous' reforms of a most beneficent nature have characterised bia administration. A cultured scholar himself, the holder of a Cambridge University degree, he is able to estimate the value of educationalad vantages from the lowest to tbe highest grade, while his practical knowledge of the eircums l ances of the colony, gained during a long residence, peculiarly fit him for his position. It is not necessary to enumerate the various reforms instituted during his administration ; they are well known to »li whose opinion is worth having; bu'; wh cannot refrain from pointing out that his ellorts to place a goo.), sound, secondary education within the reach of every child in the colony, and to introduce a colonial scale of salaries for teachers with tbe great advantages that, will follow, will cause his name to be handed down to posterity as one of the benefactors of the colony. We sincerely trust it will be along time before the control of this important departmsnfc passes into other hands.