The Daily News. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1911. SECONDARY EDUCATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 84, 29 September 1911, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1911. SECONDARY EDUCATION.

Interest is being shown by the southern end of the province in the Taranaki scholarships, and secondary education generally, since the special committee of the New Plymouth High School Hoard brought down its report and recommendations regarding the Taranaki scholarships. It is a healthy sign, and we hope that the interest will be extended, and proposals for the betterment of secondary education in Taranaki be the outcome. The Rev. J. R. Shore, in a Tetter to our Hawera contemporary, refers to the subject. He deplores the'lack of candidates for provincial scholarships of the value of £fi() a year, and thinks that the existence of the scholarships had not, been generally known. He points out that tliH Taranaki scholar who fails to obtain a Junior University or Senior National Scholarship still has his chance of a Taranaki scholarship, provided he gets into the credit list, which conissts ! of those who have obtained two-thirds j of the average marks of the fifteen candidates who are highest on the list. This would mean that a candidate could secure a Taranaki scholarship if he got about 50 per cent, of marks. The supply of candidates is our difficulty. The Rev. Shore continues: "Even supposing Taranaki scholarships are more easily obtainable than others, the question remains whether our District High School as a present constituted can give the necessary instruction. North Taranaki is provided for. There is a secondary school at New Plymouth. The astonishing thing is that not even that school has provided candidates to any extent. The efficiency of that school is'a matter for the New Plymouth people, and it only concerns us'to this extent, that no one about here ever seems to think of making iise of if Mr. Shore docs not think district high schools meet the situation, and believes that so far as South Taranaki is concerned they should be abolished, and a. separate secondary school established in Jluwera. JTc goes on to say: "The New Plymouth High School Hoard arc evidently desirous of receiving some of the accumulated funds of the Taranaki .Scholarships Endowment. I doubt very much if a school that has failed to make adequate use of scholarship funds by providing candidates will ever have the opportunity of using those funds for other purposes. If there, is to be any divisions we shall have to see that we get our share, and. that none of the money is diverted to Victoria College directly', as was suggested in Parliament last, year." It will be remembered that the New Plymouth High School Hoard recommended,' in any revision of the terms of the Taranaki scholarships, that purl or whole of the accumulated fund should be devoted to improving the secondary departments of the district high schools, and suggested holding a conference, of Taraimki members of Parliament, to consider the subject. Probably it would be desirable to ascertain the views of those connected with education in the province on the proposal before the conference | takes place. Then Mr. Shore's or any > other suggestion could he considered. The Hawera Star comments on Mr. Shore's letter, and approves of his suggestion to establish a secondary school at Hawera. and, incidentally, makes reference to .the New Plymouth High School. Its'remarks should be carefully read and weighed by members of the P.oard, whose "won't-get-out-of-thc-rut" policy we. have been compelled to condemn on more than one occasion. Savs the Star: "The University entrance examination lists certainly cio suggest that Taranaki is backward in secondary education, and the time seems to have come when we may fairly look to those who can speak with authority to lead the way to better things. Tn this connection it may be observed that the New Plymouth High School obviously ought to be a much more attractive'institution than it is. Perhaps that is primari'v n. matter for consideration by the New Plymouth people, and judging by correspondence and press comment which, appeared a few months ago, there is a good deal of disquietude in the public mind of New Plymouth on the subject, but from a broader point all Taranaki

is concerned. It is the only institution i of its- kind in the provincial district, and its finance rests to a material extent on endowments, some of which are located on the Waimate Plains, and must be of considerable value, so that it ought to be a provincial institution. But that it is generally regarded in that light at the present time very few people will contend. Whether the recent discussions to which we have referred arc likely to lead to an enlargement of its scope of usefulness we have no means of forming an opinion."

GREATER NEW PLYMOUTH. The meeting at Frankley road last night to consider the proposal to merge into the borough, as part of the Greater New Plymouth scheme, resulted in {he passing of a favorable resolution, and a commit- j tee was set up to co-operate with committees from Wentown and Vogoltown. The residents of Fnuikleigh Park, and many of those living on the lower Frankley r»ad outside the boundaries of this settlement, spend no inconsiderable portion of their time in the borough in the pursuit of their daily avocations, and ar» thus able to appreciate the difference •between town and suburb. They must misa at their homes the plentiful supply of water obtainable everywhere in the borough from the municipal mains; miss the advantages of the sanitary system, and njiss the luxury of electric lighting. Water supply and electric lighting are greatly'desired by them, and the simplest way of getting these is by joining the borough. Mr. Browne pointed out last night—and he was. very careful not to overdraw the picture in favor of the borough at all—that these advantages can bo obtained without any increase of local taxation; rather that the contrary will be the case. The gentlemen present were evidently fully convinced of the soundness of his argument, and welcomed the assurance that there was no ground for the allegation that merging into the borough would sound the deathknell of the domestic fowl and the equally useful pig. The principal opposition and criticism at last night's meeting were of such a nature as to be moire useful than otherwise, and the answers of the Mayor to questions were concise and convincing. Mr. Nelson Okey struck an important note when he urged the necessity for merging without delay. In the interests of progress he supported the amalgamation, and in the interest* •f the ratepayers themselves he urged his fellow-settlers to get to work quickly, pointing out that they would be. better to merge before their valuations are increased. The district has not been re-valued for some years, and when j the revision of values is made, as it must be soon, there will probably be a big increase all round. In the event dl a merging the seceding portion of the county will, in the adjustment of accounts, have to bear a proportion of the county liabilities on a valuation basis. I The lower the valuation, the lighter the burden, and the valuation will never be lower than it is now. The town of New Plymouth is just on the brink of big | developments. There are going to be tram schemes and other forward moves, anid our friends in the, suburbs will be well advised to come in and get a full sliaire. It seems likely that the amalgamation of this portion of the county will soon be an accomplished fact.