A SURPRISING CONFESSION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 53, 23 July 1914, Page 4

A SURPRISING CONFESSION.

According to the wire despatched l>y tlu> Prime Minister to Xew Plymouth yesterday, there is no need to worry over the proposed boundaries of the new education districts. "I feel sure," Mr. Mr.ssey states, "that New Plymouth will still remain the headquarters of the education district, with enlarged boundaries." This is very comforting. All the same, Taranaki people will be well advised not to relax in any way their efforts to conserve the educational into ests of the province. Incidentally, the statement of the Prime Minister will occasion not a little surprise. He says the' proposed .boundaries are only tentative. This fact may be gathered from the Bill. Taranaki does not object to an alteration of boundaries: Indeed, it has for years been desirous of extending its own boundaries to include the whole of the area of the provincial district But what it does object to is the proposal of the Minister to eliminate its Board and remove its headquarters. '•What is wanted," states Mr. Massey in his telegram,, "is to reduce the number of education districts." But his colleague does not achieve this in his Bill so far as the North Island is concerned. He obliterates Taranaki and creates another district with Hamilton as its centre. Had he reduced, the number to three in ,the North Island, as proposed by thi! Education Commission, Taranaki would not have had just cause for complaint. It would doubtless have accepted the decision in a philosophic and unselfish spirit. We had always hern assured that the gentlemen at -present guiding the destinies of the country were courageous and resolute, able and statesmanlike, men who .thought things out well before acting and then stood by their guns. Hence it comes as a very great surprise to read Mr. Massey's frank admission that the Government is not sincere in connection with the proposals in the Education Bill, and that it is quite prepared to restore Taranski's district that is now endangered. If this is the mind of the Government; then, the average man will ask, why have they threatened to extinguish it? Why not in the (irst place have allowed Taranaki to remain with enlarged boundaries? A more striking display of ineptitude and vacillation lias not been given by any Minister for many a long day. The Government is afraid of its own Bill. It simply says: "Gentlemen, these are our ideas. We believe they ar-> sound, but if you do not like them, oi' if the districts affected don't like them, we are quite prepared to alter them and meet you all." It is an unedifying and pitiable exhibition. A strong and wise Cabinet would first of all have made sure of its ground and seen that the Bill was in the general int< rests of the country, indicting no injury upon any particular district, and then .stood by the Bill so far as its essentials were concerned. But the present Government -has not in its brief caiecr distinguished itself either in, sagacity or firmness. On the contrary, it has always shown itself quite r< ady to back and fill and accommodate and placate, its chief concern apparently b-:ing to gain popularity—and retain the reins of power. Taranaki lias another grievance, which we are pleased to notice the Education Board is bringing under th-' notice of the Government. It is that the. Bill makes no reference to Taranaki Scholarships. The Hill repeals the -1!>I)8 Act. hilt fails to re-enact that portion of it dealing with Taranaki Scholarships. Ts this an oversight, or s it design? The past ell'orts of the ,'entral educational authorities to filch faranaki's educational endowments na,urnlly make one suspicions. Manifestly Paranaki will need to keep a vigilant ■ye on its education interests.