The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 1878.

Temuka Leader, Volume I, Issue 68, 10 August 1878, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 1878.

A great deal lias recently been said and written on the subject of railway matters 5 certain stations want enlarging ; rolling stock, especially in the busy season of autumn, is insufficient ; carriages, on certain occasions, are uncomfortably and intolerably crowded ; ami the lines, to obviate inevitable and fatal accidents, require fencing. One point—that connected with the privilege allowed ill certain cases, of railway travelling at other than ordinary rates, has, as yet. as far as we'know, escaped attention. When a number of children requTing -to be educated reside a long way from the nearest public school it is well that, by a considerable reduction of the railway fares, such children should have every facility placed in tire way pf their early instruction ; nor arc the instances few in which, by such considerate cond-uct on the part of the Government, children, who would otherwise be left neglected and untutored, arc brought within the salutary range of the schoolmaster. While, however, we fully approve of the railway authorities carrying children at a comparatively trifling cost to the nearest public school, we do not see, in the light of several considerations, that it is their duty, nor that it is prudent, to carry theng gt the same insignificant cost, a mile farther than is .-necessary. Looked at from another point of view, and setting aside the financial aspect altogether. Suppose the .case is this-: In a certain locality there is a school, it is an efficient and well officered school, its teachers are of the .psual grade and ability, and the Committee have done everything possible to place this local institution 011 the same, if not on a higher level, than those elsewhere, B,ay that this is the case : is i.t right that .at the caprice of either parents or children, the pupils who in virtue of this local proximity age .the natural .constituents of that .school, should ihave any teipptgtion offered them to pass by their own institution .and travel on, miles, to another ? Is it just to the teachers ? Is it not calculated on the contrary to vex .and annoy ? Is it fair to the school ? Is it not calculated 011 the contrary to spread and foster the suspicion that it is wanting in some highly desirable and essential feature ? Is it just to the Committee ? On the contrary, is it not calculated to give rise to the feeling •that it has been less vigorous in its supervision ; less warm ip its educational zeal less successful ip its efforts than tliat of some other school twelve or twenty miles away ? While writing on this subject of the inn olitlc action, the unwise liberality of the railway authorities, there is another point on tWhich, before laying down our pen, we would offer a word to the heads of the railway department. We. are not child haters ; -we have no objection, in certain circumstances, to having them as fellow travellers pn the same rails ; nor would ..we, on fitting occasions, repress their juvenile pranks and youthful sallies ; yet it must have struck a great many .that instead of allowing a crowd of little boys and girls to stray all over the compartments, to thrust themselves into smoking carriages, to dash cushions about, to rush in a spirit of riot and noise from one end to the other, flinging themselves furiously against the persons and chattels of other passengers, some other and bettor arrangement might be adopted. Could not, for instance, a children’s carriage be specially devoted to their use? And would it not be well to have such carriage in the immediate neighbourhood and under the direct supervision of the guard or some other officer always in charge.? Might not the doors also be locked ? No serious accident has yet been reported, but who, accustomed to travel where school children are among the passengers, as they witnessed the hair-breadth escapes that have taken place, have not .shuddered at the idea that any day some dreadful calamity may occur. Actuated ■by feelings of the deepest interest in the welfare of schools and schoolmasters, parents and children, the travelling public ' and the various School Committees, we offer these remarks to the Government and the heads of the railway departments.

Tfus severe weather lately experienced over the whole 'Colony has a so been felt iu this district. Nevertheless, unless accounts are greatly exaggerated we must certainly congratulate ourselves on having had it dealt opt to us in a greatly modified degree, The north of this province has lately been visited with storms of wind and snow, while the severity of the weather in the Otago province seems to have .been something terrible. In this district, although we have for some time past been experiencing unusually severe frosts at nights, and sharp cold winds during the day, we have scarcely seen any snow. There can he no doubt that an exceptionally favorable time has been allowed to farmers in this district to get their wheat into the ground iu the best possible condition, and should the summer prove favorable our prospects of a good wheat harvest will be, there is no reason to douU, as good ns those reported from other parts of the world. Unfortunately, however, the above favorable report 'only applies to one branch of farming. The prospects for all kinds of stock is anything but cheering; r.p grass is anywhere to be seen, and also hay and straw, the stock of which, on account of the drought last summer was very small, is also rapidly disappearing. A great quantity of good straw lias also been lost through being damaged from the heavy rains in the month of May, and which would now be invaluable bad it been taken better care of. All things considered, however, stock are generally looking very well at present, hut it is the next six weeks or two months that we hgve to dread, and for the sake, of which a speedy breaking up of the severe frosts is to be wished.