THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O' CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 1881.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3773, 31 January 1881, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O' CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 1881.

As will be seen on reference to our telegraphic columns, Major Atkinson and the Hon. Minister for Public Works (Mr Oliver) were not very favourably received when they arrived on -Friday night at Invercargill. The appreciation of the public took the form of rotten eggs. The good folks of Invercargill must have fastidious notions of what constitutes a good politician. It is clear that the Government of New Zealand should be in the hands of men who value their honour and their country more than they do their pocket. But this class of men are not easy to be found—indeed, are rarae ayes. If any man deserves thoroughly pelting (in a Thames point of view) it is Mr Oliver, who has no scruples (or, if he has, it is difficult to discern them); and whose favouritism disgraces the portfolio he holds. His policy may be described as petti-' fogging and mean, and the numerous instances where reasonable claims have been ignored, and favored districts glutted with 'the expenditure of borrowed money clearly show him to be a man whose party is dearer to him than his country. What in the name of goodness has this insufferable Minister done ? Absolutely nothing but take trips all over the colony at the public expense,, and make promises only to break them; Until we can get mon to rule the country, who are like the Kinght of the Bayard sanspeur et sansreproclie,tio long will the affairs of the colony be in a glorious muddle, with muddle-headed Public Works Ministers, Premiers, and Colonial Treasurers, who can find no way to strengthen the credit of the colony but by reducing the wages of some poor devil of a telegraphist or postal officer 10 per cent. Such men deserve an ovicular demonstration, and the reception of Mr Oliver and Mr Atkinson at Invercargill is not only what was to be expected, but what was to be desired, in order that the Ministry may see that their late acts have drawn down on them the disapproval of the public.

Thjj cricket match Thames CO. v. Coromandel O.C. reeulfced in favour of fcho Coromandel team by fire wickets. The Thames men in their first innings made ttie poor score of 77, and in their second innings they seem to have broken down entirely, for they were all out for 38—a miserable number. The 29 extras in the Ooromandel first innings does not add to the credit of the Thames long stop. In their second .innings the Ooromandel team made 44 for the loss of six wickets. We would advise the Thame« team to devote themselves assiduously to practice during the short time that will elapße before the Coromandel team pay us a visit to play the return match. It was said in Auckland on Saturday thafc the. betting on the champion boat race was 2 to 1 againßt the Thames and 6 fco 1 against Auckland. Me Le;j>on will offor to-morrow morning at 11 o'clock two freehold allotments in Pollen street, recsently occupied by Mr J. Brien, ■

lisr another column will be fouud an advertisement notifying the formation at Te Aroha of the Te Aroha No. 1 South Gold Mining Company, Limited. As will be seen from the list of shareholders, the Te Arohans are by far the most enterprising —a fact which should of itself testify to the confidence felt in the field—by Te Arohans at all events.

AN open lodge meeting will take place this evening at eight o'clock in the Temperance Hall.

Br advertisement in another column parents living in the Farawai school district are reminded that the Farawai school will reopen to-morrow morning at 9.30.

A call of 6d per share has been m&de by the directors of the Columbia G.M.Co,; payable on the 9th of next month.

We are doing all we can to develop a race of juvenile pedants, who will leave undone the things which they ought to have done, and wbo will do the things which they sHould not do, and there will be no intellectual health in them. The curriculum in force in our schools is part and paroel of the gilt gingerbread and stucco work age in which we live. " Keap up appearances" iB detestable in connection with education, which should be the foundation of a human character. In the name of common sense, of what earthly or heavenly use is mastering a book of botany or a book of chemistry ? Pnysica without a long course of experiments in machinery is a perfect farce; chemistry miuus a laboratDiy adequately furnished is a burlesque. A/u'd what is botany apart from field excusiona ? Of what earthly use is physiology without praticel anatomy, and the use ef the living subject ? Ouv young ladies would shriek if asked to see an amputation; and which of them would handle and examime a human Hver? And yet without this inspection the varnish of physiology i» a terrible humbug. This humbug costs the Colony hundreds of pounds. This fraud wastes the precious time of inspectors, secretaries, teachers, and scholars.— Bruce Herald.