THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8268, 23 October 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1906.

A contemporary appropriately points out that ibe Exhibition will attract tu Ohristohurch visitors from all parts of the colony and from all parts of the world. That most of the ariivals from oversea will be heartily weloome goes without saying, for do they not come to epend their money anaong us, not ouly in Ohristohurch, but in the many places of interest which they will also visit and will they not report upon the advantages of the colony when they return to their homes? it is reasonably anticipated that both our trade and our population will te ultimately strengthened by the greater knowledge of New Zealand, its opportunities, its prodaots, and its industries which the Exhibition will be the means of disseminating throughout the civilised world. And it is very properly intended that the thousands of visitors who come with friendly faces and kindly intentions shall have abundant opportunity for honest and intelligent enjoyment. But the Christohurch Exhibition will not only te the occasion of a desirable gathering of law-abiding colonists and visitors in the Cathedral City, but is being made the cause of an altogether obnoxious visitation. Not only the sightseer and the holidaymaker, but the plobpooket, the burglar, the aoufldence man, the swindler, and thief of every class

are arranging to make Ghristohuroh their Mecca. To proteot honest people aa far as may be extensive police precautions are being taken. The Australian polioe are watching Australian ports iu order to warn our own authorities of undesirable passengers. A large body of men is being mustered from the Permanent Artillery to Etrengthen the Christohuroh force, and policemen are being drafted thitherward from throughout the colony. Australian detectives have been engaged. The finger-print system is being employed to deteat th« criminal fraternity. Everything is being done whloh can be done—excepting the closing of our gates to all suspioious oharaoters. This is the most reasonable of all precautions: we would point out to the Government the urgenoy of passing a short Act giving to the authorities the necesssary power to refuse admission to the colony to persons of notoriously bad character.

The Auckland Headmasters' Association has been considering the pupilteaoher system, and is putting forward a sobeme for the emendation of the indefensible conditions now existing in the public school service, remarks the New Zealand Herald. Atjjfpresent children of 15 yeßrs old commence a'ffive years' "training" in which they teaoh for some five hmrs daily, are given instructions by the headmaster of their school before and after school hours, and study for the rest of the hours whioh they can spare from sleep. [This is simply slavery, and is not only destroying the health of the pnpil-teaohers, especially of the girls, but is gradually ostraoising the teaohing profession to the most desirable of those who might join it. The English system is much more advanced than ours, commencing at 16 years, providing for a two years' apprenticeship, limiting teaohing to only two days a week, and reserving two halfdays in each week for recreation. Ihe Headmasters' Asaouiation proposes a modification of the English system, with an extensive use of training colleges or other central institutions; the apprenticeship to be for four years, and to commence at 16; the last year to be spent iq a training college, and all apprentices to have previously matrioulated. That the proposal is immensely superior to that now in existence, and that it would greatly advanoe the publio educational system, goes without saying. Its institution, it is estimated, wuuld cost the colony about £70,000 per annum, which is probably an under estimate. But even if the cost were considerably more there can bo no question whatever that the present pupilteacher system ought to be radically altered, for ii is neither creditable to the oolony nor humane to the pupil teachers nor resulfcful in good to the school children. The only criticism that can fairly be made upon the proposal is that it proposes to amend a system which might better he swept out of existence altogether. The employment of pupil-teachers at all is an antiquated method, and aa the United States appears to do very well without it there does not seem any irrnmovafcle reason why we should not do without it in New Zealand if we are willing to pay the price.