THE WORLD, THE WEEK, AND WELLINGTON.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9078, 30 April 1908, Page 6

THE WORLD, THE WEEK, AND WELLINGTON.

(By Frank Morton.)

Lovers of sound progress might with advantage demand that the Government shall oe more generous and wise in its treatment of technical schools. At present, of course, with a standard wage fixed in nearly all trades, there is little incentive for any man to excel, or to be other than an average tradesman. But in the future that incentive will almost certainly arise, and the true crattsman will again win the reward of his art and industry. A technical s-.hool, under proper management, makes craftsmen. The technical dchool at Wellington has done, and is doing, splendid work in that way; but the work of the school is being checked and dwarfed by the apathy of the Government. The school needs a better site, and the Government has sites to suit. But after years 01 patient pleading th 3 school authorities have had to admit that nothing is to be looked for from the Government. It is a pity.

' We are very much in the habit of jesting or sneering at what we arcpleased to call American-English. I hold no brief for the Americans, but I am inclined to think that their English is better than our own. The English taught in State schools in 1 Wellington is certainly not impeccable. Then, pronunciations sanctioned by long usage in Britain are not generally observed in this city. Simple words like "conversant" and "despicable" are mispronounced nine times out of ten; "formidable and "indissoluble" nearly always. The pronunciation of proper names like Dalziel, Belhune, Brougham, and Majoribanks is generally not at all the pronunciation that custom sanctions. Some of the spellings are certainly queer; but, if reform is needed, *it were surely better to spell the words as they are pronounced than to attempt to pronounce them as they are spelt. These are matters that the teacher should see to; but sometimes here the teachers are themselves offenders. Where there are pitfalls in the language, the young people should be guided. /There is, for instance, a pitfall over which men are tripping in every city street. Is it "specialty" or Both, of course. A man's specialities are his distinguishing personal or mental characteristics; his specialties are the distinguishing or principal items of goods in which he trades.

Holidays or no holidays, brisk times or dull, the people of Wellington always flock eagerly to the theatres. Just now, Mr John F. Sheridan and his pantomime company are the attraction. Wellington loves a pantomime; and I'm not at all inclined to quarrel with Wellington for that. When nonsense is undisguised and consistent, I can enjoy it as well as any man; and Mr Sheridan and his hundred merry players certainly make most diverting and outrageous nonsense. There is no pretence of anything else, exception being made of a few sprightly sonTs and a number of quite delightful dances.

The Prime Minister is in town. The papers state that he will be here for at least a week; but that is probably an exaggeration.

Bishop Julius, of Christchurch, who met with a painful accident some time ago, passed through Wellington on Friday on his way to Sydney. Mrs Julius was with him. Whoever knows this bishop wishes him well; and very many people in Chriscchurch villaae will be glad to see him back again. He is a good man and a strong man, with no simpering sacerdotalism or stupid nonsense about him. Man of that type are not plentiful, even among bishops.

The matter of the Nimrod, Lieutenant Shackleton, and Captain England is one of those unfortunte matters as to which it is exceedingly difficult for the public to come to any very clear decision. As the Governof New Zealand contributed to the cost of the expedition, it is, however, a matter in which the public may very properly take an interest. The fact that stands undoubted is that Captain England and Lieutenant Shackleton. having undertaken to do a certain thing, squabbled like a couple of fishwives and brought the whole enterprise into derision and disrepute. But it is to be recorded to Lieutenant Shackleton's credit that, ship or no ship, he stayed among the ice to do as best he could the work he went to do. So that decision as to the matter must be postponed till he returns. Captain England, returning ahead of his associate, and making statements to newspapers which Lieutenant Shackleton is at hand neither to endorse nor deny—well, it does not seem, on the whole, that Captain England's position is very enviable, however safe. One cannot but remember that Lieutenant Shackleton is out somewhere amid the rigours of the Antarctic winter.