GENERAL NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 19 September 1913, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

THE OUTBACK TEACHER

LET THE WIFE GO

The great achievement of General Sir Harry Prendorgast—whose death was announced recently—came in 1885-6, when he annexed Burma, a country larger than France, to the British Empire and dethroned the infamous King Theebaw. "It is be-1 yond doubt that in one day King Theebaw caused seventy or eighty members of the royal family . to be massacred," said Sir Harry once. "But then this was strictly in accordance with the traditions of his position." Sir Harry himself described the surrender of Theebaw at Mandalay in the following words: "I went to the palace with twenty or thirty officers and an interpreter. King Theebaw sat on his throne under the awning of a verandah, surrounded by his Ministers and his wives and the Queen-mother. There was no trace of fear or anger in his demeanour; he was perfectly cool and polite. I informed him that it would be necessary for him to embark for India. He suggested a delay of three months, which was refused, then three weeks, and finally three days. At length I took out my watch and said, 'I can' give you ten minutes.' " King Theebaw then implored Sir Harry not to rob him of a precious ruby ring or his wife. But as the general smiled in a mysterious way, the King exclaimed: "Well, well, take by wife, but, oh, great commander, spare hie my ring." F;rom the officer of the steamer in which the King and .Bis Court were taken into exile Sir Harry (the Daily Mail .says) received' -ft receipt, for "one King, three; Queens, one •Prime, Minister) three councillors, and so many maids* of honour.''

The Department of Education, is frequently 'put to considerable inconvenience by subsidised teachers in the remote parts of the State failing to send in reports regularly (says the Sydney Morning Herald). Matters becameso bad in this respec£ that the department at last ened to withhold the subsidy unless' greater promptitude was observed in the matter. "I regret to say that 1 cannot forward the return, and it is not on' account of not knowing it is necessary it should be sent" in; nor i<s it a. case of negligence, but it is through this," writes a lady .teacher to the department, in explanation of her neglect to comply strictly to the letter of the regulations., "Jusf recently, when we had the heavy rains and the cyclone, whysh passed over' the State, my school was completely flooded. The rain came'in in torrents J and destroyed all by official I returns, etc., together with the rollbook, lesson register, and'all By;pictures,, and I am very disappointed,as I had some very good 4 crayon drawings and water-colour'paintings; also maps that were done by hand;Everything was swept,;off the walls: and the water was knee deep. *Th& promoters here say .that since the school was built hot a drop of rain has over come in before, but, 'of course, this was really a deluge. In' the midst of the rain 1 was foolish enough to try to go over to the school but when half-way I had to return as the water was about four inches above my ankles, and I was drenched /almost through. After that I 'was very ill, -and 1 got a ,chill, and. am not, better yet. It would mean a! big loss to me should my salary be stopped." The Minister of Education, re? ferring to the matter, said "Of course under thefce circumstances, there was only one thing, and that was to>~frrform the lady that her salary would not be stopped, but, except under, similar extraordinary circumstanves, the department expected "That in future the return sI®H!3 be sent in regularly and promptly.''