Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." MONDAY, JULY 2, 1883.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXV, Issue 10236, 2 July 1883, Page 2

Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." MONDAY, JULY 2, 1883.

The motion for the second reading | of Mr Steward's School Committees Election Bill gave rise to a discussion ' of an exceedingly interesting character. It became amply evident in the course of the debate that members of the House of Representatives, equally with the outside, community, believe that the Education Act needs some improvement amendments, but that it is necessary to exercise the utmost caution in introducing reform, lest damage, be done to the system in any of its essential features. It is true that the motion for the second reading of Mr Steward's Bill was carried on the voices, and that, if there had been a division, the majority for the Bill would have been overwhelmingly large ; but this result was brought about by the large mass of convincing evidence •which was adduced to show that the proposed amendment was absolutely necessary, to. remove evila of very great magnitude which had sprung up under the present system of election. The general feeling still is, to maintain the Education Act as it is, even in its machinery clauses, unless the weightiest ground for change can be shown. We can recall no other case in which the people and the Legislature of New Zealand have exhibited such marked and* persistent distrust of innovation as they have with regard to the Education Act. It seems as though they dread not only unintentional damage to the system, but insidious attacks made purposely, under cover of ostensible reform, by enemies of secular education who recognise the futility of open warfare. However, dn the case of the School Committees Election. Bill, the magnitude of the evil' to be got rid of overcame the obvious feeling of distrust of change. A. great deal of oredit is duo to Mr ' Steward for the trouble he had taken in getting together from all parts of the colony the faots which justified him in bringing forward this measure. The, speech he made in moving the second reading was an admirable one, and he was highly complimented on his success, the Colonial Secretary admitting that he (Mr Steward) had rendered great service in obtaining suggestions from a very large number of School Committees, suggestions which he felt sure would prove highly valuable when the time came for considering the amendment of the Education Act generally. Whatever may be the theoretical value of the system of cumulative voting, as applied to the election of School Committees, it has been found in practice to be excessively pernicious, and the section for whose benefit it was specially introduced into the Education Act has steadily held aloof from the elections and declined to take any part in the working of the system. Hera and there a Catholic sits on a School Committee, but not as a consequence of facilities afforded by cumulative voting. In many .districts the cumulative voting has placed most objectionable persons on the Committees. Now that Mr Steward haa obtained his second reading, the remainder of his work will be easy. The House will, without doubt, pass the Bill, but its fate in the Legislative Council is not so easily foretold. We may conclude by saying that, in the course of the debate, the new member for Inangahua, Mr Shaw, made an attack on the Education Boards, and seemed prepared to advocate their abolition. He may therefore be expected to support Mr Seddon's measure having that object in view. We need scarcely say that there is not the remotest chance of the last-mentioned Bill being carried.