Boer Education.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 17, 6 July 1899, Page 1

Boer Education.

' Before President Kvuger went to Bloemfontein he declared that hiB real business there Was to negotiate with President Steyn a " closer union " between the Orange Free State and the Transvaal, and that his conference with Sir Alfred Milner was only a side issue. An alliance already existed, as one was formed last year between the two Boer Republics, and a Federal Council was appointed to deal with matters of common interest. One might be pardoned for wondering what these " matters of common interest " can be, for, apart from the fact, that the people of both States are Boers, their characteristics are widely different. Ono of the most striking contrasts between the two is found in their systems of education. Education in the Orange Free State is as liberal and enlightened as the system in the Transvaal is narrow and bigoted. The High School in Pretoria, which is highly subsided by Mr Kruger's Government, is under the charge- of a "Hollander" who hates the English language to such an extent that sooner than use it he would prefer his pupils te learn nothing at all. Yet the Government grant would be withdrawn if the governing body of the school disapproved of the methods adopted by this narrow-minded pedagogue. On the other hand, the leading educational establishment of the Free State, Grey College, named after Sir George Grey, who benefited it during his stay at the Cape, is an institution equal to any in our own colony. The course uf study laid down is of a high standard, and as English and Dutch text-books are used side by side, the study of English is practically compulsory. The superiority of the Boers of the Free State is no doubt accounted for by their more frequent contact with English thought. Wherever the English language is spoken "there will Be a plentiful supply of English literature, and the English language is not confined to Grey College. Three years ago a traveller, describing a tea and tennis party given by Mrs Steyn, said that he was struck by hearing nothing but English spoken on all sides of him, though most of the guests were men in public life, who spoke Dutch habi* tually in their business hours.

The latest temperance proposition is to carry total prohibition for one of the islands^of New Zealand, to see how it will woik. It 18 suggested the experiment mujhfc be tried on the North Island. - The Pope has two official head dresses 1 . ' The- first is the mitre, such as is woi-n by all lishopa, for the Pope at .first was diYly Bishop of Eome. The other is the tiai aor triple crown. Both «,re made of cloth, and neither bears any inscriptidn. It is estimated that there are over 240,000 women domestic sei'v nts in London, and that 10,000 of these are always otit of situations or changing theil' places. ' ' At Sona, in Spain, while about a. thou*' sand people were assembled in the church at Burgo de Osmo, to celebrate the Feast of the Virgin, the choir stall fell in with & tremendous crash. The terrified congre* gation made a rush for the doors, and ift the panic and confusion which 'followed; -thirteen persons were more or tart getfqdllji. njuredv . ' ,\\ •