The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 1881

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 736, 6 April 1881, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 1881

The reports published by the Wellington papers are often so meagre that the public are not made aware of some of the most important proceedings of the Wellington Educational Board. An instance of this occurred at the last meeting, to which our attention has been directed, As it happens to be likely to particularly affect some of of the Wairarapa sotools it will have special interest to some of our readers, The facts are these:—Sometime since, attention having been called to the fact that a variety of books were being used in tho sohools, Messrs Hutchison, Blair, and Archdeacon Stock were named as a committee to prepare a list of books which should be used in all the schools, This they did, and at the last meeting their report was laid before the Board, and its adoption moved, of course without its being read, as it was not likely the Board would sit and listen to tjie reading of a list of books, of which they knew nothing, On the motion being made, Mr O, Pharazyn very properly asked whether the inspector (Mr Lee) had been consulted by the committee. The reply, givpn by one of the committee, was that he had not, as he had been absent on a country tour of inspection; but that the committee had consulted some of the masters, and thought they had obtained quite sufficient information to act without the assistance of Mr Lee. Mr Pharazyn then urged that ,to tie all the masters clown absolutely to the use of a certain set of books was so serious a step, and might bo so mischeivous if any mistake had been made, that lie felt they ought to havo the Inspector's opinion to guide them before adopting the report. He. would therefore ask Mr Lee if he had looked at the list, and could give any opinion on it. The reply was, that he had only had time to glance over it, and should not like to give a decided opinion upon so important a matter without some time to I examine it. He had, however, noticed that a particular style of writing had been selected, and that style only would, if the report were adopted, be taught in future. The effect of this would be that in two of the Wairarapa schools, which were- remarkable for the good writing taught, but which was different to the style the report proposed to work on, a complete change would have to be made, and the masters would be placed under a great disadvantage in having almost to begin afresh after all they had done. As tho question of the advantages of a particular style of writing over any other was a mere matter of opinion, he thought it very doubtful whether more harm than good would not be done by the proposed change, He could not say whether the same sort of result might not follow in other subjects by the proposed books being insisted on, until he had time to carefully examine tho list. On this explanation being made Mr Pharazyn at once moved the postponement of the consideration of the report till next meeting—the Inspector to examine it in the meanwhile. He urged this strongly on the Board, as he felt it would be entirely a wrong principle for a committee with no special technical training to so entirely take the place of the responsible officers of the Board in such a purely technical question as this, MrBeetham seconded this, entirely agreeing with the mover; but the committee, backed very strongly by Mr Bunny, insisted on the adoption of. the report,

awl it was : carried on a division, Messrs Beetham and Tharazyri- only voting against,it,. Thesefacts hardly require comment, the position taken by the committee' being so' clearly untenable. When will Boards of all kinds clearly see. the only sound -working principle for their guidance, viz., to select their executive officer, because he is fitted by his special knowledge for the position, and,, having once got him, to make him wholly responsible in all technical and routine matters. Interference in these by a committee must almost always mean that mere amateurs attempt the work of experts, and nothing but failure can be expected. In this case the committee have consulted "some of the masters," although this must mean the town masters, and probably only such of them as the members of the committee happened to know most intimately, If the gentlemen happened to' have had some special prejudices in favor of a particular class of books those will be found in the list adopted. No master outside of Wellington has, probably, had a word to say in the matter. Had Mr Lee been consulted be would have brought to bear on the question his knowledge of all that is being done in the whole of the Board's schools, and so been able to avoid undue interference. In making these remarks we express no opinion as to whether the list adopted is a good or a bad one. All wo wish to point out is the entirely wrong course adopted by the Board in ignoring the opinion of its own officer. When the list is published, as we presume it will be, we may have more to say about it, and the Board will probably have to deal with a number of complaints from masters, who, as in the case given with respect to writing, it may In this or other ways injuriously affect.

Mr Wardell, E.M., sits at Carterton today. Pheasants aro reported to be increasing in the neighborhood of Carterton. Mr A. Armstrong, thb well-known Cartorton auctioneer, is about to go into the sawmill business, Mr Shaw will hold a District Court at Masterton on Friday next. One case only, wo beliove, is on tho list. The annual meeting of tho Groytown Horticultural Society takes place on Saturday next, Visitors from Wellington, Greytown, and Carterton, are now engaged in duck shooting on tho Wairarapa Lake. In our report of tho Kuripuni public hall meeting yesterday, Mr Donald's name was substituted inadvertently for Mr Daniels.

The regular monthly meeting of Wairarapa County West will take place on Saturday next.

Messrs F. H. Wood & Co. are instructed to sell by auction at Carterton on the 9th iust., Saturday next, a consignment of new furniture.

On Friday last twenty men were employed to open up the Wairarapa Lake by cutting a channel at its mouth. The following morning, however, the sea quietly closed the small fissuro that had been so industriously made on tho previous day,

Our Featherston correspondent writes that Mr D, Knight purchased on Saturday last from Mr A.. Matthews, of Western Lake, 300 sheep, which were tho heaviest all-round lot ho had ever seen. In his opinion they averaged about 901bs per head.

An election took place oil-Monday last at Mr Brannigiin's wool-shed, Alfredton, for a representative of that riding in the Wairarapa West Council, Mr Hawkins, tho proprietor of Bowlands Station, was tho only candidate nominated, and was declared duly elected. Mr Hawkins, though a new settler in the Wairarapa, is an old and experienced colonist, and is likely to make a very valuable member of our County Council.

An accident happened on the Master-ton-Wellington line on Monday last. As the train emerged from tho last tunnel going down, two-calves were observed to be on the line. The engine was Blowed to give them an opportunity to run to one side, which one did, but the other, after dodging fiom side to side, was caught by the cow-catcher, one of its hind legs being cut clean off, and the animal becoming fixed and dragged along. Tho train was pulled up in about 20 yards and tho carcase cxtricatod without much difficulty, and (thrown to the side of the line, As the engine was being pulled up at the time of tho occurrence, no damage was dono eithor to it or tho pormanent way,

Messrs J. H. Bothuneand Co., effected several important aalos at their rooms on Monday last. Theproportiesbrought under the hammer were situated in the Wairarapa, and sold under tlie instructions ot Mr Henry Welch and the executors of tho late Mr W. R, Welch,. The first lot, comprising sections Nos, 3, 4, and 6 1 ?, Opaki Block, together with woolshep and farm buildings thereon, and the eastern half of section No, 6, Opaki, containing 500 acres, together with dwelling house and out-buildings, were knockod down to Mr Henry Welch at tho rate of £6 per acre. Lot 2, containing tho western half of section No. 0, Opaki, of 800 acres, 140 acres of which aro leased at an annual rental of £2lO, fell to the bid of Messrs Campbell and R. Welch, at £o 10s per aero. Lots i, 5, 6, and 8 were withdrawn. No, 7, being section No! 74, Opaki Block, containing 02 acres totara bush, was sold to Mr John Morrison at £2 15s per acre. Mr J" Tuck beoaip the purchaser of 1600 sheep at 5s per head,—N,?[, Times,

A meeting of the Featherston Local Board was held yesterday. PresentMessrs Cox (chairman) Donald, Reynolds, and Williams. The ininutes of the previous meeting having been confirmed, the Treasurer reported a balance in bank of £2l7s lid. The following accounts were passed for payment; Mr Bennett, £1 15; Mr Wolters, £3 3s; Mr Urquhart, 10s; and Mr W. Benton, 15s. Mr J. Wallace having tendered his resignation as collector, Mr Keys was appointed in his place. A general rate of 9d, and a library rate of Is, were struck. It was decided to ensure the office and fittings for the sum of £IOO. An application from Mr Evans for a culvert was referred to Hie works committee. The poundkeeper reported receipts for the past month to be 17s. The report pf the library committee was received and adopted. The meeting then adjourned, Specimens of the Brandon Eeef quartz are lying at our office, in which gold is plainly observable. Mr Brandon informed a representative of this journal who visited the works that they are all ready now for the reception of the machinery, and that they have stone enough to last for years, Qood roads have been formed about the-works, and now a tramway, to convey stone from the tunnel to the machine, is being constructed. Mr Brandon's party appear to be all praotical men, and very confident of the success of the enterprise, '! :

The quarterly general:meeting of the members of the Union Olub takes place at the Olub rooms this evening, After the parade of the Masterton Cadets, this evening, the youths will hold a meeting-of their football club.

A dividend is announced as now payable in the estatoof Mr H.lhompson,contractor, of Masterton. Wo notice that yards for'the convenipersons sending sheep or cattlo by rail are being made at the Masterton railway station, ';■"•'. At a meeting of the creditors of James Beard, of Greytown, plumber, Mr F. H. 1 Wood was elected'trustee. The liabilities in the estate amount to: £l9B and the' assets £266...

; Wo remind the Masterton footballers of the opening match in Mr Drummond's paddock on' Saturday next, 'lf players wfsh to make a show, we would advise them to. go in for a little practice beforehand.; •.;..'■

A special meeting of the Masterton Borough' Council was held last evening to confirm the rate struck at the previous meeting." It was also decided to call tenders for stumping and clearing the railway station road at Kuripuni. A special meeting will be held next Tuesday to strike the special rate for the above work, A letter was read from Mr E. Feist,.chairman oi the Library Committee, reporting Mr Hales' resignation as a member of the Committee, and asking the Council to appoint Messrs Sellar and Pay ton as new members. On the motion of Or Gapper, seconded by Or Bish, the desired appointments were passed. The Councillors present at the special meeting were His Worship the' Mayor, and Crs, Russell, Bentley, Gapper; Perry, Dixon, Vile, McCardle, and Bish.

Jesse R; Grant, brother of the exPresident, has gone to-Europe to start a mining exchange, It is denied that Henry Labouchere has become connected' by purchase with the Pall Mall Gazette. ' '

The University Boat race takes place on April Bth. American capitalists, principally the firm of Shipman, Barlow and McFurlano, who have projected the underground railway in New York, will send General McPhelan to London, to place the shares in the English market,

Farmers in South' Australia are complaining of the want of rain. It is stated that the wheat crop will'not average more than 5 bushels to 5| bushels per acre.

It is estimated by a local paper that five thousand persons spent forty thousand pounds in gambling over the last Dunedin races. By means of totalisators, £15,000; consultations, £15,000 ; and bets, £IO,OOO.

The mantle of Sir Boyle Roche seems to havo fallen on the shoulders of one of tho members for Wicklow, in tho British House of Commons. Speaking on the Irish question lately he said :—" As long as Ireland was silent under her wrongs, England was deaf to her cries,"

It is stated that a prominent citizen of Galveston was brought home very late in a comatose condition. His terriGed wife, thinking it was apoplexy, sent for the family physician. Tho. doctor examined the patient carefully, and then directed that the clergyman be sent for, In a few minutes the spiritual adviser was bending over tho couch if tho dying man, Finally tho clergyman said: "Why he is drunk! that's what's'the matter Why am I sent for here at 12 o'clock at night?" "Do you suppose," replied the doctor! that lam going to be the'only fool on Galveston Island?" That's the story they tell.

Here is one person in England jwho has at all events had no idoa that coercion is necessary for Ireiand. Ho is a parson, a baronet, an absentee Irish landlord, and an Englishman—about as hopeless a combination as a Parnellito could desire for denunciation. He is Sir Cavendish Hervey Foster, rector of Thoydon Gamon, in the lovely wilds of Epping, in Essex. This reverend baronet has an estate in Louth, one of the counties supposed to be the worst in Ireland, When the day came for the collection of his rent he sent instructions to his agents to deduct 10 per cent. The tenants unanimously refqsed to apce.pt it. "Nothing new in that," perhaps'you say. Patience I They refused to accept it because they declared that their rents were low enough already, their landlord a good and considerate one, and the harvest sufficient to cover his. rightful demand. They therefore insisted upon the agent tailing thoir rents in full. A finer testimonial to a landlord has never been presented in our day. The chairman of the London Board of the Union Bank of Australia, speaking at the late annual mooting said, tho only other topic connected with tho progress of colonial prosperity is the succosa of the two shipments of frozen meat—that by the Protos, lately arrived, after a long passage of sixty-four days, having resulted in an average sale of nearly 7d per lb tor the meat, and of about Is per lb for 100 tons of, fresh butter, tho latter costing about 5d to 6d per lb in the colony. The future of the colonial meat trade must eventually be large, and only limited by the means of transport, .By the latest Colonial statistics I see that New South Wales, Queensland, and New Zealand, alone could at present furnish a surplus for export of 100,000 tons of meat, which at 2d per lb would yield upwards of £1,500,000 Bterling, .and this can be indefinitely, oxtended, But even these 100,000 tons of meat would require more than 300 ships or steamers carrying 300 tons of meat, each, which is a large quan<; tity of meat for each ship. As for the consumption of meat in England and on the Continent, it is almost unlimited, with reduction of price, and I feel confident that good meat in England will not descend below 5d to fid per lb, leaving thus, after paying a freight of 2d per lb, or about Ll9 per ton, an ample margin over tho 2d per lb, I have indicated as its original value in the colonies,

We see by advertisement which appears in the socond page of pur paper that the manager of the New Zealand Clothing Factory'announces new goods for autumn and winter wear. It always gives us a certain amount of pleasure to draw the attention of our numerous readers to loctf industry, and the above establish: ment is purely and Bimply a local institution, and one .well deserving of the support of the public of New Zealand, not only on aocount of the extra yalqe of their productions', but on the grounds of the enormous amount of money they circulate in the colony. We simply draw the attention of our readers to the advertisement of the above firm, and'advise them to call at the Wellington branch and judge for themselves.

We hear from reliable authority that it is the intention of Messrs Schroder, Hooper & Co. to make their first grand display of Autumn and Winter Millinery, Drapery, and Clothing at the Hall of •Commerce, on Saturday, March 19th, consisting of 71 packages and bales. As the bulk of their magnificient stock : has been imported direct from the manufacturers, the public can rely upon obtaining all the lateßt fashions and designs of the season- at 'extremely low prices, ..We would advise a|l purchasers and lovers of fashion to make an early call at the Hall of Commerce and inspect their.stock. Thoir advertisement will be found on the front page of this paper,—[Advil,