EDUCATION ACT.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 122, 15 February 1873, Page 2

EDUCATION ACT.

A Mi.iuivo of the whihitanls of Xgaruiwahia and surrounding diHtrict was liold ou Thursday opening in the Delta Hotel, >'garuawalua. Mr Jumes Hume was voted to the chair, lie explained that it was necessary to take some «teps to bring the district under the provisions of the- Education Act, 1872, as the act under which they had hitherto been working was repealed. Mr Hollovvay said he believed that the act wus onlj partially understood, he would endeavour to make its principal provisions clear to the meeting. Ho spoke at some length with that object. In alluding to the taung clause, concerning which so much agitation had been going on, ho pointed out, that as the General Assembly had failed to provide means to educate the people, it naturally de\olved upon the Provincial Council to take their education into its own hands. It had been urged against the clause that it was unfair that each householder, legardloss of his means, should pay an equal tax. lie was prepared to admit that a sliding scale of Home description would have been preferable, but he also saw that were such adopted, it would be necessary to assess all the house property throughout the province ; this would entail great cvpciise and consequently, to a very great extent, defeat the object for which the act wns passed. The act was only a temporary measure, passed with the solo <?bject of providing for education till the House of Representatives legislate for the w hole colon v, nnd vole a sufficient j sum from the general revenue to carry it out. Under these ! circumstance*, lie considered that the Provincial Council i would not have been justified in entailing so great an expense on the ratepayers. The tono of the meetings held in Auckland reflected little credit on thosowho had taken part in them ; they had allowed themselves to be led away from the important question of educating the people by a clique of men who had for their sole object the damaging of the chances of re-election of those members of the council who were instrumental in passing the act. They used for their purpose the taking clause, and that only. The act, as an Education Act, they were well aware, was too clearly of benefit to all classes, for them to be a chance of getting a resolution carried against it. As regards the compulsory clauses, they had been spoken uf as an infringement on the liberty of the people — this was only clap-trap. It was left entirely in the hands of the people m every educational district to enforce, or not, the el iuscs. Ample jirovision was aKo made for the prevention of injustice being inflicted when compulsion was exercised, lie considered that any man who culpably neglected to send his child to school was not worthy of a moment's consideration. If he failed to do his duty to his children and the colony, it was perfectly right that he should be compelled to do so. lie felt confident that the resolution he was going to move would be carried without a dissentient, voice. lie then moved "That this meeting is of opmbn that the Education Act, 1872, will confer groat benefits on the province." Mr Bvrou in seconding the resolution said he felt very stronulv on the question of e luntion. Ho was prepared to admit that the Act was not perfect ; very few measures passe I by legislative bodies were so. The objection was ' aiaal too late ; ha 1 the people of Auckland been a little less apathetic and not allowed the principal proportion of their revenue to go South there would be no necessity for the tax. As regards the cqualitv of the tax, and its undue pressure on the poor nun, it must be remembered that the aflluent man would not use the schools, he would, however, have to pi) tlu' JCI tay and the os levied on each child up to four. He had great ploatirc iv seconding the resolution. The Chairman then put it to the meeting, and declared it carried nem. con. Major Wilson, in moving the next resolution: — "That this meeting is of opinion that application should be made to the Board of Kducatiou to declare the township of Ngaruaw ahia and the surrounding district, comprised within a radius of three miles from the l\>t OTiee, a district under the Education Act, 1872," — 3iidtV object in circumscribing the district was in consequence of provision having been made by the act for itinora'it tc-u'iers for d.slriiis in vsliioh the population was very mu >h scattered, and he feirod that to comprise •>uch a district wou'. 1 probably prevent the appointment of such a tea-üb.LV. He regretted that the foresight of thoso who had the management of tlie affairs of this province m the early days had not been suJScient to induce them to set apart as in other provinces, estatoi for educational purposes; had tilts been done it would not now bo nrcessa-ry to tax ourselves. The land fund had been allowed to be alienated down south. Mr l'ayner seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously. Mr GiflTney moved, and Mr Bell seconded: — "That the present School Board be a committee to obtain the ten signa- ! tures necessary \o give effect to the previous resolutions." I Carried. j A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the meeting

A copy of The Times, Ko 933 1, London, Tuesday, May 30, 18ir>", price 6Jd, is before us, Bug of Plenty Times. It is well preserved, although signs of old age are evident in tlie colour and fibre of tlie paper upon which it is printed. It bears the impies.sion of u threepenny stamp (we have just entered upon the half-penny epoch). The following is the imprint : — " Printed nnd published at the office in Printing Houso Square, near Apothecaries' Hull, Bhiokfriars, by C. Hell, Brunswick street." The Times (was it called the Thunderer in tho«edny9 9 ), No. 953 1, is in size what is technically kno\ui as double crown, a single sheet contain ing 20 wide columns, only fhe of which are filled with reading matter. It would appear, therefoie. even in those days that the " lencTng journal " was excellent property, A large and varied mixture of advertisements, indeed— Master Julius Met?, " prim ipal linger of the great synagogue," announces ft benefit concert, under the patronage of his Royal llMinfss the Duke- of Sussex; "di'tree in the High* Court of Chancery," Mr Crook advertises "an important sj stem of education, exemplified by the astonishing effects of his method ol improving the memory, when one of his pupils will recito Montgomery's ' Battle of Alexandria' in a manner to which the most extended and continued effort of the unassisted memory could never aspire ; " tke Commissioners for comli cting his M-ijesty's transport service, and for victualling hm Ma|o*tj's mny, invite tenders for supplying various articles ; Mr Grimnldi, at Sadler's "Wells, as clown in the great pantomime " Harlequin and ths Mermaid;" "Come to Astley's Ro;al Ampithcatrc, and sco the life, death, and restoration of the high-metaled racer ; valuable freehold estates ; wiles In auction, servants wanting places, In-lia shawls, "chemical cream" for grey hnir, sodawater and pianofortes ; house*, mansions, and apartments of all •orts and sizes for sale and to lie let. Advertisement?, indeed, having little that smors of half a century ago about them — that would pass by almost unnoticed in any newspaper ot the present day. It is a noticeable fjet, however, that not one shipping advertisement appears. We clip the following from the lending article: — "Besides, Buonaparte is personally driven to a state of entire desperation. He every day feels himself more distinctly put under the bun of tho universe; an accursed outlaw, whose touch is leprosy, and contamination, and disgrace The admirable report 'of the Committee of Congress which we jesterdav gave to the public, has infixed in his side a deadly wound — liaret Uiteri Iclhtihs arwido. It is said that m his hopelessness ho has turned a supplicating c^o to Vienna, and offered to abdicate a sjcoihl time, if he nun be permitted on the French Throne, to secure the succession to In-, ton. and the Rogencj to his w ife Far from listening to such a proposal, we can state, w it!i some confidence, that the Emperor Francis is bonton annulling all relationship between his fiumlj and this hateful individual, and that a dissolution of the fatal marriage of the Archduchess mnv be shortly expected to tale, place, under tho authority of tho head of the Roman Church. Meanwhile the expected barrier which prevents the volcano of rebellion from \omiting forth its flames on other hinds is dailv strengthening. The forces under the Duke of Wellington and Prince Blucher flro estimated at 200,000 cflcctiic men ; but nothing will be put to hazard by these great comniwider*. Thoy del\ attack, and they will not attempt j mvjiMon until all the reinforcements arc como up, and the ! second march to Pans can be begun and pursued with a moral certainty of success." The Lyltelton Times has tho foolloiving in reference, to long-woolled sheep :—lt: — It is becoming every day more evident that long-wooded sheep will by-and-by displace tho merinos in a considerable portion of this and the neighbouring piovinee of Dingo, and the federal men entitled to ho heard on such a subject arc of opinion that ultimately New Zealand will have a distinct biccd of its own, combining the qualities of the most distinctnc varieties. Whether this should be the case or nut, it is dear that the long-wools are rapiclh gaining the estimation of stock-owners and farmers, and that increased attention is paid to breeding. Large sums are paid for selected rams and ewes of tho best strains, and if the same spirit of indicions enterprise continues Cantcrbnry wilt soon possess flocks of this class unsurpassed m any part of the Southoru Ho .i»»1 .«•«..