The Waikato Times THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1610, 28 October 1882, Page 2

The Waikato Times THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

ISqit.il and exact justice to all men, Ot \vb.itsne\cr st.itc or perbuasion, religious or pi lUtc.il. Heio sh ill tin" I'icss the People's right maintain, Uiuwed by influence and unurtbed by gain.

SA TURD A r, OCT. 28, 1882

Tub time has fully arrived when Waikato should move energetically to obtain a High School for the district;. The primary educational system of tho colony has not proved an unmixed blessing in its working. One effect has been to crush out private enterprise, which, till lately, has provided in some degree the requirements of a High School. This has notably been tho case, as many of our readers arc aware, in Hamilton. Now, such an effect is unfair to parents as individuals, and is injurious to the State. It gives a monopoly of the enjoyment of superior education to the children of the rich, and so surely as power follows developed intellect will this state of things sooner or later raise up amongst us, politically and otherwise, a dominant caste or class. However able and intelligent the children of the masses, who can only use the common schools of the country, may prove themselves to bo, their education must practically cease when they reach the limit of the school age. Comparatively few can afford to send their sons to tho schools and colleges in the large centres of population in other parts of the colony. Many, too, who might make an effort to do so would sooner sacrifice the benefit of superior education than run the risk of possible demoralisation contingent on their sons' removal from the restraints of home influences and authoiity. In most of the large market towns in England, and in many of the very small ones also, there exist what are known as the free grammar schools, endowed institutions -which are open to the sons of the burgesses or freemen of tho town at a small fee, and the masters of which take pupil boarders from elsewhere. These schools supply the want at homo, which in .Now Zealand is sought to 1)0 made up by the secondary or high schools. They afford the highest class of education, acting as feeders, indeed, to the large universities of tho kingdom. It is these schools which, open to the poor and ricji alike, have done .so much to raise- the intellectual standard of the large lowor middle class of society, and to lift thousands of lads from the lowor into the upper ranks of life; opening tho doors of the bar, the church, tho medical and other liberal professions to the sons of those against whom, had superior education been allowed to be monopolised by the rich, they would liave been rigourously closed. Numbers of the leading men in law, science, letters, and politics, the sons of men of very humble means, have owed their advancement in life solely to these schools. The high schools which the Legislature intended should form a portion of the secondary system of education in New Zealand are the counter parts of the endowed grammer schools at Home, which wo have referred to. A moderate fee of, say, £8 or £9 per annum for tuition would bo charged, and there arc scores of people in Waikato, and the number is yearly increasing, who would gladly avail themselves of such a school who cannot afford tho cost of boarding their sons at Nelson, Auckland, or Christchurch, and tho expensive journeys and other incidental expenses. Moreover, provision is needed to be ma do for superior education in certain cases to the sons of those who cannot even afford this. It will only bo in tho cases whore a boy .shows oxcoptional talent that parents of the working classes would be anxious to extend the education of their children beyond the school ago of the primary schools, but it is hard upon the parent and the child, and a loss to the community that such talent, for want of means, should not have free scope for development. Tho most suitable way to meet such cases would be the periodical competition for scholarships at a fixed minimum standard of examination, from all the common or primary schools ot the district, the holding of which would entitle the winners to two or more years free tution at the local High School. Thus those children of the poorer classes who might evince marked talent would have an opportunity of winning the right to the enjoyment of free education of a superior kind, without having attached to the boon the stigma of pauperism — and on those who could not win this right, superior education would only be thrown away. That the educational requirements of Waikato are fully ripe for the establishment of such an institution will scarcely be denied. Putting aside the fact that Whangarei, a far less populous district, has for some years enjoyed its High School, maintained at a public cost of some £250 per annum, and an endowment of 4000 acres of land, in addition to the fees charged for tuition, we have only to look at the number of common schools in the Waikato district, and the number of pupils passing the higher standards each year to see our own need of such ai: institution Space,, however, will allow us to dwell as 'fully as we' could wish upon the need of an institution of this kind. What is more required of us is to point out. the necessity for united action in securing its tablishment. The first question .to"* ,bo . settled , is" that pft tli e;r locality in , which it should be established^. Looting at* its central ' ease'w>fcjs^

by rail or otherwise, from all parts? of the four counties, Hamilton possesses advantages as the. seat of the first High School in Waikato, which no other centre of population can lay claim to. It has been generally admitted that such is the cas >, and in an able letter in a recent issue of this journal on a High Pchool for Waikato, Mr E. (x. McMinn has pointed out the undoubted claims of Hamilton in this respect. What we should like to see is that the local school committees of Hamilton I should bestir themselves in the matter, place themselves in communication with the school committees in the various parts of the district, and make a united effort in urging the matter in official quarters. These seem naturally the proper authorities to commence a public agitation for the achievement of the object desired, and doubtless the matter once set fairly afoot, the general public will warmly second and support the movement

The hon. Mr Bryce, Native Minister, arrived in Waikato by yesterday's train. He was accompanied by Mr F. J . Moss, M.H.R., Mr Wilkinson, Native Agent, and Mr Butler, private secretary. At the Hamilton station he was met by a number of natives, including the Rev. Andrew Barton, Rice, and Puke, who proceeded to Te Awamutu in the same train, en route lot Alexandra. Tho proceedings at the latter place after the arrival of the Minister, are detailed elsewhere. The Land Court at Cambridge has been adjourned for ten days to enable the natives to go to Whatiwbatihoe. The ci'icmony of opening the bridge will be performed to-day. Picsent indications point to a speedy settlement of the long standing native difficulty, a result devoutly to be prayed for.

An interesting letter from our Tuhikaramea correspondent is unavoidably held over.

The out-going English mail, via San Francisco, \\ ill close at the Post-oiHco, Hamilton, on Monday next, at 10 a.m.

Nothing of any importance to i ciders in this district transpired at Thursday's meeting of the Auckland Ciw\ n Lands Board.

The return trains on November 7th and })th tlo not stop at any station between Green Lane and Kaoecourse, respectively, anil Mercer.

An article on swamp drainage in this district, in type for lastisbuc, but unavoidably bold over, will be found on our fourth P'ige.

At 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon, Commander Edwiii telegraphs! to Hamilton to expect heavy lain ih eight hours, For once, the worthy Commander';* prognostication appears to haveiemained unfulfilled.

An eclipse of the sun, visible in Auckland, will take place on the 11th of j November. The first contact will take place at 9li. (Jin. 2 ls. a in., New Zealand statute time ; and the last at 21m. ,31s. past noon. The greatest obscmation will be at about lOh. 30m., when two-thirds of the sun's diameter will be eoveied.

The Vaudeville Comedy and Burlesque Company played before excellent houses at Alexandra, on Wednesday jukl Thursday evening last. The perform ances were both varied and entertaining, and met with much appreciation at the hands of the Alexandra public. Tonight; the company appear i\t Morrins ville.

The following items of European news are per Renter, dated London, 24th hist : — A severe storm has been oxpirbneed throughout England. Heavy Hoods have resulted therehom, and have ]jroved destructive in many places, much destruction of property having occurred. Intelligence to hand from Tunis informs us thit the Bey is seriously ill, and no hope is entertained of his recovery.

The Port Chalmers branch of the Australasian Institution of Marine Engineers have purchased from the Municipal Council a section of ground, for the purpose of erecting thereon a monument to the memory of the engineers who lost their lives in the Tarariu ; also to the memory of David Rintoul, second engineer of the Wakatipn, who was accidentally killed in the engine-room at sea.

The hon. James Williamson, presumably with n. view to future operations, has made anaugemcnts for a complete drainage survey of the llukuhia Swamp. For this purpose he has engaged the ser\iccs of Mr Nappcr, an engineer who has had considerable experience in such works both in Europe and the colonies, the most recent being in connection with the drainage works at Christchuroh. Mi Napper has already commenced operations.

This afternoon the " great racing carnival " of the Southern Hemisphere in connection with the Victoria llaciii£ Club will commence at Flemington. The two piincipal events on the opening day arc the Derby and Mnribyrnong Plate. For the former IS have accepted, and our sporting contributor, "Blue Gown," selects the winner from three — NAVIGATOR, SkGEXUOE, 01' GrIJKSSWORK. Oil Tuesday next the race will be run for.

An addition to, or an enlargement of the Hamilton West (School is much needed. The present space is sufficient for the requirements of only about ISO pupils, and for some clays past the number of scholars attending has exceeded 200. The providing accommodation for this number must have taveil the ingenuity of Mr Murray, but at the same time it must be gratifying to him, as the large and increasing attendance is no doubt due to the high reputation the school lias attained to under his mastership.

At the Police Court, Hamilton, yesterday, a man who gave the name of Alexander McPherson, was convicted on a charge of drunkenness, and fined lOs. The prisoner, it appears, is employed at swamp work iv the neighborhood of Hamilton, and on Thursday he was sent in by his employer ou a message, engaging to be back at the camp in a couple of hours. The sequel shows to what extent a man may be trusted who has become a victim to the passion for drink.

In the House of Commons on Oct. 24th, Mr Gladstone, in introducing his motion for the reform of the procedure of the House, announced that he was determined to adhere to the first rule to be proposed— viz., that empowering the Speaker to put the question forthwith, but he was willing to agres to some modifications of other rules. On the motion of the Premier, piecedence over all other business was given to the consideration of the new rales.

Mr Ruskin, in the concluding paragraphs of his lecture on "snakes," touches the modem system of university training. He glances regretfully at the old days when " the delightful meal of knowledge was not so common as now," and when "young people really hungered and thirsted after it." He likens the modem system of education to the way the boa constrictor " hitches himself on to bis meat — like a coal sack," till at last, says he, "Heaven help us, your university doptors are going at such a rate r ■fchat it will be all we can do, soon, to know r aman> from a sausage." ;

M.Labouchere. in a recent number of Truth ftilxo&> gives his' opiniofi on • the Egyptian' question— "J* should like to se,ethe,E,uasjans,'iu Armenia, the AnstrianV at '^alonica,*' !/ -aaicl|fhe jGri;eeks • in

us. This is the doctrine that we ought, to proclaim in the Coiiferenceraml afrthe same time we should say that we intend to regard Kgypt henceforward as within the orbit of our Empire." ;

Mr Knorpp, Inspecting Engineer, North Island, and Air W. H. Hales, District Engineer, arrived h\ Hamilton on Thursday, and accompanied by Mr Hunter, Resident Engineer (Waikato), am\ Mr A. Y. Maedonatd, District Manager of Railways, they proceeded the same afternoon to inspect the Cambridge railway formation, reaching Cambiidgc in the evening. A deputation of the Cambridge Highway Board subsequently waited on Mr Hales legarding 1 the &ite^ ' ot sex eral of the stations on the line. Mr Hales promised to consider the suggestions offered. Messrs Knorpp and Hales left for Auckland again yesterday. During their stay in Hamilton ou Thttisdciy they inspected tho railway bridge, which is now being r.ipjdly pushed on towards completion.

A meeting of tlie Pirongia District Board was held in the school-house, Hnrapipi, on Saturday evening last, the 2lst. The rate for the pieseut year of one shilling m the £, passed at the last meeting, was confirmed. The question of the works to be done during, the year was then discussed. As the revenue is not large, as there is no Government subsidy now, the amount of work to be done is in proportion. Furze has become such an intolerable nuisance in the district that the board ..unanimously resolved that it must be put a stop to, and all landowners having furze encroaching on the roads aie to be served with a notice to remove it at once. All ratepayers in arrears witli their rates arc to have notice that unless paid in fomtecn days legal proceedings will be taken to recover them. — (Correspondent).

Mr G-eorge Symington, the wellknown and universally esteemed Bonifa.cc of the Thames, announces, to his friends in this \j\rt ot the colony, tluough out 1 advertising columns, that, having completed extensive alterations and improvements to his new quartets, the Royal Hotel, Owen-street, (ji.thanijtown, he is in a position to oiler accommodation unsurpassed in the whole distiict. Among other additions to this "well- known house, are a spacious sample room foi commercial men and an excellent dining-room.-Mr Symington's well-known ability as a landlord, and the high place he has tor so long occupied in the estimation ot all old Thamesites, should be a sufficient passport to a continuance of popular favor, ' which we may take leave to hope will long be accoided him.

According to the latest information, the Maori war canoe race at the North Shore Regatta bids fair to be one of the grandest sights that have been witnessed in Auckland, and the club will have enough to provide for the large numbers of natives who will come down to what they term the festival. We are informed that the excitement amongst the WaiUato natives is very great, and hundreds are expected to visit Auckland from all parts to witness the race. The whole of the Wdiuku natives will muster, and it is understood that King Tawhiao mm II head hi& own canoe, and that Te Wheoro Mill also head his men. These t\\ o canoes are \ cry large and being beautifully decorated will each be a spectacle in itself. — Herald.

We have to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of tho first number of " Picturesque New Zealand, by C 0. Moutrobe, illustiafceil by E. Ratlins." TJie aim of the author, as set forth m the dedication, is to as&ist in the cultivation of artistic tastes and a love of the beautiful in Nature, to familiarise readers abraad with the natural beauties and wondeis of New Zealand, and to render the resources of the colony better known and appieciated. Ambitious as this purpose is, the initial number gi\ es a fair assurance of its attainment, and is, indeed, an excellent addition to the literatuie of New Zealand. The introduction is a succint sketch ot the topoguiphical and geological features of the colony, its history, population, political and social institutions, and the main characteristics of the aboriginal inhabitants, while the letnainder of the number is devoted to comprehensive and clearly mitten ai tides bearing the following titles •.—. — The Flora of New Zealand ; .Staple Articles of Vegetation ; The Fauna of of New Zealand ; and New Zealand Sceneiy, together with references to the illustrations. The scenes chosen by the artist are :—": — " Scene iv Tikitapu Bush, ncir Ohinemutu" ; "Lake laiawenV ; " Ciater at Rotomahaua," and " The Dripping Fall, near Lake Tarawera."' The drawing is skilfully executed ; minuteness ot detail i 9 subordinated to general effect, the lcsult being a bold spirited sketch. The pictures ha\ebeen lithographed in colois by Schmidt and Co., Auckland, and say much for the resources of their establishment, We heartily commend tho work to all lovers ot the external aspects of natnic, to whom it will come as a boon aut-l a delight. Few are more competent to undertake such a tasak than tho author, but much addit onal interest will attach to the work when it is known that Sir George Grey, to whom it is dedicated, has promised to contribute to its pages. To lovers of music the following gossip about the great composer, Wagner, and his latest opeia " Paisital " will be of some interest, It is extracted from a letter received by the last mail by Mr T. H. White, architect, ot Auckland, from his brother, Mr J. J. Whitjc, who filled the post of Hist violinist in Wagner's orchestia. The letter is dated from Bayrenth, at the end of the opera season : — " [ Parsifal' is over. On the last night Wagner would not appear befoie the public, although the public wished, hut came into the orchestia, and thanked us all with tears in his eyes for our attention and wonderfully good playing. The public grew btill moie outrageous, but he would not stir, and said: 'To-night I belong to my artistes, and not to tho i public." He stood with us, asking us all in the tendp.rest manner to come again next year. Of course everybody promised, for it is very intciesting, and we are well paid. I was. at Wagner's house last Monday, in the company of the Dukes of Weimar and Mecklenburg, the Princess from Moiningen and others. On the last night of ' Parsifal' many great people were there, amongst them being the i Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and even these were not enough to make Wagner desert his orchestra, and thereby not say • good-bye' to us. I admire him for his courage, for he thiuks more of his artistes than of the public, and is grateful to them for trying to make the best of his music,, but of course it is only our duty, though all men of his position are not so considerate. Some people think he is proud, and so he is, especially to nobles; lie will not bow to them but makes them bow to him; but with artistes he is quite another man. His wife — who was formerly Bulow's, who married her in the Catholic Church, and Wagner iv the Protestant — is fond of being surrounded by nobles, but he does not like them, or at least likes artistes better. On the evening I was invited he would not come out of his 100 m because his wife had invited nobles, and he wanted to be free and easy with his artistes ; but at length he came."

Mr J. S. Eclgocumbe has for sale a very desirable freehold with house, garden, orchard, &c, at Claudelands. The dates in which the next quarterly meeting 1 of various licensing committees in W.u--kato will bo held are published in another column. , Notice is given that.tke current year's rates iri the Borough of Hamilton must 'be paid 14 days after demand. ,i The aunnul 'meeting of* the Waikato Cricket^Association will be held at DclancyJs Hotel, Ohaupo, on Wednesday next, at 5 p tn. T,he usual sports at, Alexandra .will, be held on BcVing-aVy.'Decembef 20th. ( „ vj t The Puniu Domain Board, will shortly offer for lease- the timber 1 reserves" ~near Kihikihii- J »Kuir <!l particula l rs will' appear " in * otu columns next ui'-ji ' i^i #if t^/" ■ The soiree 4>n..behalf otthe funds'of'the beld'tjilth'^Publi^Hair^^Tuc^aVMrtber,