The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1678, 7 April 1883, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

EquaKand bxict Justice to all n»Mi,fi '. p; ' ; . Of wlntsoevi'i* 'state 6t persuasion,' 1 religion's '«' political. Here shall the Ire« the People's rijtht maintain, UfTsWrd by inflUt'nc'e anil uriDribed^by jjain. >-

SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 1888.

We make no apology for returning to-day to the question of the district high school. It- is one, which not only concerns the 'Hamilton district, but that of Cambridge in the present, and those of Te Awamutu, and probably Ngaruawahia, in the not distant future.- > Mr O'Sullivan, the inspector of schools, will meet the sub-committee appointed by the two Hamilton school committees to-day, to arrange for the establishment of a district high school in Hamilton, and for the discussion of alternatives in the proposals . of the Board of -Education referred to in the « resolution passed at Tuesday night's joint meeting of the school committees. The points to which the joint committees took exception "were, first, that tho school should be carried on so long only as it was solf-supporting ; and, secondly, that no pupils should be admitted to it who had not passed the fourth standard examination of the elementary schools. In the case of the proposed Hamilton high school forty-throe, and in that of Cambridge thirty-six pupils had been promised as an inducement to the board to establish these schools, and so far, if, as the inspector has stated, the services of masters qualified to teach the higher branches can be obtained for from £150 to £250 per annum, it would seem that the question of proving selfsupporting is merely an imaginary difficulty. "When, however, we come to take into consideration the second ,conditionj that children only who have passed the fourth standard shall be eligible for admission, a new face altogether is put upon the matter. While quite agreeing with the inspector's report that it is desirable that they should have reached the age of twelve years — and the high fee of eight guineas per annum will, we think, meet this requirement — it seems to xis the fixing the entrance qualification at the passing of the fourth standard examination is a mistake. It would at once exclude a large number of tho pupils guaranteed — not because of want of general proficiency, or that they had not reached the twelve years, but simply that they had been educated elsewhere than at the elementary schools, and had passed no standard examination at, all. It is quite possible that well educated and forward children, especially girls, so instructed would, if entered in the elementary school examinations, fail to pass, either from sheer nervousness or from the fact of their having been educated on a different system, and one which was not so essentially a pre- 1 paration for these standard examinations as is that of the elementary schools. This is not a desirable state of things. The district high schools should be rendered available for the youth' of the district generally, not merely as an advantage to be enjoyed by those who have attended , the , elementary schools. But this is what the enforcement of this condition would bring about. In the grammar schools, also, at home, which, as feeders of the English universities, and as officered in the case of both head and assistant masters by university men, occupy a higher position than our district high schools possibly pan do, no such entrance qualification — except 5 , in some half-dozen cases, such as Eton, Harrow, Winchester," and others — is insisted upon. ', Beading, writing, and the first 'few rules of arithmetic is all that ; is insisted upon. " h' , ! . Aparf, however,' from the fact that these two conditions clash, that ■ the proposed schools - could scarcely be self -supporting, if the fourth standard were made a sine qua ,non as a qualification ' for admission, we challenge' tfye 'soundness of the doctrine that (necessarily they should be self-supporting - at all. Why make flesh of one community and fish' of another ? / Wihy allow the r Auckland Jpframmafr' School to ab'sofb the whole, of the funds,,, which,' really were., intended as much for secondary .education generally in the province, and send 1 the Waikato district ' High schools ] empty away? Why, indeed, if" these schools- can be' carried on without outside help should ihe people of Hamilton or Cambridge or elsewhere go to the Education Board, in the matter of their establishment and surrender their coatrol to that institution.?'. -The fact id ''the resolution of " ;t^e Board of Education, . insisted upon. ,by Mr' Laishley, 'that these schools must be self-support-ing, , was not only, unfair- but Was never duly considered. ' Far aoonjer would we have seen that gentlemftin and 'the .board .grappling ;#j fcn ', the question in a broad and couiprehensiv'e^pin^ 1 afc'fl, tfslth'e champions 3iP'she* Atfcßatfdi «e'ducattcfnal dis-^ tri& v 'Wmaritfra^ frbW -^Parliament Ihe fcdlohialisl^iob? of Ltfie j of "the e<^u(»tioliaiyn^6Wini3ntS ifrflAw Zealand' \'6tAg9t js4 ft^ l^ ,94 n ; lerbury enj6y ! thb r S ft l&ge&ijnV of ttifaty&M tficfoSaAd&df acres jof tynded is^ate^^se.t apirt i vinces, landi hadi .th&.£PJsrqV gjt^keirc waste lands within their bouhdairies. „The B a^,^^ raised from/ thedsale^bfOt^jß^te lan^ttie^peopl^^

belong to the colonflis a whole, and not to P^^cular^^^ities^fmpliesi equally NotT fe hese||mos|^^an#| these e|jc!ou|B enta|i Th P o^ember^ for WaiM Jn a farmer fiessW— M we remember aright, owlhg vo the time and business of the House being then wasted and deranged with\ party j,BtrjFg^es|-di(lf mo|e \xk the fatter, aifd o^ur "[re^ader^ g|ne/ally will recollect that the coloniafi 1 sation of the educational endowments was a cardinal point and a very popular one,, too, in >his plection' yddres/eW! ftfhkt tile jrik'lto^ill/^j ceive full attention in the coming session ~have,~>-however," littledo.ubt. , .- „ , Again, these country 'districts in' Waikato, .and especially Hamilton,, have a claim upon, the board for more generous treatment, which ought not to be ignored. Hamilton could boast;at one , time of 'popular and ably ; condticted L high schools for both boys and ejiris, but the elementary schools ' 'of the •' board ' have wiped the, former out and sorely | crippled the latter. Valuable as the elementary schools are, we should be son-y to see evil' grow, out 'of good, and this assuredly will be the case if fair assistance be not given to secondary education throughout the colony. A dead level in education, 'tirileBB indeedj that level Kvere of the highest, would not be a desirable thing for any people ; and this, as in Atnerica, is likely to be our case in "New Zealand, unless' the State assists' in providing spcondary and university education, for those of our youth of both sexes who in the elementary schools show aptitude and ability for higher cultures Knowledge is power, and in a democratic country such as this it is inconsistent , with our principles to leave this road to po\ver only within the reach of the rich, who can afford to send thtnr children to be educated in the large centres of population. To use the words of the, .inspector, addressed ,tp the Board of Education in recommending the " establishment of country high schools :—" It will not be well if some time hence" the people of New Zealand can be . described as another people have been described as ' The most common schooled and the least cultured people' in the world.'". .„',!■.■ ,

The Revs. H. R. Dewsbury and Oliver Dean, appointed by the Wesleyan Conference to minister in the' Cambridge and Te Awamutu circuits, will enter upon their duties to-morrow.

.Chief Judge Macdonald proceeded to Auckland by the ' midday train on Thursday last, w here he' will spend th<* time with his family until the opening of the Land Court on Tuesday.

The offer of Mr John Gwynneth, C.E., Cambridge, to fix the permanent levels of the streets of Tauranga, has been accepted by the borough council of that town.'

The Land, .Court about t© be held, in Kihikihi is already attracting business people from other townships,in Waikato. Mr Neal, photographer of Cambridge, is' about to erect a studio there, and several

other new stores are spoken of. The sub-committee appointed by the Hamilton East and West School, Committees will meet the Inspector of Schools at 8 o'clock this evening, to, confer with him on the subject of the proposed high school.

The Rev D. Whytock will take the Presbyterian services, to-morrow, at Ohaupo (11 a.m.)',; Te Awamutu (3 p.m.); and, Kihikihi (7 p.m.) The Rev Mr Neville will take Mr Wliytock's,i,ervices at the Oddfellow's Hall, Cambridge,; in the morning, and at the mission-room, Cambridge, \Vest, in the, evening.

A poll to determine whether a rate should be levied ,on,the ratepayers of the Kirikiriroa Road District, to cover payments in respect of loan under Roads Construction Act, (was taken at ,the Waikato County Chambers yesterday, and resulted as follows :—For the proposal, 36; against, 2. The proposal was therefore carried. , ,

The proprietor of the new hotel about to be erected at Kihikihi, Mr Geo. Wilkinson, is determined that his house shall not be behind the times in the matter of accommodation. The new building will consist of twenty-one rooms, 1 and. will be fitted up in. a manner worthy of the thriving township in which it in to be built. ' , ,

1 In another column will be found the'full programme^ iof the Te Awanmtu annual racea, to be- run on the Queen's Birthday, 24th May. The prizes to,,be offered are exceptionally good for a couritry meeting, and should command large competition'and good, cattle. rTh.e Cup money is £40, the Hurdles, £25,! with several events of £15.

We are 1 pleased to learn that two of the South Australian farmers who recently '• made I a tOur of ■ this' i district, Messrs Dods and Diprose,)have purchased about 800 acres-of land at Tauwhare from the Waikato Land Association. The pride paid-isabout£9 por 'acrel. ,Ws& /understand that these gentjlemen will probably be followed by others from the same colony. ■ > 'j ■ , .. , ! |

The, dates on, and the places at which'the annual 'meetings'of the 1 ratepayers of the 1 Kirikiriroa, Tamahere, Cambridge and Taotaoroa road districts ' will be held are given jn an advertisement which appears in. another column., \Nominatibns/of duly.qualified;,candidates for (the boards of. any ofthe.se districts may be lodged with the returning, officer, Capt. McPhefspn, rup (to ,3'jp.m,, on «Friday, »20th inst. , , . !

1 'There was 1 no business done at the sitting of ' the- Resident /'Magistrate's Court, Cambridge;iyesterday. 'Col. Lyon and Mr Thomas Wells,'J.P., itook their seats upon\theßench.iand .adjourned all the business until; the, next Court day. ,This step was necessitated by the absence of tlie Resident Magistrate,' Mr Northcroft, and the' other officers of the Court, who are at present attending the sitting of the Snpr'erijo Court at' Auckland. ]

The annual general meeting of the, 1 '.Cambridge Mutual Improvement Association } tolled %*r"Wednesday evening last fell through for want of a,, quorum. The meeting wan consequently^ adjourned until next Thursday evening at the same hour, w.henit.is to be,hoped thdiewhojtak-e an interest intheaaspciation will attend. It is a matter upbn which the members cannot be congratulated that a meeting of this kind shodldj lapse for the mere.want of attendance »nd,wtere?Vnth Bir:i)aH^iJ^r ) , We would "remind our OamMdWe 1 readers of the public meeting to be h^ld, in the Public "Hairou Monday evening'; next for the purpose of discussing Mt>. Errington's report oh' t the/water •uDpJyy "aM'tte'libeftfting tKereon. "Also," fo/con" sider a proposition of the library committed lor raisings-funds to enlarge and imprdyß ta^i|irary'jbliildingj ?< Consid.er•ing the.imporjiance of tho subj(»9t« fa b§ discussed^ we have little doubt the niejetr ing wiU be brgely attended l. . ' ' , t-^Thl TWdge/acrdijsWeicrtfekton th(e: CambridgeAotu^gadnear the P^eroa, station is at'theip^ent time" ma' V!}r,y t

sijff lid not be relied upon^|||^raYglllre v oik thers passing, thadb way. lij'he Steck)* Ms, araf covirea/with j||gonfifegous' wad thejraiuno lo;fj|er afford a] saftguar^gainf|liotm!B bad jgg ov<s||ntoj to the^Lake country we are Bitrprisea cnat the authorities should have allowed the bridge to full into such a dangerous eonditromr" If stepj srepnot takei^riimnedi* atelyAo repair lfctne piiblicj'nmy expect i,to hdlvc traffic dn ,tli4L wjbotjj rtfad stopped at an early date, a consequence certainly very undesirable. It will be remembered a short time ago an Auckland hotel keeper •named Soelley wa|s jbrdught) before .^ the f 'Resident 'MagistVate's ' Court, 1 at' Auckland, charged with Sunday trading, but -as the-.^police bad- some> >move.rseriouscharges against him the original charge 1 avjthdrawn,, and sSipe^yj got/free. Making'the best of his time he proceeded to Oxford,-,wiiere.hß was^arrested^on sus-, picion by Constable Irwin, and brought to Cambridge. On Thursday morning Mr Maurice Keesing, acting on his behalf, applied to have him released, there being no charge against? him to warrant his detention. The police communicated with 'Inspector Thomson on the matter, but, receiving no reply, they, we're obliged to release 1 the prisoner' on) Mr Keeaing^s application. > < ' We learn from Kihikihi that Mrs Corboy, of the Alpha Hotel, has decided, in consequence "of the'urgent and increas-' ing demand for suitable business • sites in the principal thoroughfares of that fast rising township, to offer for sale in a few days'some of the'bestah'd most desirable allotments in the place: One half of the street, directly opposite the Town Ha.ll, is being' cut up into sections' of Various sizes, j^ndj through this * property a new street'is" being 1 laid off, which will 1 nearly face the hall, *nd- will' .conveniently ltjad to thfi most central parts of the town, as, well as giving'ad'mirable'building'Sites' oil' its squares. Mrs Corboy, who is a large owner of towii property, intends/we are informed, to sell suburban allotments, varying in size from one acre to five, or larger blocks if so required. The usual monthly, and last meeting of the present Kirikiriroa 1 Road Board, was held at the Waikato County Council Chambers yesterday. There , were present : Messrs , Primrose (chairman), T. S. Runciman, Swarbrick and Lovell. A letter was read from a number of settlers praying for the formation of about 25 chains of road near Crosby's bridge, and for repairs, to, the bridge it-. ■ self, as it was not passable for drays. It was resolved to execute the work by day labour. The Rev H. S. JJavis wrote, protesting against gravel' being taken from his farm on the Hukanui road. He would only' give it on getting compensation at the full value of lot 100, as the frontage was small, and would be all destroyed. The matter was referred to the engineer. The following tenders were received for gravelling and claying road at Thomas' Hill : Claying, W. H. Kelly, 9d per yard (accepted) ; Deegan and Quin, £46. Qravelling : Kelly, 4s per yard ; Deegan and (jinn, 2s 4d per yard. Both tenders were declined, the price being' considered too high. 1 A number of accounts having been passed for passed for payment, the board rose. ■

Returns have been published by the Board of Trade, 'containing the emigration statistics for the past year; 51,399 persons left the United 'Kingdom for Canada direct during that period, 30,361 of British origin and 13,038 foreigners, the former showing an increase of ,65. per cent, over, 1881 and 10 per cent over 1880. The figures relating to Canada do not include persons sailing from Bristol and some Irish ports, nor those s wlib trayel to. the Dominion by the New York route. Although the population of the United States is abouttwelve times larger than that of Canada,' the emigration to the former country was only a trifle over four times the number proceeding to the latter ; ithe emigration to the United States for the year was, only 3J per cent in excess of the number jn 1871, against an increase of 65 per' cent in the caso of Canada. Irish emigration to the Dominion has doubled the past year according to the statistics, and' these do not include persons sailing from Galway and those going from Queenstown via American ports. From the enquiries that are being received respecting Manitoba and the other ports of Canada there is every reason to expect a still, larger emigration in 1883. It is ap-! parent from these figures and from those referring to Australia that more attention is now beinc directedin Great Britain to the resources and capabilities of our Colonial empire, - and that the tide of emigration is being turned, if only, gradually, in that direction

The Annual Report of Savings in Ireland, which is furnished by Dr.; Hancock, shows some unexpected result^ for the past year. The deposits and cash' balances in the joint-stock' banks increased by £2,585,000, from £30.101,000 at thfe end of 1881,) to £32,746; 000 at the 1 end of 1882. So large an increase, which has only been surpassed in the prosperous years of 1864, 1865, and 1871 is highly satisfactory. The other statistics of savings, are all favourable. "• The trustee savings banks, situated in twenty-eight 'towns v show' an' increase of £846,000, from £2,042,000 in 1881 to £2,078,000 in 18S2. The bank-note circulation of Irish banks in December, 1882, shows the large .increase of £858,000, from £7,476,000 in 1881 to £8,334,000 in 1882. The only, years since 1859 when there was anything like similar increase, were 1565 and 1874, and then the increases were 1 £819,000 and £816,000 respectively. The recent re-.' covery has been £205,000 in three years,. ]jn; jttye -^ouner;.^ri^is—lB.;6o,-63-p;it,j Jook eight yeais to recover, as it was not' until 1870 that the amount in 1859 was reached., The Post Office Savings Banks 1 present a more satisfactory return tliah any year since they were introduced in 1871, an increase of £405,000, from £1,313,000 :at* 'the' e'ncWbf.i 1881 to £1,718.000 at the end of 1882.' The investments in Government and Indian stpeks^on r which/,.<UvidendSj are paid at the Bank of Ireland show favourable results, an increase of £193,000 from £31,611,0p0. at the end of 188,1, ,r to £31,304,000 at'the'end of 18S2:" 1 ■:

Messrs B. Tonks .(chairman), W. VV. P. A!oat,'and R! Proude sat as { a Board of Reviewers under the " Property Assessment Act," in r the court-house, Harniltbn, on Thursday,' 'to' hear bbjectious to assessments in the Hamilton (country and borough), Tuhikaramea, Newcastle, iAlex&ndraj >Kirikiriroa, anjd Rangiriri districts. MrCrombie, Deputy CqmmJ3si(]uer of ( Property, Tax,( repre-" sente'ii iJhe Department,' audth'eassessorjs, with the exception of Mr K. Hill, were also present. Tonks wished to make a statement with regard to a paragraph which appeared in the Auckland ~iHoWCot 1 * the,P3ra; [He read the paragraph.] He would istater^at $b#t,, jnr sending- j-the objection Mr Gordon overstepped* his duties as , assessor. -„ He had sent a semi-official"notice— for it might be so called, as it was signed -by Mr Gordon, as assesssor —to j a lady. Jat Otahuhu, telling her that he,, : woufcf .-call' 'upon! ' her I lib. ,s fhW .du>e wjhy)her(name'^shpu^djnotitJ?Bt struck 6ff •the r roll. ; In doing that, Mr Gordon ;CTbf f r>fe!&l fo M^WopWk'M«' Wellington; K>mMr &cl Tin order 't'h^rt^i'ghtWnWsa\ an assessor could not ass'iime"^ himself powers he had no right, to exercise 1^ —la, the great; m'ai|o']fi|y Sf{lJ Qr >J ca§ea 1 ttt&^io e'ithe/'^liHj&onOoi? % l a^rfe^,me^^ie;^us,taiive4p^it%ofollo;wj } !— j. McPheraQnitaUotmentl acre, Hanulton •'4^cregj^H»n^toli? East,.. fron\» £1351 to

amutil, reduced by £478 ; A. J. itfefafm atiPatcrangi, reduced by 10s «W. Taylor, farm at T^A\yati|ieddit%l to £7500 ; Yen. Afqlide^i |||}tt, in Konmkorau, reduced tl £M)0/4^I»08. Paterson, 200 a^les, $mal!srj|/from £604 to £400; J$M. uelUtfSyfo/acres, Claudelands, from'*i£6oo' to £400*1 JE- Groy, land at Komakofau, from £1 5s to 15s per acre ; W. Paterson, 50 acres, Komakorau, from £100 to £25. rATdeputation, contriving o|--Mi*iLaing, I chairman, and Mr Wells/ clerkrof the Tuibikafamea Road Joara, attended to appeal against the assessment ol the whole district as being most unequal. In reply to Mr Crombie. Mr Wells said the board had not lodged an objection before the Ist of March, because they had oonlyy v Bcenfed ' W ivaloatW* r<M ( o\l.tftc| 2&s February. The Chairman (Mr Tonks) /vud^they^ s?uld f hardly^ _deal with the matter at present, but would consent to adjourn it for three weeks to Auckland, and in the meantime the road board could communicate with Mr Crombie on theVitb'ject. " The proceedings* were'Uccasionally of a very interesting character, but pressure on our space prevents our giving anything like a full report. The Board of Reviewers left for Raglan yesterday, and hold a court there to-day. At the conclusion of Major Atkinson's address on national assurance at Dunedin on Tuesday evening, Mr Stout took occasion to thank the Treasurer for the trouble he taken in going as it were olitoiHe'the^mere'party <ljn6s |o Come and dis.QUss.\vith us social questions/ that demand solution from then if we are ever !to be the great nation all of us hope to 'become. (Loud cheers.) Mr M. W. !Oreen, in thc;conrs6*of his speech, said : '"Major Atkinson^ said -that during the Maori war numbers of persons went into the volunteers rather than go into the .militia, because they like the liberty Tatherjthan compuls,iqri,"and, so; b,blieyed that rather than enter into this scheme, ,many persons Mould go into the Friendly i Societies voluntarily. But he left out one important point in connection with ,the matter, for I was in Ne\y Zealand at ,the time of the Maori war in 1564, and the hon. gentleman did not tell you that the Government would not allow auyone to run away. ,They took care that every vessel leaving New Zealand was'ex'amined to see if there were any stow-aways, for if there had been freedom to leave the colony, depend upon it that large numbers who objected'' to go into the militia would never have gone into the (Volunteers. (Laughter and applause.) They would have bolted to Australia, and lam quite, sure that as soon as this system conies into force, unless the. Hon. . Major Atkinson brings in a law to compel people to stop in the colony (laughter), our young m^a'and .women will flee.' 1 In the course of the reply to the vote of thanks, Major Atkinson said : "One word, ladies and gentleman, in regard to a remark which fell from Mr Green about volunteers. I don't want to know what part of' Ne'w' Zealand he came from ['Mr Green : Auckland] nor do I want to enquire, because I know that if he were to 'visit the district again after making such a speech, tar and feathers would-be in requisition. (Laughter and cheers.) Therefore I say, let that be buried, do not let us mentjon the past. [Mr Green : "It's quite true all the same."] But I say this, and I am proud ' of it, that I come from a 1 part of New Zealand where the citizens were prepared to do the work of the colony whether it was rough' or smooth, and it *as very few men (whom the community were very glad to get rid of) who took ship and went off, and so I venture to say it will be with our young men and maidens if the colony should determine that the necessary provision should be made by them far providing for themselves, very few of them would take, ship and go off. 'Such few, I say, the colony would be right glad to be rid of." (Loud cheers.) ,

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