TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2682, 11 December 1909, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

It has long been recognised that the training obtainable ax' Up-10-Date public schools falls far Education, short of the actual requirements of those who are preparing tor the battle of hie. To complete their industrial or pi o* fcssional equipment the growing taels arc now catered for at technical schools and in continuation classes. These are all extremely useful, but none of them entirely solve the problem that, aftei all, has to be faced, namely, of turning out a young man entirely qualified for a trade or profession. As a matter of fact, the task is by no means easy, mainly by reason of the fact that the average youth' cannot make up liis mind until he "is well past school age, as to the occupation lie would like to permanently follow. It is at this stage that the International Correspondence Schools step into the breach, and, providing expert instruction by mail, make it possible for any person, of any age, to take up a course of study in lus own home and during such leisure as lie may have. The want which the International Correspondence Schools supply may be briefly stated as the great and ever-increasing demand for the technically trained man. The scope of their operations can be gathered from the fact that students may tako any one of the two hundred courses of instruction in any ode of the following schools: —Lauguages, mechanical engineering. mining, navigation, plumbing, beating, and ventilation, steam and marine engineering, structural engineering, textiles, telephone and telegraph engineering, advertising and window trimming, architecture and building construction, arts and crafts, chemistry, civil engineering, civil service, commerce, and electrical engineering. To-day pupils of all these various schools are to be found whoreover the British language is spoken. To-day, in. Great Britain and her colonies there are more than 100,000 far-sighted men fitting themselves for superior positions by means of the I.C.S. lessons. Pupils are to be found in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, the Straits Settlements, Trinidad, Bermuda, _ Jamaica, and.other West Indies colonies. They are to be found even at far Shanghai, where there are over 200 students.

As an instance of the thoroughness ot tlie methods of the InTo Teach ternational CorresponLanguages dence Schools it may be ° mentioned that students are taught languages by means of phonograph records. When the student enrols, in addition to the first instruction papers, a phonograph with twentyfive records and three blank cylinders are sent to him. After reading the instructions regarding the phonograph and its operation, the student turns to that part of his instruction paper containing his first elementary conversational lesson. He then places liis first instruction record on the instrument, adjusts the hearing tubes, takes the instruction paper in his hand ready to read, and starts the instrument. He hears first about thirty foreign words, and then some words arranged in different combinations, as phrases or sentences. The words are spoken clearly and come to his ear with the accent, inflection, and the very voice of his instructor. As the student hears the words from tire instrument, he reads them in tlie foreign and the English text on the page in front of him. He thus learns in two ways at the same time—through the eye and through the ear. In fact, ho is supplied with an instructor wlio will never get tired, who will repeat to him over and over again, with no loss of temper or patience, single words or phrases. But this is only one side of the use made of the phonograph. A recorder is supplied with the instrument and the student, dictates into tlie instrument a number of sentences from tlie instruction papers, using blank cylinders furnished to liim for the purpose. In a specially-designed record-posting box, he then iiends to the Schools, by post or otherwise, tlie wax cylinders, on which liis phonograph exercise has been recorded. When this exercise is received at the Schools it is placed oil the Instructor’s phonograph, and the student’s exact words and accent are reproduced in the Instructor’s ear. Every inaccuracy is noted, and the Instructor sends the student a letter of criticism and advice. A more convenient and ingenious method than this of teaching a language was surely never devised. So far only three languages are included in tlie I.C.S. courses 1 — French, German, and Spanish ; but they arc the three which are considered.! to be the most necessary to-day for the man" who is carving out tu career for himself, arid with the exception of actual residence in tlie country where the languages are spoken, there is no system which offers such facilities for acquiring them.

There are some excellent short stox |cs, in to-day’s supplement. , The monthly meeting of the> Gish'orne School Committee, to have been held last evening, was postponed until next Friday evening, 17th inst. A Wellington “Post” reference Mr./Laurenson, whose transformation into a Government Whip has c ° nvt , him from an independent and cana critic into the most consistent or Ministerial claqueurs. The 12-mile cycle race, which is to bo run on Thursday next, is. it is announced, to be run on the usual course and to finish on Grey Street, instead of on Onnond Road, as previously advertised. Tlie monthly meeting of the Freezers’ Union will he held in lownley s Hall at 7.30 p.m. on Monday next, December 13th. The business will include the election of vice-president, and of a delegate to the Trades and Labor Council. A meeting of sheepfarmors, nndei the ausnices of the Farmers’ Union, will be held at the Farmers’ Union Club rooms, Masonic Buildings, at / jp.m. to-day, to consider the question of sales of meat at London, and also the question of freight charges. At the Baptist Tabernacle to-morrow morning the Rev. W. Lamb will pieach on “Unostentatious Religion* ant f {< i n the evening his, subject will bo is Christianity Declining? Where does it Fail?—a Challenge.” At this .service Madame Gloave, lately arrived from England, will sing “He was Despised” (Handel), and the choir will sing “The Radiant Morn.” The Rev. J. A. Lochore will conduct both services at the Methodist Cliurc l to-morrow. In the morning a -lonex service is to be held, aud all the chi - .dren are invited to bring flowers. These will afterwards be taken to the hospital and other institutions in the town. The sermon subject will be “The Garden, of God.” In the evening the subject will be “The Triumphs of Christianity.” The chon, which competed at the exhibition last night, is to render the competition anthem “The Radiant Morn.” In reply to Mr. Laurenson. in the House of Representatives, the Premier stated that the difficulty of providing against “trotting” at auctions, or confining agents’ protection of sellers into rest to reserves when disposing of stock or goods, had hitherto proved insuperable. A reserve or upset price tor all property submitted to auction would undoubtedly be in purchasers interests but agents strongly objected to that method. In connection with sales involving ohly a small amount, if stock were submitted to auction after private sale, it did not seem specially to affect anv interest financally. The printed order of service published by the New Zealand 1 resbytenan Church for Young People’s Day, will be used to-morrow at St. And Church, when the Rev. W - | preach special sermons suitable to the occasion. The day set apart m October was very wet, and it is therefore proposed to use the service again tomorrow. Parents of children are .invited to bring them to the service and the members of the BAie Class are invited to occupy the front seats in the evening The evemng adj dress will be on An ? Old-fashitne. Recipe for Long Lire. A motor car owner was sued at Invcrcargill last week for £5, the value of a sheep-dog killed by defendant s car runn"mg”over it. A witness who was with plaintiff when the dog was killed deGlared that within two miles of Ins place at the junction ten dogs, worth £l5O, had been killed within the past two months. Defendant said he knew the dog was killed, but it was no use coiim back when the dog was deadIf it had been a child it would have been a different matter. The magistrate said he was not quite sure of the driver’s legal duty to a dumb animal, aud decision was reserved. A Wanganui gentleman, who recently returned from a visit to the Old Country, says there is no doubt as to the way in which aviation is catching on both in England and on the continent. Hundreds of Englishmen have formed model aeroplane clubs, both for experiment and amusement, and many improvements may he expected to follow on this account, some of the experimenters being very Progress is still more evident on the Continent, where full-sized aeroplanes are now being built for pleasure purposes in large numbers. The day lias not arrived, he says, for the aeroplane to supersede the motor-car, but there are indications that many with the necessary nerve and keenness would take to "aeroplaning, .as they now take to motoring. The gentleman referred to brought back three models with him of the Wright biplane and the Latham and Bleriot monoplanes. They are beautifully made and complete in every detail except the engines, the motive power being supplied by rubber bands.These models are guaranteed to fly 100 to 150 yards, and placed on view in a shop window have attracted a great deal of attention. A correspondent of the “Guardian” writes:—“One of the happiest incidents in the recent friendly demonstrations which have been taking place in Turkey lias been the action of the Moslem ~ Judge-Governor (KaimMakam) of tlie town of Nazareth. When the news of the granting of the Constitution was received by the Turkish officials, the Kaim-Makam invited representative ecclesiastics of the various native Christian bodies—Orthodox, Latin, and Church. Missionary Society —to the Mosque. A large assembly of Moslem Sheikhs, Ulemas, and laity, as well as Eastern and Western Christians, gathered. Ascending tlie Minber (pulpit) the Kaim-Makam read a portion of the Koran, and then preached a sermon on the duties of love and equality. which all tlie Ottoman subjects are henceforth to show to one another. When he had finished, the native Church Missionary Society- pastor of Christ Church, Nazareth, was asked to address tlie huge audience. The Rev. Asad Mausur went up boldly into the Minber, and, in fearless tones, proved that the ideas of liberty, brotherhood, and equality amongst men which the new era has ushered in were the very principles which ‘lsa, the Son of Mary,’ had come into this world to proclaim. His address was met with approbation. After him a Nazareth Orthodox and a Franciscan priest addressed the people, and then several laymen read Arabic speeches and poems, prepard for the occasion. This is the first instance in Palestine where a native clergyman of the Church of England delivered what was virtually a Christian sermon from a Moslem mosque pulpit.” Mor.se is the sole-agent for the farfamed “Parasene” hair restorer. Paraosno is no local concoction, but is imported direct from the manufacturer, E. Holland, Melbourne. We give a guarantee with “Parasene,” and have numbers' of local testimonials from doctors and leading citizens. C. Morse, Tobacconist and Hairdresser, Gladstone Road. The leading sports depot in Poverty Bay.*

According to .the Mayor, if the suing of the Kaiti bridge is opened up there f s a danger of it falling mto the river. The train for Te Karaka will leave Gisborne at 10.30 p.m. to-day, and will go on to Waikobu. “Is long as the Town Clerk is vaW and wants revenue, up will go. jWr values/' —Cr. Dartou at last ingle’s public meeting. An urgent meeting of the General Committee of the Poverty Bay Employers’ Association will he held m McKee’s Buildings at 3 p.m. to-day, to consider important 1 arliamentary business. J This afternoon, at 2.30, the Patho Pictures will give a matinee perforinance, with an entire change of programme. As a special Jute train is running to-night, country visitors will be given an opportunity of attending the evening entertainment at b oclock. A .mammoth programme has been arranged, and will include “A Voice from the Dead,” and “Buffalo Bills hamous Exploits.” Mr. Finn, solicitor for Harry Willoughby, husband of the late Hern Thompson, at present confined m PaVatoa Island, recently received a letter from Willoughby, who states he is dong fine at the island, arid that the inmates form a pleasant family together. Mr. Fmn showed the letter to Mr W A. Barton, S.M., and the Magistrate expressed himself pleased lo hear the treatment at the island was having a good effect. a very pleasing function took place at* the work rooms of Messrs Kossbotham and Searle on a recent evenW on which occasion a very handsome tea set of Foley china was profited to Miss Lena Vowles by her workmates, as she is eavmg the firm's employ to take up household duties. The presentation was made Wade who in a bqppy manner ex- ' .fed the desire of each of the donors that Miss Vowles would be long spared to look back on the pleasant times n+ to<reth’°r and hoped that her future would be prosperous and happy. Tlie adiourned meeting of creditors in tie site of WnWteld T o m , s storekeeper, of ratutam, was called "for yesterday morning. One creditor and the representatives in “ ‘repre-enl 'ttomas,' stated the bankrupt, who js Kl l a t d a V^-^tt r l-te o h is ,r Sf „ ; done P dTrta C g the ‘bankrupt ateeace, x Ttt s o"Stotrrb/ s Ztdk Sn steis wiH be taken to assure the presence of the bankrupt. 1 «a n-nnv a whole penny, and stalled in the mam public anaranen Gonend Post oj£ on . \Vednescfav, the machine, a neat, coxnuact plant modestly resting against the walk nad sold about 400 .stamps The drop cf the coin is immediately foU - ed bv the appearance oi a ball pro traded stamp in a horizontal apera-n-n'l 1 y°rv "entle rag brings away //’go"! T The little rejects gold and silver— slnUmg*, sovereign;, and other pieces that are n pennies are ejected from a lower sht a second after they areput.ma.the top. Worn pennies are also disrespect ful,ly tossed out. Ass an indication of the rapid rate at which the Auckland province is stocking its lands, the Feildmg correspondent of the “Now Zealand Hera.d writes that “there were enough sheep for the Waikato sold in Feildmg on Fridav to fill a train, It is being urged on the Railway Department there that the development 0 r the trade in sheep has grown so greatly tka-_ by mid-January the Department would be warranted in running special stock trains It is urged that the Department should despatch a special stock express train every Saturday morning, through from Feilding to Auckland over the Main Trunk line, owing to the big supplies of sheep and cattle lor the Waikato and North Auckland distiicts. I hear of one breeder, in the Feilding district who will be delivering 2000 sheep to order in the Auckland province during February next.” The opinion prevails among a large section of travellers by railway that a seat, after being once occupied during a journey, remains throughout the pro- v perty of the individual who first claimed it This view of the matter leads to friction now and then, especially if an aggressive instead of a diplomatic attitude is taken up by the person who has. vacated his seat and returns to find someone else in possession. For the sake of public information a “Dannevirke News” representative inquire! whether a passenger has tjie right to claim a seat after leaving it. The statioimiaster replied that, by the payment of 6d, passengers cn the Main Trunk and South Island express trains were allowed to book seats, but < n all other trains any unoccupied scats could be taken. The placing of rugs, parcels, or any such articles on a seat did not, he said, constitute possession. Attention is directed by advertisement in this issue to the Garden Fete to be held on the Hon. Captain Tucker’s grounds next Thursday, in aid of the Baptist Sunday School building fund. For some considerable time a large and enthusiastic committee has been making extensive preparations, and should the weather l>e Hue a very successful gathering is anticipated. A number of exciting competitions tire te be held, including “Wedding Cake,” “Decorated Bicycle.” “Search for the Pilgrim,” and many other events. There will be a Cafe Cliantant. a gigantic Christmas tree, and a real Santa Claus will delight tlie hearts of the children. There will also he a number of .stalls, and in the evening an openair concert will take place. The grounds at night will be illuminated with acetylene gas. etc. Entries for the decorated bicvcle competition will be received by Mr. N. Lambert. In connection with the Fete, a special souvenir journal is being published, and those who purchase this will be entitled to join the “Search for the Pilgrim,” the prize for which is a beautiful salad service, worth 50s. This trophy will he on view in the window of Messrs Shierlaw and Co. s .shop this evening. Refreshments will be supplied throughout the day at a moderate charge. It is hoped that there will be a large gathering, ana thus help on a very good cause. Just as every man thinks he is a judge of music, so pretty well every inventor has a lingering idea that ho can run his own business in the matter of his patents. Never was a greater mistake. The wise inventor P ut f, self under the guidance of a skiUea agent. They see to the preparatimvof working drawings, and stand between the inventor and his .risks. Ogdvy ami Co., Land Agents, Gisborne.

From December 20 to. February 1 the Supreme - Court -will, be closed for the long; -vacation.' A young Maori, on a first cliarW ef drunkenness, w.as yesterday mornino.fined the usual 5s and 2s costs, in de~ .fault 24 hours’' imprisonment. ’ The term examinations in the schools •of the district are at present in progress and the synchronous examinations for the. 6th standard will take place on the ,17th inst. , - ", Before MessrsW. Tatley and'J. W. Bright, J.’slL, at the Police Court yesterday morning, a prohibition order was issued against a 'young man on the application of his wife. The recent rains' have interfered somewhat with the progress of the waterworks contract. Given a continuance of the, present, fine weather, however, it is anticipated that the work -will he completed in about three weeks’ time. The championship tournament was i continued last night at. the Victoria Billiard Saloon,. before a very large audience. The contestants were E. Austin and Te.Kani Pore. The former jumped away from the. start, and scoring consistently throughout the game eventually ran out a tv inner by 300 to 16S. The result of . this game places Austin and Te Kani Pere level, ’and they will play off for the cup, in all probability, this evening, at 7.30. A parade of the Gisborne Defence Cadets- was held outside the Garrison Hall last night, when the corps was inspected by Staff-Sergeant McNair. Captain Zachriah was in command, and there were about 30 on parade. lii addressing the cadets, Staff Sergt-Major McNair advised the lads to attend parades- regularly, as a change was coming after the end of the present -volunteer year, in February. Their corps then would 'be over 100 strong, and it would be .necessary to have two companies. After expressing satisfaction at the squad drill the parade was dismissed. “'Will-it last?” is a question which :not- a few people have asked about the Boy Scout movement. Is it just one of the little crazes of vhe minute, lit-, table tennis and diabolo, ic, .for a summer or. so-and then to be “passed in” in favor of some new toy P Those are difficult questions, but one tiling is evident (says -five “Dominion”) —the drill in some of the corps is .••more than passable. And, when the .boys are on the march, their way of stepping'* out catches the eye. 'The Brooklyn boys are said to lake the pal a in tlxis respect, but a number of the corps march splendidly, ... and good marching, even by volunteers on ceremonial days, is not exactly a common -sight A particularly shocking case of cruelty to birds —this being nothing more or less than the blinding of chaffinches with a red-hot needle—was heard afc the Lambeth (England) Police Court the other week. The inspector for the prevention of cruelty to animals said that the blinding chaffinches was a regular trade, the eyes being destroyed with the object of making the birds sing better. The practice, declared Mr. Polhill, hag been going on.‘for a great many years, but the society have hitherto been unable to bring the offenders to account owing to the secrecv with which they worked. Great skill was needed to blind the birds, because the men. did not wish to destroy the eyeballs. The birds adapted themselves to tlieir blind state in a wonderful way. They fed and found tlieir water, and jumped about their cages as if they had their sight.. Collins, the defendant, received three months’ imprisonment. According to a statement by a prominent Aucklander, who- recently rerturned from England, the German policy of subsidising the big German .steamship - lines is having a serious effect on British interests. “The Britiish steamship lines are not subsidised like the German,” he said, “and consequently have to compete with them on unequal terms. This, however, is not. the only phase of the question. The .(British merchant and workmen by the German subsidy scheme are affected as well. The German shipowner, with the .subsidy he gets from the State, is able to carry German . goods at a cheaper rate than the Britisher, and is consequently able to pour - them into the colonial market at a reduced figure. By purchasing these goods we are helping the Germans .to pay the excessive taxation of creating a navy to smasn up our commerce. The British merchant who ships his goods on a foreign bottom in preference to a British one, it will be thus seen, as also preparing a rod for his own back.