The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 1911.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3307, 28 August 1911, Page 4

The Gisborne Times . PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 1911.

According to a London correspondent, many interesting stories are being told concerning the oversea Premiers during their stay in England. Of Mr. Andrew Fisher, the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, it was actually, reported that he had refused to embark on a certain vessel to see the Naval Review because there were colored seamen on board! A kindly veil is, however, thrown over the personality of a certain Premier, who, it is alleged, unwittingly won the ardent admiration of ‘‘a most importunate person of the female sex,” to his own great embarrassment! Still another Premier—whose name also is undisclosed — found his rooms literally stocked with raw refined and emulsioned samples of a certain fish oil, consequent upon his fleeting references on one occasion to one of his colony’s primary industries! But the most interesting story in circulation at Home is described as a “hair-raising tale of how another Prime Minister was guarded, waking and sleeping, wherever he went by a couple of Scotland Yard’s most trusty minions, lest the assassin’s hand should cut short his days!” “Joking apart,” continues the correspondent, “it is going the rounds of Fleet Street that Scotland Yard kept special watch and ward over the Prime Minister of New Zealand from the moment he landed in the Old Country till he embarked at Marseilles.” This, it would appear, is not the first occasion upon which Sir Joseph Ward has been the subject of special police protection whilst on a visit to the Home Country. During his trip to England in 1909, it will be recalled, he was accompanied by a New Zealand police official, Detective Cassells. It was at the time understood that the Premier had been threatened by a gentleman who later had returned to the Old Country. When the vote for Detective Cassells’ expenses was before Parliament Sir Joseph Ward, it may also be remembered, averred that something had actually transpired at Home which warranted the . precautions that had been taken. On this occasion, however, the reason why the Premier was so closely guarded, it is said, was that a certain man, alleged to be a disappointed New Zealand litigant, had threatened “to do Ward in” whilst Sir Joseph was at Home. The alleged utterer of the threat, it was further alleged, was known to be in England, and was actually staying at one of the hotels contiguous to the Cecil during the Coronation, but afterwards disappeared. If we remember aright, the incident which led to Detective Cassells going Home arose in connection with an application to the Premier for a billet. “How much of this sensational tale is true,” adds the correspondent, “is of course impossible to say, but the allegation that Sir Joseph W T ard was the object of some solicitude on the part of Scotland Yard does seem to have some foundation in fact.”

“Guarded Day and Night.”

The education authorities in the countin' districts of Yic-

A Joyless Routine,

toria are taking strenuous measures

to prevent the undue employment of school children on farms before and after , school hours. In Gippsland, for example, the Director of Education has reported that the children of that district are not as mentally bright and active as those of the cities and some provincial towns. This, he avers, is undoubtedly due to the fact that they are called upon to work on farms or elsewhere before and after school hours. Unhappily a similar state of affairs is not unknown in some parts of New Zealand. With land at extremely high values in the dairying districts, an occupier with a family is indeed sorely tempted to require his children to assist him early and late. As to the extent to which the problem exists in Victoria one has only to take a number of the many examples which have just been brought to light in . Gippsland. Here is a variety:—“Boy of 13 years. —Rises 5 a.m., milks night and morning) kelps to turn cream separator and feeds calves and pigs. Arrives at school generally about 9.45 a.m.” Boy of 10 years.—Rose on morning of inquiiy at 4.45 a.m., brought in cows, milked six cows, fed cows, washed feed tins, cut firewood, and performed similar duties in the evening on returnin'l- - school.” “Boy of 10 years. Rose on the day of inquiry at 5.30 a.m., milked six cows, brought in cows helped with hand separator,- evening similar duties.” “Girl of 10—On day of inquiry rose at 5.30 a.m., milked eight cows, helped feed calves, got breakfast; evening, milks, feeds calves, gets tea.” “Girl of B—Rose on day of inquiry at 5.30 a.m., milked five cows, helped feed calves; similar duties night and morning.” Girl of 9.—-Rises about 6 a.m., milks three cows morning; night, brings in cows.” No wonder if it should be found that children handicapped in this way are stunted in growth and dull in mind! Wearied in body before they reach school, surely it could not be expected that amid such a joyless routine these children could possibly compete in ability with the

remainder of the scholars? T\.meet cases of overwork it is of interest to recall the Victorian Parliament only a few months ago passed as part of the new Education Act a clause which deals with this question. It reads as under:—“No person (including a parent of the child) shall before school hours on any school day employ any child, or permit any child to be employed, in any trade, business, work or occupation carried on for the purpose of gain, if the nature and extent of the employment is such as to prevent the child from profitably taking part in the school lessons on any such day.” Since the passing of me new Act a number of cases have been reported. In lieu of bringing prosecutions, however, the authorities have so far preferred to advise the teachers to interview the parents with a view to arranging better conditions. The Victorian Education Department has now decided to take action in all cases where the evil is found to continue in a serious form.