The Welsh Coast Pioneer and Review for North Cambria

THE MORNING MEETING. ELECTION OF PRESIDENT: COLWYN BAY MAN HONOURED. A feature of the morning's business was an exhibition promoted by publishers of various school books and a furnishing firm. The ex- hibits had been attractively laid out in one of the classrooms and the spacious school lobby, and much interest appeared to be taken in them. The meeting, which was held in the main schoolroom was presided over at the outset by the retiring president of the Cofanty Association (Mr R. H. Jonea). who was accompanied at his end of the room by Mr S. Glynne Jones, B.A., L.C.P., class master at the Colwyn Bay Higher Grade School, and the hon. secretary (Mr E. J. Roberts). Tho Retiring President, who was cordially greeted, addressed the gathering in a few brief, pointed sentences. He said, he had now porno to the end of his tether as far as filling the presidential chair was concerned, and it was his pleasing duty at that stage to call upon Mr S. Glynne Jones, of Colwyn Bay, to take up the office for the ensuing year (applause). To aii those who bad been active unionists in the past Mr Glynne Jones was no stranger for he had been an active and consistent worker on be- ha'f of the movement for many years. He had ufeo been a member of the committee for North Wales and the treasurer of the conference held aJ; Llandudno. In fact, no one among them deserved the honour of the presidency more than Mr. Jones (hear, hear). It was his (the speaker's) great pleasure to wish Mr Glynne Jones a very happy and, he was going to say, a prosperous term of office. There was plenty of room for development and increased pros- perity in the Denbighshire Association, because there yet remained many teachers who had not joined the Association. In conclusion he de- sired to thank Mr Jones very cordially for the very able manner in which he had carried out the duties of vice-president during the past year, and for acting as president on occasions when he (the speaker) had been unavoidably absent (cheers). The new president was heartily welcomed to the chair by his predecessor and the assembly, the iatier cheering enthusiastically for some time. When silence had at length been re- stored Mr Glynne Jones aid he heartily thanked the retiring president for his kind re- marks in reference to him (the speaker), ar.d his first duty as president was to propose' that the blst thanks of the Denbighshire County Association of Teachers be accorded to Mr R. H. Jones for his excellent services during the past year. No man was more deserving of their thanks than the retiring president (hear, hear) He had known Mr R. H. Jones for 'sevenal years, and he had always found hi,m lovai and devoted to duty and ready to champion the cause of education, the cause oc t.he teachers and the cause of the children (hear, hear). In times of stress and strife the demands upon him bad been very great, and no one knew what se.f sacrifice he had exercised on their behaif. Long might he be spared so that the Uenbignshire County Association of Teachers could enjoy hia services as a loader in union matters (applause). Mr B. H. Jones (Llanddulas), who also paid 9 b tribute to the past services of Mr R. H. Jones, seconded the motion, which was carried WLI-il acclamation. In acknowledging the vote the retiring pre- Mdent delivered a short, yet cheerful, appeal for better unanimity and greater enthusiasm amongst ail the teachers of the union.

THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. At tnia stage Mr S. Glynne Jones delivered ins presidential address. The President said: I wish to take the pre- sent opportunity of thanking the members of the County Association for the honour conferred upon me of being President tor the coming year. I am not unconscious of the fact that i am the first-class teacher to occupy this position but at the outset I would emphatically declare that I am anxious to occupy tne post as a teach- er~y11 trammelled and unqualified by any distin- in- guisning words whatsoever. Divisions in the ranks of the teaching profession, the separation into various compartments such as secondary and elementary, head and assistant, trained and un- i a trained, has undoubtedly in the past caused un- necessary strife and bitterness, and has often proved a stumbling block to the progress and 'n I advancement of true education. The recentlv- appointed Principal of Glasgow University, in acknowledging a, hearty reception given by the students, responded with the following words:— My intentions are most excellent. I know my powers are limited and my ignorance pro- found. I am perfectly sure, that, owing to that ignorance, and not owing to bad intentions, I snail certainly make mistakes. Without for a moment daring to compare mysolf with the learned professor, I shall not yield him one tittle m the quality and sincerity of my intentions, nor either in the certainty of making mistakes. Our County Association is an organic part of a mighty organisation of over 60.000 members. The National Union of Teachers has a worthy record of thirty-six years' service in the cause of education. Tho reforms in educational methods, strenuously advocated, and successfully secured, —to a great extent, during this period, by means of the untiring energy and enthusiasm of the National Union of Teachers' leaders-are too far-reaching and comprehensive to be flippantly catalogued. The pioneers of the movement were men of faith and of courage—who saw visions and dreamed dreams"—they laboured for reform in the dark and difficult "days of the early seventies, and we. the favoured children of the twentieth century, have been allowed to enter into their inheritance. NEGLECTED CHILD LIFE. Much. however, remains yet to be done. The cluld life of the nation as a whole is still often aadiy neglected. The fcrmative function of education is only beginning to be grasped and understood; public opinion, in various ways, is llowly being thoroughly awakened to the national 1 11 import.ance of rightly caring for the education of the children—yea, and the value of the educator as a social and economic factor is but faintly creeping into the imagination of men—or, at any rate, but very slowly taking shape in practical administrative recognition. When we review tho great benefits which' the efforts of the Union workers acting in a corporate capacity have se- cured for the welfare of both teacher and taught, and also when we consider the ideals which are before us. it is lamentable to confess that at the present time there are many teachers who re- main quite unconcerned, who stand aloof from Union membership, missing thereby the social fcnd educative value of comradeship and friendly joinparison of methods, and at the same time, by their inaction, weakening the power and under- mining the influence of the Teachers' Union. Allowing, for the sake of argument, that our Union is primarily a professional organisation— as such it should secure tho loyal and enthusiastic support of overy teacher throughout the land. •But I maintain that the past history of the Na- tional Union of Teachers fully justifies the claim that the welfare of the chiid, and the uplifting of the vouth of the nation, are very dearly enshrined in the aims and ambitions of our Union. Time and again has eloquent testimony been borne, bv members of various public bodies, to the self- sacrificing devotion of its members, and to the burning desire for educational efficiency to be found again and again in the discu3sioti3 at our annual conferences. I appeal to non-members to he lagcards no longer; but to join the throng without delay, and thus help forward towards the realisation of educational liberty and effici- onr-v fannlause). MOKE -POLITICS THAN EDUCATION. During the past ten years so much has been written, and so many speeches have been deliv- ered, having some connection with education that it is well-nigh impossible to say anything new, and almost impossible to get the attention of tho public to anything in connection with the subject. Oftentimes, however, one has felt that speeches were (often) made which were far more .political than educational, and were (often) more concerned with theological niceties than with education difficulties. We are all very liable to become disciples of small conceptions, and to imagine that we alone are competent to offer a re:;iedv for all the ills of society—to say with the cobbler of Aesop's fables that "for defending a town there U nothing like leather" (laughter). Tlough ( am far from believing I that a liberal, education would prove a panacea to cure all our "social discontent and misery," it is undoubtedly true that the formation of right habits, the faculty of correct, thinking, and independence and clearness of judgment are in- dispensable to the advancement and stability of our nation to-day. Mr Haldene a few weeks ago used these words:-—Higher learning is the key to the exeolience of those with whom I come in contact as head of 9. public department em- ploying a vast staff. I do not mean that they are mathematicians or philosophers or men of science now. But they have been. They have passed through those portals, and the men from whom I get most help are those who have the greatest capacity of thinking for themselves." What should be the true aim of all education? Many attempts have been made to frame an an- swer satisfactory to all. Professor Seelly offers the foUowing, Education. seekil by social stimulus, guidance, and control to develop the natural powers of the child, so as to render him able and disposed-to lead a healthy, happy and morally worthy life. It thus aims at the for- mation of faculty, rather than the giving of in- formation, or the communication of knowledge." In the volume of suggestions issued recently by the Board of Education for the consideration of teachers and others concerned in the work of public elementary schools, occurs the following "The purpose of the school is education in the fullest sense of the word; the high function of the teacher is to prepare the child for tho lifa of a good citizen, to create and foster the aptitude for work and for the intelligent use of leisure, and to develop those features of character which are most readily influenced by school life, such as loyalty to comrades, loyalty to institutions, unselfishness, and an orderly and disciplined habit of mind. Again, from the same vol- ume:—"The work of the public elementary school is the preparation of tho scholar for life, Character and the power of acquiring knowledge are valuable alike for the lower and for the higher purposes of life, and though the teacher can influence.»only a short period of the lives of th., scholars, yet it is the period when human nature is most plastic, when good influence is most fruitful^ and when teaching, if well be- stowed. is most sure of permanent results." I offer no apology for venturing such long quota- tions from an official publication. They are so fraught with sound wisdom that the wonder is that WEt had to wait so long for some indication of this spirit in the official codes and regulations (applause). "KEEPEltS OF THE KING'S JEWELS." In oar daily work we como in contact with, t:id help in moulding the characters of, the children cd the nation in the words of Dr, Mac- rr.mara we %re "tho keepers of the King's jewels"—yca.iby far the most important asset of the British Empire is committed to our care. According to Lard Rosebery wo are "tho oap- tains ar.d guid?s of tho modern democracy. All teachers present have heard very similar ideas exptesse^l before to-day; and sometimes our imagination is kindled by sucit purposes, and our enthusiasm is 11 aglow when we catch a glimpse of iho glorious possibilities of our vocation. But when wo turn from theory to practice, how oifficult it is to revise that cur work, carried on under present conditions, comes in under this noble description. It is but a few years ago that the wretched system of classifying children, according to how many birthdays they had seen, has been swept away; and the other pernicious system of testing how well the teacher had car- ried out his duty of "formation of faculty," and -i In lot" laying the foundations of conduct—testing this by a system of O's and X's worked out labori- ously by a Government official in a few hours' examination. Fortunately, those days are gone, and a brighter era has dawned. But we are not yet out of the wood. The faddist is still with us. He is sometimes found on the chairs of the Couifty Council—or in the Houses of Parliament—and sometimes fares sumptuous- ly as a well-paid official of our superior Board (hear, hear). We have not forgotten that glorious dawn when someone discovered that drawing was not taught in primary schools. What a revolution resulted from the discovery! Elaborate schemes were drawn out, and a sym- metrical course of study in freehand, geometry, and model diLay.n-- was introduced. Teachers of all grades and of all ages were politely com- pelled to study this newly-found paragon, and the quality of the work for several years was conscientiously tested b-f ex-Army officers ("Shame"). We survived, until someone re- turned from Sweden, and preached the doctrine of manual training Education must be a preparation for life, and therefore the child of the artisan must be taught the use of tools. Just when a new generation of teachers had arisen, who did know something about freehand, model, etc.. a bold pioneer declared that fine- line drawing was of very little value, and brush- work became the sine-qua-non -of a successful school. Photo brl |"J. Thomas, Ool. Bay. MR 3. GLYNNE JCANKS. B.A.. L C P. Aature study and cottage-gardening are some of the newest arrivals, and to listen to an enthusiast or expert dilate en the intrinsic im- portance of these subjects, and how beautifuly they can be dovetailed into every department of school life. makes one wonder and marvel how Arnold, of Rugby, and Thring, of Uppingham, were apble to mould characters at all (applause). THE MOST POTENT FACTOR. Undoubtedly each of these subjects possesses, or can be made to possess, some educational value. But there is a factor which determines the value of all education, which is far more potent than the precise contents of the curri- culum, and that is the personality of tho teacher. An enthusiastic, well-trained and well-equipped staff of i teachers in the schools of our country is far more valuable than an excellent code or even a model scheme of instruction. I hope I shall not be misunderstood. We do not object to innovations at all—indeed, we are continually clamouring for reforms of educational methods— but I plead for more attention to and careful consideration of this equipment, capacity, and supply of teachers, without whom all innovations will be lifeless, all suggestions a sham, and a large part of the money spent on education an extravagant waste. C'-tnon Wilson once said: "Tho great, duty of a local authority is to get a good teacher, and then to get out of his way" (laughter). The record of the past ten years in connection with the staffing of schools and the training of teachers, and the policy of the Board of Education with regard to these matters are little short of being ludicrous, were it not that they are fraught with great dangers for the years to come. At the present timo, out of six million children two million are (aught by unqualified teachers, and it is surely trifling with a great subject to say that many of thero teachers are really splendid teachers—heaven- born oducatqrs. In the year 1890 there were teaching in the primary school of this country 5210 Art. 68 teachers, who have since received tho new nanie^of supplementary teachers. In the year 1905'the number had increased to 19,090, and iu asidition we had 46 supplementary men-teachers. These 19.000 persons possessed no qualification* as teachers beyond the fact that they were over 18 years of age, and had been, successfully vaccinated (laughter). No one will contend for a nrioment that these cmpiric teach- ers aro retained for their intrinsic imj>ortanoo, and it is well known that their greatest merit has always been that they are loss expensive (o obtain. THE'STAFFING OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS is still cifciilaYeD on the number of children in average attendance, or, to give Mr McKenna's newly-invented and elusivo phraso, "habitually 1 present." While in our intermediate schools in Wales, a qualified teacher is provided for every 17 scholars on tho roll, the qualified teacher in 17 scholars on tho roll, the qualified teacher in many a primary school is often responsible for 80, 90, or 100 scholars, and these sometimes ranging from the infant class to the school- leaving class. Education under these conditions is impossible, and I wonder how long the masses of the Principality will remain indifferent with regard to this important question (hear, hear). The cry is often raised that education is costly, and that the over-burdened ratepayer grudges any mora expenditure on the work. At a ra- oent conference with an education authority, the chairman informed, the meeting that their aim was "economy with efficiency." I was delighted to hear the Government inspector state that his policy at all times would be "efficiency with economy" (applause). I have no quarrel with the over-burdened ratepayer (I belong to that class myself),and as more money will certainly be required in order that much-needed reforms can be introduced, the time has come for a more fair and even distribution of the education rate, and also for a far more liberal contribution to- wards education'from the Imperial Exchequer. Education is a national concern, for ignorance is a grave menace to the whole community. Mil- lions of money aro voted gaily for THE BUILDING OF DREADNOUGHTS," but if £ 109,000 is earmarked for the building of additional schools whore needed. there :¡,-e reasons why such a grant in illegal, wrong, and extravagant,. And yet t-he men, who in tlti-e near future wiU be (required to man our • "Dread- noughts," are KOW being trained in the primary suhools of fho laud. In a North Wales town at too present time, a palatiaJ pile of build.ngs— an ornament to the town—being erec-teci at a oost of over B7000. to serve the purpesjs of a police court, magistrates' reams, prkones' 0')ttl-t, ool Is. offices, etc. In the very next street is a amia.M, low iniS^gnifioa.nt-lookin.g building. wh:rc often o:t t-day 280 cnildron are horded together without aln apology of comfort. This aniaill school had been sadly in need of repaint- ing. but I am informed l'naf icoent estimates wore considered too higlh, and once more the eohexil must go uinpaintod (laughter), üud so, for many muiivths these promising sons and diausrnteirs of "CNunru Fydd"—the men and vvomon of ,'otrtirow—must batti) ..gainst risks and dangers of overcrowded and hardly flir.itary room*. There has U»cr..eccnr!y in route quarter, a dism-ii outcry of a of teaoher-i. Whit has boe.n tf*e'p-;»l:cv oi the Board to supply the <leJioie<icy Two <ust.-i.ot merits have In in progress— tho *uieruing of tho aide entrance into tn-o profession, and the lowering of the ftandard of the not ins toach»:>r'i' oortiiiouto ("sa-une"). The on try 1:,[Ü the teach- ing profession ihas 1>n made o..ight and allur- ing-the gateil aro opened wide—but I seriousJy d>ai>t whether -ttiese me-tnods wild result, in te- ouring a really usc-ful devoted .'nu' .succ:).-si.d staii of teaclv-irs. It has often uoeu siud rKt the old P-T. system was nuish and almost criminal, that tme budding teacr.er taugnt a-U day, and had i,o opportunities tor r-roper culture and study. Thore is a danger tnat the present t-endo.i/oy is to train stud-eats or sc-holais and not teaohers. It will bo a serious 1 -S ll the p" ;c- tioal aspect of th tea.c[¡,.x3' preparation i neg- lected, or lost sj;.Çh,t of c-'unng the next few yea-s. IIov can t'he best brains and the oharaet-eru of lh3 community DO attracted to the teaching prole,ssion ? It is by making the p:o- f-essioti a wodny orJe-, by bettering the prospects of the toaohor, by unifying aii grades of educa- tion and making it really poss.b'e for r>i elementary teaener to quality, by his abdity and oxpori-enoo, for the higbeat positions (aptilau-e). I is not a isolfish or onesided professional 1 view. A a longi aro icce.sarv, we claim that they should be men not only of wed? scholarship .,rid culture, but. ulso possess.ng special aptitude and experience befitting tneir work A PERTINENT QUESTION. A member of the Labour Party asked the other -day for a return in connection with in- epectora of mincti. The pubLahed reply was interesting, for out of the total number of inspectors there was only one who not boasit of practical experience in mines or quar- ries. It would be refretJhing if Mr Yoxall, through the influence < f Dr. Macnam&ra. could obtain particulars how many yea-rs the inspectors of okr.nientary sohooU have spent in iTactical teaching, and how rmrny have not taught in any elementary wvboot for a single day (hear, hear). A srroat deal of ingenuity and a vast amount <f dialecticaf ability have been exercised of la'o on the political platform, arguing what is com- monly named the "religious difficulty-" During this period, but little has be-en done to cnre for, and nourish the nation's children during fthat critical period in their lives from 12 to 18 years of age. Child labour is still too prevalent ¡ind profitable; the iniquitous Half-time system is not yet obsolete. and the idea of any form of compulsory continuation school is almcst. soouted as Cwpian. The problem of doing our duty for these dhildren during t his period, how beot to fit them for the baittle of life, and help them,, as the horizon of Life widens bE)to them to love the true and tine beautiful, and to grow up to be noble men and women, and to rever- e-riico work and duty, is a problem of national ip*p.orlano», and deserves the 'mmcduite ftt*.«u tion of all thoughtful oitizeUs. THE SCHOOL AGE LIMIT. A great many boys and gli! itlai, Iowa sdhoot at ah cz ily agj, and unte- iccupaucns whidh in many cases are a very poor pre- paration for their o-areer in life Tney have riiuoh leisure on and they tall mi easy prey to alluring ten ptation In a ihorjt time, and long bobra they have arrived at y^.ars of dis- cretion, a much larger part of the good fOxl ■sown during tiheir ishoit. life at the primary sdfcool has been scattered to die- four winds of heavonu and when the serious -c'uties of awaken. them to their ciriK>iis^t>ilities—they sad- ly lament tha years of waste and idleness I hope to see in tllw. r^ar futuro the national on science sufficiently awakened to demand ami enisure the continuance of education beyond the bwe limits of school leaving age as at present considered, when all men, in ali stations of shall welcome and assist in the training of tho young pcopkj. and took upon it as an important civic duty (applause). We live for others and rot ours-dlves alone. Let us remember that we have a duty to clwohaigo with regard to the future, a.nd that tihe greatness of England and the destiny of Wales depends in no small a measure- upen how well we fulfil uur obligations. And in this connection,, I would seriously* aik all pa-rents and education administrators 10 exerow3 patience and faith when dealing with educational results. We must not expect any great- lmp,rOVOIHet!ll» ait onoo; tlhe greatest bene- fits cannot be calculated in £ s- but if we do oj/r duty in this respect, generations vet unburn will rise and' cael Us !>:e>sed. Dr. Ar- nold, of Rugby. wai a great and good itiati, who influenced for good the ideals of a generation of mon, and ""though dead ho yet veakoL'h." Believe ma, there is many oil Dr." Arnold doing exactly^the same kind of work "unhonoured and unsur'ig' in many a quiet county school to-day. THE EMANCIPATION OF SECONDARY EDUCATION- G!o»ly related with this question of tira. coiKi.nuan.co of education beyond 1.10 bare limits of school leaving age i,s another problem, ono which is slowly coming into piommenio in theiiO days, and upon which tho Teachers' Ui;.o:i hao always pronounced in no uncertain voice. I rofer to the emancipation of secondary edu- cation., the opportunity for bhe higher and firl- er education of tiho maiaes- We believe firmlv that every clnild of whatever station in i/o -Vnould have. y.s hie birtih night, the opportunity of benefiting from the very best education pos- sible. aind tnat this opportunity should be limit- ed only by lj:i own capacity. For that prin- oi'iV.e we will strenuously fight, and for principle we will tiaorificc a great deal. Edu- cation tiviiny centuries was the privilege of tUa v. eaJthv fe- and even now the onening of secondary and higher education for the children of the worker, for the toilers and the makers of Empire, 19 looked ujjan in many quarters as a daiugerooj experiment. In r.ieoso democratic d iys this is not often very openly expre-sed— but the idea insinuates itself and permeates many of the regulations and restrictions which surround secondary education in this country. In a d>aily paper a few months ago it was boldly stated that ""there is nothing in these davs of County Council Soholnrships to prevent the working dhilld fromrece,iving a middle •cAoas education, except, that the working cites child had not tlhe quality of brain whidh enables it to benefit by the prooen*. What- ribailld ncai sense! andwhait aof facts (applause). Has it not lx-en proved again and again that tlhe aristocracy of inteillect is not the privilege of any casi'e, eiml no,t the progress be-en hell,ed in no insignificant a meaisuio by t'he ocn_ tributiona of th, parents (according to ordinary language) were engaged in the lower walks of life. Many of the most illustrious naiftcs in literature, acienoo, art," and philosophy, wer,3 borne by men who boasted no high-born aristooiatio ancestry, but who, nCH,rthelé6S. wore endowed by Almighty God, with an in- domitable purpose^ never failing' energy and sublime capacity and genius (hear. hear). The-go mc n, sometime^ in the midst of c)tdnr,s and in- difference, or c-ii in the fuoe of uctive oi pci" tion, Ihavo mule th"»n;fel\€s worthy to It in C-c-uncils, and to tike part in I i,, I the destinies r f onipiros- Without apolitical I bias, permit mo to mention a well A now a na;r. —that of the PH-i-ident of tho .xu :1 of Trac*-r. [the Right, Hon Lloyd George. Wen of all dhiade3 of political opinion aro ag.-eed that is a man of con-spic-uous ability, whether <.ru I gaged in ineisi-o opposition, criticism, cr in the more dokcato and difficult woirk of v<.nstriictl>'(> legislation. And I believe that his only url. vonsity was the village Church Schcol at L!a«. yistumdwy. And' we lhavo another I bie example in the career of the Pa/rliarnenta-'V of tlhe Local- Government Board. T J. Macna. raara i3 not as' a.rned to confess that- he was nor born with a silver spoon in his n out-h. He I received his- early education :t t,I r-Jcmsntd; y school, beoamo an ordinary pupil teacher at Exeter, an.(J received two y.■>:>■'s" training at Borough road College—one of thca? institutions, eers-ico 3.t wihich was not considered eligiWo to t-oc'Ke- ontrance intd, Bay. CLASf; PREJUDICE. The attitude of tlhe Boa-rd of Trade towards Ohis great question savoury strongly of I prejudice. We have not fxgotten flie roport of the Cotisultative Committee with regard to hlig-he.r olomenteury sdhools- M.r YoxaL, stated' ;.t Oxford that "there were some food proposals in th,e raport, but that the whole thing wis couohed in lorm3 snobbiish and caddish to the last degree as to make alt-ogotlier of no value the very good proposals whicih otherwise might- have been of sorvice." It is .»eless talking sbout the unity of all educational effort., when we are toid in thd,3 report "that Ihe normal pre. paratiooi for a seoondwry school ii a prepara- tory sohool. wihere the primary education differs in charaotor and nuetihod from that of a public ekwriientairy sohool." We are told tthat even "the subject of instruction may be the same, bu.t yet the teaching in one cannot but differ from that in the other." There is another paragraph from this wciwlerfu-l report:—"The homo conditions of the pupil^ »■(,tending the two kinds of .schooi'U aa-e different, and whde in the o&:o of the seoondiary sohool the home life may be expected to supplement and atrarigtliien the school instruction, or at least not to ha.mpor ii., in tihe case of the higher elementary scltool, the home condition* ait boot do little to favour tie end. of .sohool education, a-ind at worst are antj.wonistio." This seoms to me a palpable in- sta.noe of trying to bolster up a bad case by false pretences, And I resent mc-st stnoivglv that, insinuation that at best bh<) Ito ino of Children a.ttQn:d'inq' this seh^eil and many others do lititUe to favour tihe cndi of education. The saarii'iees and zeal for education of the artizan al asses of Wti-cm dturing the last 30 years giva the direct, lie bo such caUlous chicanery- Let it bo our asipii-atlon to improve the homes of the, people, and to raise public opinion generally to a higher moral standard,. We have the train- ing of m:i'ions of Engl sod's future citizens en. trusted to 0"'1" oare. 'Puis is our privilege and le-ioonsibili'ty, and we shall be failing 'n our duty if wo strive niot our utmost to perform this toq aio that the nation of to-morrow will start, its mifs-ion or, a higher status of free- dom a-nd' opportunity. We mis: conbinue o plead for better oonditions of teadhing. to ask that all hampering lestirictions bo reiii(-.vol-- that th:* tcacher may bo oarefuliy oho^e-n, pro. pcfty prepared for hii3 work, and tihal the worli o-f- tho school may receive more woj bhv reoog. ri it-ioii bhrouifhout the ooutnty. By so doing wo shall (I our part to propa-re these cliildren to undertake the 'responsibilities of their he.-itag j ariii to .yee to it that the prostigo of our Father- land ni-ay no: suffer by tlhoir ooriduct (loud and 1 > r oion ged a jrp iause). OTHER APPOINTMENTS. On the recommendation of the C-olwyn Ray branch of the Association the following were appointed to their respective offioos: Vice pre- sident, Mr Charles Dodd; hon. treasurer, Mr Elias Jones, Rhos; and hon. secretary, Mr E. J. Roberts. IMPROVED FINANCES. The lIon. Secretary and Hon. Treasurer pre- sented their aunua.1 icports, from which it ap- peared that the cf the Association had increased from 175 to 190, and, while a. debit baianc-e of £ 5 195 lid remained on tho working of the previous year, there was now a balance in hand of £ 5 13s lljd. This fact wa3 due to the generosity of the former hon. treasurer (Mr Fred Roes), who had personally met the old debt. MYSTERIOUS METHOD OF REGULATING SALAIUE, 8. "BLACKLEGS IN THE COUNTY." "That this meot.ing begs the Denbighshire Education Committee to "provide a p.cale of salaries for clastt teachers, and also to reoeive a deputation of teachers in connection with the local branch of the N-F.A.T. at an early date. This was the subject of a revolution inoved- by Mr H. W. Jones, of Bersham, who, at the outset, congratulated Mr Glynne Jones on being the GMt "class teacher" to occupy the prcti- dent'lal chair. The speaker, in dealing with tho resolution, argued that the absence of a scalo of salaries was a great injustice to Denbigh- shire teachers, and he protested against the action of the N.U.T. in advising the county teachers, in 1904, to accept the terms of the agreement presented to them by the County Education Authority having special reference to National Union's aotion in regard to the teachers of West Ham. West Ilam had, he said, succeeded in obtaining satisfactory terms from their committee, but. since the Denbighshire teachers had accepted the agreement of the County Committee, their hands bad been tied. Continuing, Mr Jones declared with emphasis, "There is a lot of discontent in the county because we havo to depend upon having a oer- tain amount of influence on the County Council before we can get a rise in our salaries" (ap- plause). All the countieti surrounding them -eyen the little county of Flint-had adopted a scale of salaries, but when the teachers of the premier county of North Wales made a request for similar terms they were told that "the time was not opportune." In conclusion, the speaker vigorously protested against those who were out- side the Association, who, he alleged, had been adopting unfair taotics and claimed, midst a roar of applause, "Wo can't do anything while there are blacklegs in the county. "KEIT A SECRET." Mr C. Davies* of Rhosddu, seconded the motion, and said that one of the greatest objections to the present method of rogulating salaries in the county was that the whole system was kept as a secret. We have, he said, not the faintest, idea why one man is given an i.n- creaiso while another man, equally capable, equally deserving, and situated in precisely simi ar circumstances is refused. We don't know" on what principle the matter is worked, but we do know that conscientious work on the part of the teacher is not oonsidored. There is no department in the county scheme for finding out who dewerve an increase, and who do their work conscientiously. Local managers, who should know all about the matter, have no voice in the salary question. I have been for three years at Rhoaddu, but I have never yet seen either the organiser of education nor any member of the County Finance Committee in the school (applause). The speaker observed midst loud laughter that even a Limerick competition re- sult was more likely to produce fairness than the system of regulating salaries now in vogue in Denbighshire. Mr Robert E. Search proposed as an amend- ment "That this meeting begs the Denbighshire Education Committee to provide a scale of .salaries for head a.nd class teacherb, and alo to receive a deputation in connection with the Denbighshire County Association of Tea.chers and With the local branch of the N.F.A.T." The mover said he did not wish to enlarge upon the discussion, but he doiirod to have the he-ad teachers included in the resolution (cheers). Mr E. J. Roberts seconded. Mr W. M. Pierce said he hopod that if that amendment were carried the depuration would take the necessary trouble of acquainting theiin- s-eivcs with the facts, bee HUSO on the. last occa- sion the teachers' case had been broken d(.w t*puse their fact's, were all wrong, the result of which was tnat the organiser of education had come down on them at nearly every point" (hear, hear). On the understanding that a special Council meeting woidd be called to pre- pare tne teachers' case before hand, the resolu- tion as amended was unanimously agreed to IMPRESSIONS OF AMERICAN EDUCATION. Miss Gittins. L.L.A., of Abergele: then de- livered an addres.s on the above subject. The fu) text of the paper appeared in the last two issues of the "Pioneer, and at the close of her interest- ing survey. Miss Gittens referred to this fact. It fchould bo added that owing to a lack of time Miss Gittens was unable to deal with her sub- ject at such length as she did in the columns of .this journal. Nevertheless, tho liveliest, iu- terest. cetitred on her report. THANKS. At the close Miss Gittins was cordially thanked for her interesting address, and hearty thanks were also accorded to Mr E. J. Roberts, tho un- usually enthusiastic and industrious hon. sec. for nil services during the year.

THE PUBLIC MEETING. THROUGH TWO CENTURIES OF WELSH EDUCATION. A RETROSPECT BY THE BISHOP OF ST ASAPH. Thera was a thoroughly representative attend- ance at thg public meeting held in the Publio Hall at 2.30. The Lord Bishop of St. Asaph pre- sided, and he was accompanied on the platform by Mr J. Herbert Roberts, M.P., Mr T. P. S'ke, (expresilent of tita N.U.T.), Colonel Sand bach. Rev. Canon Roberts, Rev. John Ed- wards (chairman of the Colwyn Bay Education Committee), Rev. Meredith Hughes, Rev. John Griffiths (vicar of Old Colwyn), Mr Glynne Jones (president, of the association), Mr Simon Jones, C.C., Mr James Amphlett (clerk to the Colwyn Bay justices), Mr J. C. Da vies (Organiser of Education foe the county), Mr T. H. Jones (Moetfro), Mr C. H. Wykea (Rhosddu), and others. THE BISHOP'S AflDRESS. The Bishop of St. Asaph said: To me the eighteenth century is hardly lees interesting than the spacious times of great Elizabeth. It was A germinating century—a seed-plot of great ideas. Nowhero was its interest greater than in Wal ei9,; nowhere have its various developments been recorded in more (misleading isolation. Henoo there has been wanting that sense of scientific proportion which preserves history from becoming fable and art from becoming grotesque- A rough definition of what I mean by education will make my method o.'ear. Speaking in 1847, Mr Gladstone said: "Is it not a truth that there is much education be- sides thal given in the schools? And that, even if the education, given in the schools has been backward in EngLand. tho education given in action and the education given in life have been more forward in this country than in any other country of the globe, and have been the means of giving to our country its pre-eminent, posi- tion among the nations of tho earth;" In the spirit of these words our purvey to-da-y of edu- cation will not be Limited to tne four walls of the aohooiroom. The eighteenth century had two charaoteristicB, seemingly but not really] oontradiotory. Neither in principle nor in prac- tice was there as yet in England the idea of a system of popular education. This appears all the more strange bocauao in Prussia, for ex- ample, education was compulsory in 1717, and in most of the email German States before the century ended, while Scotland had its parochial schools, Ireland its chartered schools, and the New England St&tea an admirable system of popular education. In oontrast with this lack in England, there was in England and Wales an eager desire for knowledge displayed by all classes, and a still more eager desire for it's di- ffusion. The eighteenth century which gave us the umbrella gave us also tho first dictionary of arte and scicnoes, the first, lectures on experi- mental philosophy, the Blue-stocking etub, ard the circulating library. Printing presses, hitherto mainly confined to London, were now established in many large towna. Welsh books, for instance, were printed by Jones, Durston, a.nd Rhydderch, and at Carmarthen bv Carter and Thomas, between 1700 and 1750. In chil- dren's literature even "Alice in Wonderland" will not surpass in vogue and longevity "Robin. son Orusoe." "'Goody Two-shoes," "Toonmy Trip, S&ndford and M-erfcon," aJl of which WB owe to the eighteenth century. THE FIRST SCHOOLS. How was it that in such a century the edu- cation of the ohildren was regardeLi as some- thing entirely outside the funotions of govern- ment? The English people, while consolidating their newly-acquired liberty, and laying the foundation for its further extension, limited the ophero of government to the protection of life THE BISHOP OF ST. ASAPH. I and property and the regulation of industry. You remember Burke's words: "That it is one of the finest problems of legislation what the State ought to tako upon itse.f and to direct by the public wisdom, and what it ought to leavo with as little interference as poa-ible to individual discretion." This problem wati not eolved yot, and popular education was left to private effort, represented by the Church, by private individuals, and by voluntary societies. In Waleti our first inquiry deals wi,th the.,o enter- prises. Let me give my authorities. There are among the diooee.au records visitation returns from every pariah, rural deans' returns from every deanery, and a large mass of other ori- ginal documents never yet published, but throw- ing a. flood of light upon the whole of the eighteenth century in this part of Wales. An official document in the handwriting of Bishop Griffiths in 1666-juot like the petition from Monmouthshire and the six South Wales ooun- tiw--r,liowe that the same wave of ruin and spoliation had uwept over North and South Wales. In 1674 tho Archbishop of Canterbury, severeal other bishops, and Mr Gouge formed a voluntary society for circulating Welsh books in Wales and for establishing and maintaining schools in Walet3 to teach Welsh children to read, write, and cast accounts. The funeri sermon preached upon the death of Gouge in 1681 shows that a. large number of schools were wta-blished. and a vast amount of literature dis- tributed by this organisation. SIR JOHN PHILLIPS. Then arose Sir John Phillips, the foremost figuro a.mong the promoters of Welsh education in-the eighteenth century. In 1700 he directed the attention of the Christian Knowledge So- ciety to Wales, and for a record o" his trans- oendant Aervices. carried on after his death by his brother-in-law, Griffith Jones, of Llanddowr- or, I refer you to the invaluable monograph lately published by the Rev. Thomas Shank land, librarian of Bangor University College. Truly, it is a refreshing experience to find in Mr Shankland a writer who has the courage and ability to tell the whole truth about the eighteenth century without keeping his eye on present controversies and shaping his history accordingly. The movement in which Sir John Philiips took part wa« enthusiastically Welsh. Circulating and charity school lending and cir- culating libraries, were among its chief results. Parochial libraries were largely established in this diocese, and an Act was passed in the seventh year of Queen Anne "for the better preservation of such libraries." I still have the iist of these libraries in 1712 in the very parish where we- are assembled and the adjoining parish of Llanrhos and Livsfaen. The lists re- present a large outlay, entirely by private bene- faction, and indicate that there must have been in these pariahes a reading public. In the first half of the eighteenth century there were 69 out of 121 parishes in this diocese where schools had been established. A full record of these schools survives. CIRCULATING CHARITY SCHOOLS. At Lian.gerniow "thero was one of the Welsh circulating charity schooi-s, which remained in the s*>mo. parish for a s»x or nine months; the teacher was paid JE2 J, quarter, and the country fo'k eagerly desired to retain these schools." Th0 retmno reveal pathos and humour. John J one* the clergyman of Cape I Garmon, says that their school was so exoolient that parents sent their children from other parishes to at- tend it, and ho adds: "0 ut" fcchoolmaster, my lord, is the second BtLAby in this country -an interesting testimony to the fame of the gielit Westminster headmaster. In this same record of 1753, Mr John Jones pathetically explains to the bishop that he was himself uiiab.e to visit the school as often as he wished, "because he was afflicted with a cold and dry rumbling commotion internally which sonic call the hyp." H< ;nce came, I suppose, our word "hipped." You remember A del wort's words, "I have al- ways looked on the institution of charity schools, which, of late years, have so universally pre- vailed through the whol.e nation, aa the g.ory of the age we live in." These schools weie Cit- tablished look before the year 1730, a year selected by some for the birth of movements already long in existence. In perusing these early documents 1 am inclin,ednot to dencio but to admire the efforts, bjundermg as we may regard them, thus made in the cauee of educa- tion, and to wonder whether we in like condi- tions tvould have done equally wet!. "Fortes ante Agameninona." The close of the century flitw the first impulse to popular education given by the Sw isa teacher Pestalozzi in his. "Jjein- hardl una -Gertrud." Seven jea.n" later, Lan- caster, at Southwark and two years later Beli bo; jan their systems,, in these charity schools religious instruction formed a large part of the teaching. Here we must remember one salient fact. Throughout the eighteenth century there was hardiy a. parish in this diocese where the system of catechising -on Sunday was not regu- larly maintained during stated periods 0: the year. Parents, servants, and children attended these catechising classes. We must also remem- bcr the change that padod over the pre:s in this century. The daily newspaper first pub- lished in the reign of Queen Anne began not merely to give news, but to discuss political topics, thus superseding the broadside and the pamphlet- The right to public Parliamentarv debates was gradually conceded, and the fir;t public meeting in England, for the discussion of political subjects was held in 1769. The educa- tional influence of these changes was groat. In Wales literature largely contred around religi- ous questions during this period. THE EARLY RELIGIOUS REVIVALS. It is impossible to discuss education in Wales during this century without reforring to its religious revivals. In 1738 Whitfield and then Wosley preached at Cardiff. In 1743 Whitfield conducted a great revival, travelling- through So"ut.h Wales, and preaching forty of fifty times. Revivals followed in 1749 and 1756. Whitfield's wife came from Wales, and Mr Lecky, you remember, mentions that "Whitfield'S marriage, like that of Wesley, proved very unhappy." These rvivals probabl-y helped to awaken the intellectual interest of tho people. One notable fact is this. The movement which gave Wales its charity schools in the eighteenth century was enthusiastically Welsh, whereas Whitfield and Wesley, who started the revivals, preached in English, and their English sermons must have been a considerable mental exercise to the Welsh. UNWARRANTED DETRACTION. W elsh. UNWARRANTED DETRACTION. It has been the fashion to describe the Welsh people as "more ignorant, less religious, and mora intellectually backward than any part of tho country" during the first three decades of t.he eighteenth century. Popular authorities have given their countenance to this view. There is evidence which no historian can ignore proving that statement to be exaggerated apd gravely at variance with the facts. My own conviction is that Wales and her leaders, alien and anglicised as some of them were then, tools their part with England in facing those problems of toleration and liberty, and in laying founda- tions upon which much of the best work of the nineteenth century was afterwards erected. It. was a sturdy, resolute century, and its character is illustrated by the fact that it gave us the word "independence" in its modern acceptation. When we are inclined to judge its character severely it. is well to remember that vice was advertised rather than increased by the candid coarseness of the eighteenth century, as it is concealed rather than diminished by the super- ficial refinement of a later age. One fact has stamped itself upon my mind from a somewhat prolonged study of this subjeot. In Wales we have canonised the wrong people in the eigh- teenth century. The nineteenth century wit- nessed unexampled progress in education, indus- trial development, and later, international in- dustrial competition gave an irresistible impulse to education by an unmistakable proof that with- out it we could not maintain our industrial posi- tion in the world. Once this wras granted, and slowly, but profoundly realised, the State was compelled to make education its own concern. The steps in this progress were at first slow and halting. Records in 1809 prove that the sohoole then were scanty and wholly inadequate, while the Parliamentary return of 1818 and Lord Kerry's return in 1833, show that the new leaven was beginning to work. DIVERGENT MOVEMENTS. These early educational showers flowed off into two streams, which have not yet found a junction pool. The Quaker Lancaster, an hon- oured name, crystallised his system in the Brit- ish and Foreign School Society, excluding Roman Catholics, Unitarians, and Jews. Dr. Bell from Madras supplied the basis for the National So- ciety founded in 1811, and representing the Church. Oberlin, a Protestant pastor in Alsace 35 years before, started infant sohools which were established for the first time in England in 1815, and soon afterwards were founded what were called Church infant schools. In 1833 the State stepped in with a first grant of £20,000, and in 1839 appointed the Committee of Privy Council for Eduoation to superintend the distri- bution of the annual grant. This committee be- gan by establishing a system of inspection, and in 1843 grants for training colleges and school furniture were made, and in 1846 part of the grant was given to augment teachers' salaries. In 1853 came capitation grants, in 1861, upon the report of the Duke of Newcastle's Commission, came the revised code consolidating all payments into a capitation grant based on examination re- sults. and this principle remained for many years. In 1869 the Parliamentary grant was £ 773,839. This year the total grants to elementary educa- tion were estimated at £ 11,976,804. The great and first landmark in State elementary education in Wales was the inquiry ordered by Parlia- ment, in 1846, and the reports of the Commission- ers which were then published. CANDID REPORTS. Thes reports in three big volumes were frank, unsparing, and of sustained accuracy. Their candour, a little unfeeling, perhaps, gained for them in Wales an indignant, reception singu- larly unreasoning and undignified. These re- ports show the two educational streams to which I have already alluded. On the one side the Church School, and on the other the British and private adventure schools, the latter gener- ally supported by Dissenters, and in many cases held in their chapels. The roporta state that many of tho people did not use the gratuitous education placed within their reach, because their children had generally to learn the Church catechism during the week and to attend church on Sundays. Tne conformity was in some cases laxly enforced. The practical result, unfortu- nately, was that this unhealthy division ren- dered both classes of schools lesg efficient than they might have been; and, in passing, I may observe that the education report of 1861 still reveals the same enfeebling division and an- tagonism. So keen was the division then that the Catechism was not insisted upon in many schools in North Wales, while in South Wales this relaxation was almost universal. It must be added that there is abundant evidence that the Catechism was then taught without explana- tion in English to children who knew only Welsh, with the result that most of them did not un- derstand a word of what they repeated merely by rote. These things are written for our learning, and demonstrate that constraints which encroach upon liberty in religious matters are nor, only futile but injurious to the cause which uses them. The education controversy in Wales from first to last proves to any reasoning man that to compel or to forbid equally involves such encroachments. "You shall learn the Catechism" is not a greater en- croachment upon liberty than "You shall not learn the Catechism." One more glance at the schools in Wales in 1846. Of, the 84,361 children in the day schools the Church Schools claimed 44.389, adventure schools 22,029, dissenting schools 4705, and British and poor schools the rest. The work was carried on in dilapidated and ill-ventilated buildings, often without school books, maps. or blackboards, not always warmed even by a heap of peat in winter. The schoolmasters, paid less than a labourer, had, with scarcely an excep- tion, failed in some other calling, and they are variously described in the report as broken-down farmers, soldier3, tailors, weavers, miners, la- bourers, and in one Cardiganshire school the teacher is thus described. "At school and at .sea." Among the first to seek a remedy was Bishop Vowlcr Short, who, in 1848, said that "a superior race of teachers must be prepared for the rising generation." Bishop Vowler Short was an Englishman and Bishop of St. Asaph for twenty-six years, although lie never used for himself a penny of its emoluments, and, as this is a place of freedom, I desire to say that he was not only the most far-sighted, but the most generous benefactor of elementary education in Wales in the whole of the last century. INSPECTORS' ADVENTURES. One more point. from the records of 1846. The eagerness of the people for education was shown not only by the schoolpencc paid, which in many cases mora than equalled the voluntary contributions, but by the fact that parents who were too poor to afford money eked out the sub- sistence of the schoolmaster with morsels of food and fuel. I leave this period with two anec- dotes, which I heard from the lips of the chief actor in both. In 1868 the Government inspec- tor, entering a school in Carmarthenshire, said to the ruan. he found in charge, "Are you the master?" "No, the master is away." "Well, but you can tell me what the children have been taught; can they do sums?" "I don't know." "Can they sing?" "Yes." This was done, and the inspector said, "They did that very nicely." "Do you really think so? Well, I will tell you the truth. I am the master." As showing the state of feeling in 1858, I may mention what happened in a small town which I know well, when the two Government, inspectors, one for the Church and the other for the British schools, arrived on the same day. The friends anu pupils of the British school booed and hooted the Church inspector on his arrival. That evening the two inspectors, old college friends, stayed to- gether at the one village inn; the Church in spector related his experiences protestingly. The other replied, "Why, your fellows did ex- actly the same for me." While this friendly dialogue was going on inside the inn, a crowd of both partisans eagerly awaited outside for tiding of tho fight which they believed must be going on inside. After dinner both in- spectors, arm in arm, and smoking cigars, took the evening air. Amazed at. this friendliness the crowd slowly dispersed, wondering after all if there was anything wo.^h fighting about. One painful point must bo men. tjonod briefly- These reports give a grim pic- ture of he moral condition of Wales, and if it wwe tr ie that tho Welsh people had become by 1830 "tho moat eannest and religious people in tlhe whole tcingdom." then their condition in 1846 allows titoat the rest of the kingdom must have been unspeakable barbarians, or reveals the fact of a moral oollapso in sixteen yeans without any precedent in huma.n history- or course the truth is that at none of these periods weiro the Welsh poopleal: savage or all saint. I cannot close this period without some refer- ence to institutions, ancillary to education. THE EISTEDDFOD. Press, pulpit, and library wer0 busy at work. Ifae National Eisteddfod ha,d been defunct since 1681, and on the 3tlh of July. 1819, was re- established in South Wales by Dr. Burgeoa, Bishop of St, David's, "ivhcwj zeal," we axe told, "and well directed1 exertions were equally conspicuous and successful." The earne year, on the 6th of October, a meeting was ;h"d at Wrexham, under the presidency of Sir Watkin Wynn, and arrangements made for holding an Kisteddifod at Wrexham in tae ioliowin,g year. I have used the word re-established with some misgiving. The gathering held in 1681 by Sir Richard Basset at Beau-pre Castle, Beau pre being probably the Norman rendoring of Maea Esyllt, whence cyme the Sissy lit liVaily. ba'.er known to us te day fas Cecil, was called a congress of regular bairde. til c'aiming that the Carruar'jaen and Wrexham a. tic rings were in trilll succession to the Beau-pro congrei.s I think of tho comparisons of I'lueuien about Mitoswiori and Monmouth. However t.h{) subtleties may he, you will pernut eve to eu.'cr. tain an honest pride in the fact that it was given to a Weklh bishop in South Wales and! in North Wales to the Prince ill Wales, assisted by anot;hor Wt-lsh bishop, to eGtablisth or re. establish ¡¡tit> pre at national 1 IISL iiti,i--Pn. By tha yamr 1828, when tihe Duke of Sussex, a gueat at Kitimel. at hmded the Denbigh eisteddfod we find this national iiustitut.ion lauric-hod upon .t-> career of popular favour arld use-fulness. 1870, the next landmark in Welt4h education, brings us within what is called the zone of fire, and as a man of peace I stop there knowing well that there is little which I can tell you which you don't know. Before I ccnolude I should like to make some observations suggested by our mutual tour through the two last centuries. THE RISKS OF AFFLUENCE. To-day th,3 State grants 12 millions it ye-ar to elements.; y out cation whioh wo have traced from the days oi its penury to t,h,J of ¡ altlucnce. Both conditions have iirieir dangers- Wo have problhJr all known J.1I"taoc of the IXVA- education given under the most unpromis- illlg conditions. Let its remember ihat poverty liko persecution has its blessing and' that tlioro is "a atrengdh made perfect in weakuass." In an age of great material prosperity wo are in danger of making money the moasuro of all things. We hoaT of oolossal fortunes made by grinding the faces of line poor onni[petit<cust and some ot these surplus millions showered m con*, seienoo money upon education, i hope none of theee tiomora.femg gifts will come our way- Let us ai-M bo just and grateful to our poor rotations who did the pioneer work of education in the past. There is a certain pride and solfishtieaa in picking out only the distinguished ancestor. It is itke piling ait the honouiis on the general and forgetting tho common sokhor. But in our historical survey of oducation let In reserve seme of our praise and admiration for those humble teachers. Ül-naid and ill-trained, who did t rouigh work of education in their day and geno. ration and now sloop in unromembered graves. It ia imiK.ssible, 1 think, to study tho (records of education in the past- without u'raaving one use. ful lesson for our present-day controversies- It is the 'habit of <nur times to blame or praise the Government and the State for this or tliab Change. THE REAL RULING FORCE. If the b lytory of the pats-t teaches us anything it taaorjoi us tihia, tihat politicians and Govern- menta are merely the instruments of a ruling fcoroe beUtiiid tlienu Call this force what you like—public opinion, the spirit of the age. tho will of the people. It may happen sometimes to statesmen and politicians to bo able for a while to divert the course or delay tiho progress of tlrils force, but never can they change ts direction. Tne vast movem-ent whioh we have been ondeavounng to trace supplies an abund- ant illustration- As we study the evolution of this force in cur country we note one reassuring characteristic. In oases of fever and high tem- perature ¡tJher-e is a homely -wisdom which trusts less to tho drugs of the doctor tihan to tho "via medioatrlx nature" always, powerful in a vigor, otus frame; inci! it may be equally wise in t.'auca of controversy and ferment to trust less to the. nostrum of the political doctor than to tiiafc saving common-sens.) which has been 190 wholesome :md powerful an influence in build up our constitution. CONTROVERSIAL TERMS DISCARDED. When we began our purvey education waa mainly religious, and now it is mainly seculax. I should like for tlhe momont to discard both words and to claim, at any rate, that education must always be mainly moral. I believe tihaik wo »liaU alj aig.roe that in tho ultimate resort the of a nation do ponds upon tihe character of its people- In tho shaping of that character you arc master.buildors. Soliio of te believe profoundly that bhe personal influence of the toadheir amd tlhe atmosphere whioh that influence creates more powerfully affects the de6 veloproent of the pupii than' any technical knowledge lue may gain. W!x>n we contemplate that iutlifceiioe ao unobserved and lnhniteeimai at any one moment of its operation, but so COIL. spiouou and infinite in its revalts, wo are re. minded of that temple of which wo road, "that there was neither hammer nor axe heard in the house while it was in building." If this lie true, may we not claim "either of other" to be oo- w or leers in one common sohoir.o of education* of which tiho real function is to make the truest I truth true to everybody? (applause).

REFORMS NEEDED IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. Mr T. P. Sykes, M.A., of Bradford, ex-probi. dent of the National Lfriiori of Teachers, then spoke on "Reforms needed in "elementary schools." Ho put them under the following heads:—(1) Well buih, well lighted, roomy, well ventilated schools; (2) an abundant supply of the best up-to-date furniture and apparatus; (3) a full complement of properly qualified teachers for oach school; (4) smaller classes, so that individual attention might; be given to tho children; (5) re- gular attendance up to 14 years of age; (6) pro- perly organised connection between the primary school and the secondary school, the technical in- stitute and the University. He suggested also that between the members of educational autho- rities a.nd their officials on the one hand, and the teachers on the other, there should be the must cordial co-operation, because they were really" oolleagues in the same great work. Dealing with the question of the physical conditions uudsr

r -a Dotted sheit4rg the di/'l'ctiafl OV th P,'ps pine 1. Nasal cae/tll. S. Mouth. 8. 4. to 6. to tli. 6. Passage fo th, .st'.ml!lc/l. H This diagram shews Nature's Hj HH only way to the lungs, and clearly HH Hj demonstrates the fact that ordinary Bn medicino taken into the stomacn B5 «9 cannot benefit the lungs, whether Hi Bj it is sucked from ordinary lozenges, R9 or taken in liquid form. The Pcps way of -bathing the !|ij throat and lun^s with invigorating, In demulcent and germicidal pine- jpa BT fumes, i3 quite unique. Peps are |h Bj not mere lozenges from which drng-laden medicines aro sucked Mt tablets. which emit genuine volatilo pine-fumes as lhy dis- BL These rich pine essences mix with 93 the air wo breathe, carrying to CM BB| the furthermost corncr of the figf |ga lungs tho essences of the |mre Eja and chegt healer. 111 Peps aro thus an entirol^uniquo 1/1 t 2/9 pe1' box.