Barry Dock News

FARCICAL EXAMINATION OF THE EVENING SCHOOLS AT BARRY. WE head the remarks which we desire to make this week with reference to the reports of H.M.'s inspector to the Education Depart- ment on the Evening Schools conducted last winter in the Barry District advisedly in terms inferring that in some of the depart- ments, at least, the method of examination adopted by the representative of the Educa- tion Department was utterly farcical; in fact, to our mind it was worse than farcical- it was distinctly misleading and altogether unfair alike to the members of the classes as to the School Board through whose enterprise and far-sightedness these continuation schools were established. We are not making these comments in any way out of book," nor in the slightest degree in an unkind spirit. On the contrary, our single purpose is to impress upon the authorities the desirability — the absolute necessity-of a fairer and truer system of guaging the extent of progress and efficiency reached by pupils at evening schools. We will take, for instance, the examination of the shorthand class. The Government inspector visited this class twice during the session. The result of the first visit was a reasonable one, the method of examination adopted by the inspector being one which no one interested could take exception to. At the second visit, however, what was under- stood to be the test examination for the session was made, when the course pursued by the Education Department's representa- tive was both novel and ludicrous. We do not know whether this gentleman possesssd a knowledge of phonography or not, but at the close of the course he adopted on this occasion he must have been equally oblivious of the capacity of the scholars as when he entered the room. What could have been more un- reasonable—what more palpably absurd to an experienced shorthander "—than to drag a class of, say, forty students through a difficult 'I dictation exercise in practical note-taking at the rate of about thirty or forty words a minute in order to ascertain the efficiency of I' a class which had only received-taking the highest possible number about fifteen or I twenty lessons of one hour per week ? In mak- ing these remarks we feel totally disinterested, our only desire being to suggest to the School Board that what was manifestly an injustice I on the part of the Government authorities towards the shorthand class may have been an equal injustice to some, at any rate, of the 1 other classes. We have heard veteran mem- bers of the educational profession describe the I annual Government examination of the day schools as merely an empty meaningless II parade of the scholars. We do not hesitate to pronounce the same opinion upon the annual march-past of the evening schools if the I, method of examination of the shorthand class affords a fair basis of argument. We are willing to admit the evening schools in the Barry district last winter were not a success. The average attendance fell deplor- ably below the expectations of the promoters; but, surely, this is no reason why those who proved faithful, and applied themselves assiduously to the course of lessons, should be dealt with in a purely pro forma fashion by the representatives of My Lords of the Education Department. These are facts which should be made known with a view, we hope, of applying a remedy to the existing I state of things which will enable the Govern- ment to ascertain whether the new system of continuation schools is, or is not, a national success. Coming to details, we may state that the average attendance, under Article 14, at the classes held at Holton-road Schools, was 58'2, and the total number of hours of instruction was 519, the grant earned ,by the scholars j being as follows :—Reading and writing, 53, at Is. 6d. per head; arithmetic, 56, ditto shorthand, 11, ditto; Welsh, 10, ditto; i algebra, 9, at Is total, 139 the total amount of grant obtained being 936 3s. A summary of the inspector's report on the school showed that A large number of the scholars joined the classes at the commence- ment of the season, but the attendance has not been regular. Most of the subjects have been efficiently taught, but the work of the lower division of the Welsh section is rela- tively inferior to that of the upper division. The shorthand class has made good progress." At Barry School the attendance was 28 3, and the total number of hours of instruction, 217. In reading and writing 27 obtained' the Is 6d grant; arithmetic, 30, do.; needle" work, two, do.; Welsh, four, at Is; total, 63; the amount of grant earned being X15 9s 6d. The inspector's report stated j that It is a matter for regret that of the large number admitted to the school so few! remained to the end of the session. The general progress of the men and boys is good; that of the girls is less satisfactory. Order is maintained with ease. A log-book should be provided, and the registers should be tested at irregular intervals." At Cadoxton School the average attend- j ance was 22'6, the total number of hours of instruction of all registered scholars being 117. In reading, five obtained the Is 6d grant; and reading and writing, one do.; in writing, and composition, five secured the Is grant, and in arithmetic, nine, do.; total, 20; the total grant realised being £7. The inspector in his report, pointed out that The number of scholars remaining in the school at the end of the session is compara- tively small. Additional subjects may well be introduced another year. Shorthand and book-keeping in particular would be appre- ciated."

SWIMMING BATHS FOR BARRY. THE Local Authority having just engaged the services of an inspector of bathing and boats 'at Barry Island, it is evident they intend taking full advantage of the facilities offered by Barry as one of the best natural water- ing places along the coast of the Bristol Channel. It may be wise, therefore, if con- sideration were given to the possibility of establishing public swimming baths for the district. An institution of this kind has been in existence at Penarth for a consider- able time, and now the Local Board at that place have before them an application for permission to allow a swimming club to be formed in connection therewith. Barry, with its larger population, ratable value and area, and certainly equal attractions with those of other places along the coast, should not be behind hand in this respect, and it would be wise, we think, if the Local Board considered a scheme for providing the public with swimming baths, which in the neighbouring town have proved successful.

BARRY CHURCHES AND THE TER- RIBLE CALAMITY AT PONTYPRIDD. RECOGNISING, as every inhabitant of the Barry district must certainly do, the terrible calamity and destitution consequent upon the awful explosion at Cilfynydd Colliery, Ponty- pridd, last week, may we make an earnest suggestion to our readers that special steps be taken to assist the funds which are being raised for the relief of the poor distressed families of those who were killed, numbering' as they do, it is feared, upwards of 350- Barry and Penarth benefit mainly by the pro- duct of the coal valleys, and both these places should in this great trial come readily to the fore in an united endeavour, by Church collections and other means, to relieve the- widows, the fatherless, and other bereaved ones through the dreadful visitation which has befallen our poor neighbours.

We wish to draw the attention of our readers to THE ANNUAL GAS an advertisement in another EXHIBITIONS AT column of a series of BARRY. lectures which will take place at the Public Hall, Barry, on Tuesday, the 10th of July, and three following days. Those who have had the pleasure of attending pre- vious lectures will recognise the advantages < seeing and listening to a skilled exponent in the person of Miss Thwaites, the accomplished demonstrator. As a nation we are supposed to lack the skill, say, of French cooks, and it has been observed that an Englishman would starve when a Frenchman would grow fat. This stigma must be removed. "Every maJÍ, woman, and child his or her own eook should be our future motto. A penny saved is a penny gained." Under the new bye- laws of the Local PUBLIC BATHING OFF Board for the regula- BARRY ISLAND. tion of public bathing on Whitmore Bay, Barry Island, bathing was strictly prohibited between eight o'clock in the morning and a certain hour in the evening every day except with the use of the bathing machines. This was considered by the public to be very undesi-able besides, it created a monopoly which was being unfairly taken advantage of by those who managed the bathing machines, as much as elevenpence each being charged bathers for the use of the machines. The question, therefore, came before the Health Committee of the Local Board on Monday evening last, and after considering the circumstances a resolution was unanimously passed to mark off a certain portion of Whitmore Bay where the public may bathe at any time during the day wifck proper bathing dress. It is the duty of the local authority to popularise as much as possible Barry as a rising seaside resort, and the step they have just taken to relax the stringency Of their bye-laws is one calculated to give additional impetus to the attractiveness of one of the prettiest and one of the most desirable bathing places along the entire coast of the Bristol Channel. The following infor- mation regarding the ý-. clainic, PARLIAMENTARY AND &c., for parliamentary COUNTY VOTES. and county votes ma-l just now be specialty interesting to those who seek to be placed on the suffrage list for South Glamorgan -Six months' possession before July 15th is necessary—(A) Freehold* of not less than 403 annual value (rent-charge9- excepted). (B) Copyholds of X5 annual value (if not in a borough). Twelve months' posses- sion or occupation previous to July 15th iIJ required-(C) Leaseholds of over sixty yeaxt of £5, or if over twenty years of JE50 annual value (not in a borough). (D) Occupation of any dwelling-house or separate part uf a dwell- ing-house. (E) Occupation jointly or separately of land or tenement (including office, chambers, shop, warehouse, &c.) of flO annual value- (F) Lodgers occupying apartments of the annual value of £ 10, unfurnished (joint occu- pation by two lodgers qualifies if the toxaS- value is £ 20). Qualifications A, B, and C. Claim to vote in respect to ownership qual tions must be sent to the overseers of the parish that the property is situate in on or before July 20th. Qualifications D and E.—Occupied are placed on the lists published by the overseers on August 1st without the necessity for claiming, but, if omitted, a claim should be sent to the overseers by August 20th. Qualifi- cation F.—New lodgers must send in claims tf vote by August 20th, and, if already registered, must renew their claims yearly by July 25th, Change of residence-Occupiers removing froUJ. one house to another in the same Parliamentary division of the county must claim for successive occupation. The service franchise—Any persoJl who separately inhabits a dwelling-house in the county by virtue of any office, service, or em- ployment can claim as a householder, whether or not he pays rent and rates. — Notice having bee- given by the Barry THE PROPOSED and Cadoxton Local NEW ROAD TO THE Board of their inteu- BUTTRILLS, BARRY. tion to apply at the next sitting of the Glamor- gan Quarter Session* for the necessary powers authorising the diver- sion of the old highway and the formation of new road from Holton-road, Barry Docks, tO the Buttrills, Alderman J. C. Meggitt at once .9 took steps to oppose the application on the ground that the proposed new road for soJDfJ time to come would not be required. The necessary statutory notice was served upon the members of the Local Board calling a specif meeting to be held on Monday next to consider Mr Meggitt's motion for rescinding the resolu- tion authorising the application, but Illc Meggitt, having since had an interview with Robert Forrest, J.P., St Fagan's, who is in- terested in the land through which the proposed new road will run, he has decided to withdraw opposition, and the Board's application tar Quarter Sessions with regard to the road "Wl11- now probably be granted without opposition-