"What you are is more important than what you teach,'' declared the speaker to the teachers present.
"You should live so that the child, by daily association with you, becomes more truthful and obedient. The child grows according to the example you set. If you have not in your heart a fine sense of honesty, I would never trust you to teach a little child to be truthful. It would not do. In dealing with a child it is the spiritual atmosphere that counts. Could anything finer be said of a mother than that her children grew up good, or of a teacher than that children obeyed her through love? Use patience, insight, and love; study the child, and try to create an atmosphere in which it will grow towards goodness and virtue. Mechanical obedience is not worth having. Unless a child leaves school with a healthy body, an active mind, and a character fitted to stand the sharp test of contact with the world, are we any further on with our teaching?''
• Mr Glover asked the Minister of Defence in the House last Thursday what, in the event of a soldier going away without making an allotment to his mother, though she possesses a letter saying that he had made the allotment to her, could be done for the mother until such time as a letter could be sent and replied to? What provision would be made for the mother?
The Hon. J. Allen said that the allotments were paid exactly as the men desired. They were paid regularly every month.
The department went upon the evidence as far as it had it.
If the evidence showed that the soldier intended his mother to have an allotment the department gave it.
In some cases where the soldier had not left a letter, and the mother was dependent upon him and destitute, they had power to allot to her, under an authority signed by the man before he left.
He knew of many cases like that.
• A big Native gathering, or "hui'', was held last week at "King'' Te Rata's pa at Waahi, near Huntly, and several hundred Maoris had arrived to take part in it.
An immense quantity of provisions had been accumulated for the accompanying feast, and the "korero'' was expected to last until the supply of food was exhausted, which would probably be in a couple of days.
It is understood that among the numerous subjects for discussion were recruiting amongst Natives, and the removal of the Native Land Court sittings from Ngaruawahia to Huntly, which is considered a more convenient place.
Though nothing definite is stated as to the main purpose of the "hui'', it is understood that recruiting was considered the most important question of the day.
• The committee in charge of the arrangements for refitting the Antarctic ship Aurora is doing all within its power to expedite the work so that the vessel may leave on her trip south.
A large number of men were engaged yesterday in the repair work and the operations generally are watched with much interest by the public.
The vessel is likely to be in the dock for a week or so.
Captain Stenhouse, in reply to an inquiry yesterday, stated that no further information was to hand regarding the expedition.
Some delay is, of course, necessitated in the transmission of advices from Home. - ODT, 4.7.1916.
• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ
