rural district in Scotland; > mentioned', to • him a few ilays ago that in his (the gentleman's) native place, a teacher was appointed who was un fit for the position ; and he added "/That ap pointment is a loss. to me to this day. A few of us from the same place met last week and we all agreed that that man's appoint ment was a curse to the place." He wished come person' who was uot a teacherwouldtake this matter up, and show how a teacher's ap pointment lhight be a blessing or otherwise, 30 or 40 years heace: As to the proposed remedies, viz., 1 Inspection and' a Normal Training School, if he was correct •in the causes, he had assigned, it would at once be seen that the proposed remedies would not effect a cure. A school was vacant where the salary was very small — would the fact that there was an efficient inspector in Dun edin who would inspect the school twice a year, induce a teacher to leave his shop or his farm, or whatever else he' was attending to, and go to teach in that school 1 Teach : ers had family interests to attend to like pther persons, ' and he jvas sure the vacant school would secure a good teaoher far more readily by. offering a good salary than by any inspection, howeverf requent and efficient. He did not undervalue inspection. He knew that an Inspector could point out where, the master was incompetent, but he could not get competent men. Supposing' a Normal School were -established^ what inducement would that offer to a clever young man, if he knew that at the end of' his training he might get a position with less than an ordinary tradesman's wages, and be liable at the same time to be bullied, not merely by the " man of 1 the place," but more, likely by; the " fool of the place ?" ,If Committees wished really good teachers, the first thing for them to do, in his opinion, was to give good salaries, or

the place to retire to when life's active struggle is over. I must also mention that both in Mel bourne and- Sydney, but especially the lattor, a good deal of misapprehension .seems to exist with regard to ,Otago. 