34 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS SECTION D. 



African teachers know the handicap which our chaotic spelling 

 places on the children of the country. Canada and India must 

 feel the same difficulty. The simplification of English spelling is 

 a factor in the Empire's growth which will have to he serioush 

 considered some day. 



This address is meant to be suggestive rather than exhaus- 

 tive. The old Chinese philosopher Confucius used to say that 

 when he showed his students three corners of a subject, he left 

 them to find the fourth for themselves. I have shown you one 

 corner of the subject. I leave you to think about the other three. 

 In conclusion, if the Union Parliament and the Provincial Coun- 

 cils of South Africa — and I hope that primary and secondary 

 education will long remain under the jurisdiction of the latter— 

 decide wisely and well in regard to the educational problems 

 awaiting solution-here, we shall be entitled to look forward not 

 without hope and confidence to the educational to-morrow. I 

 wish we could say, however, in the language of Romeo : — 



" Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day 

 Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops." 



