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Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 186, 6 August 1913, Page 4

The chairman of the Education Board gave a very definite expression of opinion -this morning on tbe matter of secondary education through district high schools. '"Secondary education," he said, '•has caused the Board considerable thought. The district high eehooLs are not satisfactory from a board's point of view, and they should be either mended or ended —the latter course would possibly he best. ,, Mr. Garland favours the ey3tem of properly constituted high echools, controlled liy a Board of Governors.

Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M.. gave hie reserved judgment this morning on a claim made by Dr. R. C. Jl-acdiamid, of HuntJy (Mr. G. M. Newton) against the Taupiri Coal Mines, Ltd. (Mr. C. J. Tunis) for a sum of £1- The claim was made under a recent amendment to the Workers' Compensation Act, whereby the worker is entitled to receive up to £1 for medical expenses from his employer if he ie incapacitated for more fSan 14 days by accident, such sum to be independent of any compensation received. The Act further provides that the creditor (doctor or chemist) may sue the employer direct, and not through the worker. The claim in this instance was disputed, on the ground that the plaintiff was employed on a salary by a medical association of miners, and that he was not entitled to charge until a new agreement with him, in order that advantage could be taken of the new provision in the Act. Hie Worship held that the medical expenses were a charge on the employer, apart from any outside arrangements, and gave judgment for plaintiff for the amount claimed. The company was given leave to appeal. It was explained at the original hearing that if he succeeded the doctor could claim about £200 a year in fees from the company.

Although the mail steamer Niagara wae 21 liouiH behind time in leaving Auckland for Vancouver this trip, the time was made up on the run to Suva, and the vessel left there yesterday on schedule time. It will be remembered that an attempt was made to reach Auckland on the night previous to the ueual date of departure from Auckland, but rough weather interfered, the consequence being that the Niagara was again delayed long after her time-table h~6ur of departure in order to load the quantities of cargo offering. The Unioi, Company have at present a echeme under consideration which it is hoped will prove more satisfactory to -eassengere and eliippem of cargo by the" Canadian and Australasian line steamere.

The marine surveyors have practically completed their survey of the steamer Tndrabarah, with the exception of her stern section in the. shaft tunnels It is reported that both shafts will have to be drawn before her survey can be completed, and i! is probable that the proprller; will be unshipped and the shafting removed at all early date. Some of her ballast and bilge pumps hare been SBnt ashore for repair, and the grinding efTV.-t* of the s<imi on the wearing- part's are plainly visible in the deep scorings where the sund has penetrated to the. hearings, sh-iilnr effects can be seen on the. propolW bushes, and in these mattor-; alone i\ large nmount of renewals will he nrr-essnry. It. is understood that the details of the survey Mill have to be c.:ibli',l Home to Lloyd"s and ;i rpplv awiiited before it will be known definitely lo what extent the vessel will be. repaired at Port Chalmers.

A seal about Sft long was picked up on zht Waihi beach th!« morning, and .brought into Wtihi. It is alive.

"The Education Board," eaid Mr. G. J. (Garland, in a review this morning of hin 'term of office ac chairman, "has had much difficulty with the new Technical College building, but is now in occupation, and excellent work ie befng carried out by the Director and hi 3 staff, and it is sincerely to be hoped that the Minister may see his way shortly to make a grant for the purpose of completing the college. ,. An outbreak of fire occurred at about G o'clock last evening in a five-roomed cottage in Amy Street, Ellerslie, occupied by Mr. R. Wood, and owned by Mrs. Ring. Shortly after the occupants of the cottage had left on a visit to some friends, a neighbour noticed that the house was on fire. He immediately gave the alarm, and the new brigade, under Captain Scott, quickly covered the distance of about a. mile between the station and the house. The flames, however, had gained a good hold, and, although saved from total destruction by ! the strenuous work of the brigade, the cottage was gutted. The building was insured in the Guardian Office for £200, and the furniture in the Victoria Oflice for £100.

Two matters of interest to educationists were before the Wellington Education Board at its last meeting. One was the purchase of a cinematograph for the schools, and. this question is to be investigated by a committee of the Board. The other was a more delicate matter — viz., where country scholarship holders at the secondary schools board during their residence in Wellington. It is understood that the secondary school authorities are extremely regardful of the question of " tone" in their schools, and it is, of course, well known that many of the Wellington boarding-houses leavv a good deal to be desired in the matter of ■'atmosphere." The Education Board were apparently alive to the importance of the question, but hardly knew how to act in such a matter. A conference with secondary school representatives has, however, been arranged.

Apropos of the sensational win of the Marist Bros.' team against City on Saturday, during the progress of IJie first international match between the British Northern Union team and NJ3.W. at Sydney, in June, 1910, a somewhat similar incident occurred. In this instance, however, a try was saved by an injured player coming suddenly on the field. During the match a British player was severely injured, and left the field of play for the side line, where he was being attended to and bandaged by the official doctors and ambulance men. Playhad moved up and down the field in the meantime, and excitement was at fever heat, as it was the first appearance of the flower of Northern Union players in the colonies, and, as ie well known, the X.S.W. team beat this great team soundly in this particular match, to the joy of the Sydney barrackera. A Sydney back succeeded in cutting in and beating all the opposing British backs and forwards, and. was streaking for the line with apparently nothing between him end a try except the space of 25 yards. The barrackere yelled as only Sydney barrackers can, and with one accord proclaimed a try behind the posts, but they had reckoned without the thirteenth man, who, to all appearances, was crippled for the rest of the game. When all that the N.S.W. back required was to take a few more strides and ground the ball, the plucky British player broke from the doctors., and with bandages flying in the wind, sprang at the N"-S.W. back as he passed, and brought him down witih a beautiful tackio. In this case, however, the barrackers did not hoot and create a disturbance, but heartily cheered the injured' player for his pluck and initiative in sizing up the situation.

The value of telephone communication m the backblocks was forcibly impressed upon a meeting held at Pio Pio last week in support of a request for extension to connect Kaeaea with Waitewhena, a distance of nine miles. It was stated that for lack of such convenience communication between the two places by telephone at the present time was impoe* sible, and that in case of a doctor being required urgently, or advice from him by telephone, it' was impossible. Quite recently a child had died. It had eaten matches, and the father, ttnable to get the doctor's advice over the wire, had in desperation galloped off towards the nearest doctor with the child, but it had died on the way. If a speedy connection had been possible, the child's life would probably have been spared.

At last night's meeting of the Edendale School Committee a resolution wa3 carried by seven votes to one, condemning the action of the Education Department in closing the schools for a fortnight during the ordinary school working term. Th<r Committee considered that if it was necessary to instruct the teaehere in physical culture, it would have been preferable to appoint one male and one female teacher to instruct at each school.

Mr. Justice Cooper has granted probate of •wills in the deceased estates of William Bellamy, bootmaker, of Oneimnga. (iMr. Fallon); dare Cooper, late of Los Angeles (Mr. Gribbin); Peter Goudie, cooper, late of Waikumete (Mr. Oliphant. Letters of administration have been granted in the estates of Leslie M. Burcham, fawner, of Henderson (Mr. Burton); Eva Catherine Daviee of Devonport (Mr. Alison) ; Helena Scandrett, of Kingsland (Mr. J, B. Johnston) ; Margaret Redshaw, of Avondale (Mr. Gribbin).

The Waihi Chamber of Commerce bast evening Tesolved to do all in its power to co-operate with the Tauranga Railway League in the matter of havin°- work started on the East Coast railway from both Waihi and Tauranga ends." The Premier, the Minister for Public Works and the member for the district are to be approached in the matter. It -was also decided to communicate with the Underwriters' Association, and protest against the heavy fire insurance rates in the main portion of the town, in view of the excellent water supply and firefighting equipment.

It is notified that all postage, postage due, duty stamps and postal stationery bearing the portrait of Queen Victoria will be demonetised as from December 1913, but may be exchanged at post offices for a year longer. Ohrtetchureh Exhibit-on stamps and the first issue of postage due stamps with only the denomination printed in red, will receive similar treatment.

A large establishment in Palmerston North narrowly escaped destruction by fire on Saturday night through the explosion of a bicycle lamp setting fir? to some packing straw. The ftames were suMurd before any serious damage wadonr.

The depression that for some time, has marked the cement trade is now snid to he giving place to a brisk demand. As a sign of the times the New Zealand Portland Cement Company's works are. again in full ewing. ' 'Hie big Totar>- kiln, that during the slump was placed nut of commission, is working again, aud extra hands are being en£aged a$ the limestone Island m\V-

Complaints in regard to unemploy. ment are on the increase in Cirktchur k at preeent. Union officials state thit the Labour. Department's bureau i! finding it impossible, for the first tin! in six years, to find work for geneS labourers, and only four men have bees ,-,ent to jobs by the Department in tv l»t throe week,. The Department £ hnd n 0 work for men at Otira or Lako Coleridge. Mr. Laraey, eecretarv n f the Shearers' Union, etates that h knovra of men in the city who do 3 ir» labouring work of any kind, and ire willing to go into tie country to doit The position of unskilled lafco ur j n vjl Zealand, he says, wae never worse tilit ie to-day, and he offers an en»hai£ denial of the Prime ilinieter'e that no able-bodied man needing W orV in New Zealand need remain out of »m ployment. . m '

On Saturday a settler, Mr J Ca' lasfhan met with a serious ac'ckW whilst clearing at Ruatiti Block. WkrWhe was felling an 18in. ta-wa, deepitp '. deep front scarf, the trunk split and sho? outwards, striking Mr. Callaghan on"th» arm and leg, and breaking both. Jhe injured man was conveyed to Raetih where he was a.ttendtd by Dr. Owen ntior to being taken to Taihape Hospital;

The annual meeting of the Auckland Railway League will be held at the Chaw ber of Commerce on Friday, August 1" when the bueinesa to be transacted wffl be of ninre than ordinary importance There will be a large attendance of <fe legates representing branch leagues to thresh out the vexed question of roul. in connection with the East Coast and northern trunk railways. '

An Australian mail arrived at Wft lington by the steamer Maunganui tiij morning. The Auckland portion, co t . sieting of 43 bags, will arrive here h the Main Trunk express to-morroi morning or Friday.