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Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 95, 22 April 1922, Page 6

The "Auckland Star" will not be published on Tuesday next, Anzac Day, and advertisers are requested to bear this fact in mind in making announcements of forthcoming events. The report of the Northcote School Committee states that the plans for the Northcote district memorial gates, which will provide a dignified entrance to what is now the Northcote infant school, but which will in course of time be the main Northcote school, have been passed by the School Committee, the Borough Council, the Education Board, and the Minister of Internal Affairs. The matter now awaited the Order-in-Council, when tenders would be called, and the work proceeded with. This memorial would serve as an impressive reminder to this and future generations of the immense < sacrifices made by so many Northcote citizens during the Great War, and an incentive to them to follow the example of absolute loyalty to duty and unflinching willingness to sacrifice self for the good of others.

"After every slump there .comes a boom," said Mr. J. Graham, speaking at the annual meeting of the Builders' and Contractors' Association at Christchurch. The speaker was optimistic about the future of the trade in New Zealand, stating that an indication was afforded in Auckland, where one drapery firm was spending 'hundreds of thousands of pounds in extensions. Christchurch, he said, was true manufacturing centre of the Dominion, and. would ever be so.

"An allegation that the ■ treatment meted out to patients in (mental. hospitals is not all that could be desired, and that they are. indifferently treated, is disputed by the P.sv. F. Q. Cummings, of Dunedrn, who is at present visiting Wanganui in the interests of the Patients' and Prisoners' Aid Society. It was, he said, more than their positions were worth for any attendant or nurse to injure any patient. It. was also said that something of the same kind of treatment was accorded to prisoners, who were hunted by the police after they had semed their time of imprisonment, and thai they did not get a chance to reform. This was all moonshine, declared the speaker. In all his experience he had not heard of a single case where an ex-prisoner who was really trying to live an honest life had been interfered with, .by the police.

An agent interested in* the motor trade has informed a "Wangamui Herald" reporter that some little time back scores of cars from persons Who were feeling the pinch had been placed in the agents* hands for sale. Since then a number of these cars had been withdrawn from sale, which was a clearr indication that the owners, some of whiom were farmers, had seen daylight ahead m their finances, and were once more in a position to place the cars in commission.

The post office will observe Anzac Day as a Sunday. No letters will be delivered and the mails usually dispatched that day will close the ni»ht before at 7.45. The late fee box on the railway station will, however, be used for the Main (Trunk train which leaves on Friday night. The telegraph office will be open from 10 to 1.30 a.m. and from 5 to 3.30 pirn.

Poignant regret at the apparent lack of enthusiasm of returned soldiers, as shown by h. falHng-off of 43 per cent in member-tup in the year, and an appeal for the sin ews of war to clear up anomalies and to improve the lot in civilian life of returned men. fit or disabled, are the chief features of the annual report of the Wellington R.S.A.

The capital Value of the borough of Birkenhead as disclosed in the valuation' just completed by the Government official is £705,780, of which £333,595 represents the unimproved value, and £372,185 the improvements thereon; The corresponding figures for the previous assessment were? Capital value, 1£097,C50; unimproved, £308,605; improvements, £288,645. The increase in tne capital value is therefore £108,530. The Birkenhead Borough Council, which urged ■Ihe revaluation.of the borough is mainly interested in uhe unimproved value, the rating being levied .on this basis. The increase shown in the land values is £24,980. which the council considers comparatively inadequate, and takes the vie% that too low a basis has been adopted generally. Objections were lodged by the council with respect to the assessment of several properties, deemed by the members to be below the 1 conservative value that is.usually conceded .should obtain for rating purposes. l Other objections have been lodged bv 1 property owners, who contend the value placed on their properties is excessive ' The assessment court' will sit in the! Magistrate's Court on May 5 to dear with these objections.

The- Auckland portion of the immigrants due to arrive at Wellington tomorrow night by the Waimana from Southampton should arrive here by the Main Trunk express on Tuesday morning.

The finish has come to an experiment which was undertaken a while ago by the Otago Acclimatisation Society. It sent to India for mates and females of the game bird of Upper India known as the chikor. Twenty-four were ordered. Half the number perished on the voyage. The survivors did not fare well after landing. One by one they died off, -n spite of all the care bestowed, by Mr. R. Conn, who undertook personal custody and attention in the' society's interest. During the summer just departed, only one bird was left, a lovely cock," and he was prospering, and was intended to be mated with chikor hens •that were imported to Auckland; but a few days ago a ferret got into the roost, and that was the end of it. If Otago is to have the chikor they will jhave to be reintroduced.

Mr. E. A. Eyres, secretary of the Wellington School Committees' Association informed a "Dominion" reporter recently *hat in England, where the schools are administered by the county councils, education is really free, all books and stationery being supplied without charge. "AH the children have to take to school are themselves," he said. "Each school simply requisitions for what books and stationery it needs from the county council, and the whole cost comes out of the rates. The system "in New Zealand is inequitable, inasmuch as it bears heavily on the" man with a large family. Yet the thinkers in the country are of one opinion in respect to the limitation of families—that the big family should be encouraged. That may be all very well in theory, but it scarcely works out in practice, at all events not in. cases ! where a man has half-a-dozen youngsters jat school. The books are also standardised at Home, and can be passed on from one child to another as they advance in the school, but in Wellington changes are always being made, entailing, great and very often entirely unnecessary expense." ■•

A qua'lnt figure at the Palmerston North Police Court yesterday (says the "Standard") was an Indian named Nabi Bakas. He was dressed in blue dungaree trousers, tied at the ankles with twine, a. blue shirt and a brown coat the worse for wear, whilst his feet were encased inlight rubber-soled sand shoes. He had long black hair reaching to his coat-collar, and a straggling beard. The accused pleaded guilty to a charge of being a rogue and a vagabond, in that he was found by night sleeping in the Awapuni railway station shelter. SeniorSergeant Fraser- suggested that accused should be convicted and discharged. Bakas had come to Palmerston North some days ago in search of work, but he had failed' to find employment and, his money running short, he had been unable to pay for a bed. He had slept at the Awapuni railway / station for three or four nights and a complaint had been received, and he was arrested. There was no suggestion that accused was in any way dishonest. Incidentally, said' the senior-sergeant, he would point out to the Court that there was a fair number of these Indians in New Zealand at the present time, and many of tttem were out of employment. Accused had previously been employed at a flour mill near Rotorua. In reply to a question, accused stated that none of his countrymen, was in a position to help him. The Bench, decided to convict accused and to order him to leave the town within 12 hours, failing which he would be brought up for sentence.

A little over three' years ago the Department of Agriculture instituted a series of winter classes for farmers at Ruakura Development Farm. The success of the venture ♦'as so pronounced that last year ft'was found necessary to have an extension of the school to accommodate all the applicants among primary producers. On Monday next the first winter school held at Weraroa State Farm will commence. It is anticipated that the experience at Ruakura will be repeated. The curriculum will embrace every phase of the farming industry, and all the Departmental instructors will assist.

A fire occurred in the foundry section of the Newmarket railway workshops about 9.30 last evening! It appears that a partition became ignited, and the fire spread to the ceiling, causing a considerable glare. The Remuera, Parnell and Newmarket Brigades were quickly on the seen-?, and had the outbreak under control before much damage was done.

Professor W. T. Goode, M.A.. will again lecture at the Strand Theatre under the auspices of the New Zealand Labour party on Snnday evening, his subject being "Russia, Australasia, Washington and After," with special reference to the Russo-German Treaty. Th-is is Prof. Goode's last lecture in Auckland.

Community singing has "caught on" in Wellington. A permanent secretary has now been appointed, and a banking account opened. Song sheets aTe to be printed, and future "sings" are to be held in the Town Han, instead of the Concert Chamber.

Anzac Day being regarded as a Sunday in the eyes of the law the hotel bars must be closed, and the Auckland Licensed Victuallers' Association is issuing a reminder to hotelkeepers accordingly.

When the Prime Minister suggested, during the reception to Paddon, that New Zealand would produce another sculling champion to; send tft Australia to back the title, someone in the crowd called out, "Make a pool of it, Bill!"

Motorists wjll be pleased to learn that the new road through Manurewa which has been closed for some time, is now open for traffic, having been re-laid and tar-sealed.

A parsnip weighing Clbs, and having a circumference of 19 inches, is bein°exhibited in a Pahiatua shop window

A schnapper weighing aboutr2s pounds was obtained by a launch party at New Plymouth on Monday. "The Black Hand and the Poodle " full report by Maine; price 2d. "Northern Advocate," Whangarei.—(Ad.) Toilet goods at bargain prices.— George Court and Sons, Ltd., Karangahape Road.—(Ad.) i For a firm to open business these times requires confidence. H. J. Grieve and Co., the quality jewellers, Smeeton's Buildings, have confidence that their 1 methods will please.—(Ad.) J McCUnton's Colleen Soap gives that softness, fineness and clearness of skin which you associate with childhood. Purely vegetable—real beauty soap 1/ chemists, stores.—(Ad.) " 21 Profit sharing with employees means satisfied workmen and satisfactory. work H. J. Grieve and Co., the new jewellers, Smeeton's Buildings, work on these lines,—(Ad.) \ Rebuilding, reductions in toilet (roods at George Court and Sons, °Ltd Karangahape Road.—(Ad.)