HOBBIES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 116, 8 February 1908, Page 11

HOBBIES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN.

Tho advisability of.giving all school child- : reri:.;a',hobby to be attended .to during term,' j so as to'relieve, the playground- and allow less ; time .'for. "settling differences," imaginary or i real; -is,, being discussed (writes "Emile" - in, tho.v;';''Australasian") amongst prominent school teachers. • A sinaH 'suburban school, vvhidi recently started an, "aquaria" entirely by. the,boys themsolves, finds ■ it-.an •■•unqualified; success'. ' ;Excursions aro • mado;.bn Saturdays l and half-holidays -to - neighb'puring creeks, ponds, or to tho sea ; raa'sti-.and specimens of aquatic lifo brought '.-.to thp'/school aquarium in (tickle-• jars or jam , bottles.; The' science books aro then searched to; supply, the .specimen' with its- proper, scicntific. name,-' and. a .small synapsis of its i'liabjts?. and.' locality written ' out. and at- , tiicheil.-to tho jar. ■- A.dozen bovs aro ''told , p(f" i ..;eacji . day • iii order of- merit' to' clean ' tho/jars,' supply fresh water and foo'd to their treasured, specimens, ■, and , attend generally to, tho aquarium.- In a girls' school .re- ; oently,, a'' botanical room was inaugurated, ;ai«l bota'ny .taught'in manner. Al- : rpady . tho collection, of .'lichens and mosses is 0110 of tho finest in .Now South Wales.

•;'An : Americaii employer, Ims been • ungallant enough'- to .employ, an -"investigator," -'who estimated that in one 'largo-' American cit.v tho-cost' to its 'employers of the timo'.occupieil by>lady'.'olerks'ini'Vloing 'up their-back Hair" 'is fier."*'"'£l4,oQQ' a yearl , .....

Violet; Mademoiselles Voisou, daughters of the General of that name, and many others I .could name. In at month's timo.these hospital ladies will bo joined and visited by the president and .vice-presidentof the French Red .' Cross, Countess cl'Hausonville, ~ and Count-ess Jean do Castellane. General Picquart first of all'hesitated to accept the help of these ladies, but lie has thought better of refusing such charity .-and pity, i Public opinionwill be grateful.to liim for preferring tho good of the, troops of; whom lie'has the caro to the comments of a fow' envious people. . ;;

Tliero are, it is said, about 2000 women on various publicly elected bodies'.in England and Wales at present, and of this, number about :1200 are members of- boards of poor law guardians. Of tho'644 unions in England and Wales,- 407' now bare'women guardians, but the proportion or. women to men is,still only ono ill every Sil' or .22.. In 'London thbro aro .120 '• women. guardian's, 'distributed among 31-unions; The new. qualification bill will , open up to women 417 more public bodies, namoly 326 town councils 63 county councils and 28 London borough councils, besides all the boards'- of aldermen Soh'ing, tea in business', houses -is becoming more and moro'popular in Atnoiica. Tho custom has spread • in l ' tho offices ' of," Wall Street banking concerns and-also in several Fifth Avenue -antique shops. In somo of the offices'a woiiinn is employod to'do the work; and. in. others one ,or two of tlieolerks have !the serving in..' .. -- .