IN OTHER CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 191, 7 May 1908, Page 8

IN OTHER CENTRES.

(by TELaariAru—special couiiEsroNDENTS.) • * AUCKLAND. May G. Tho people's money box selicmo, which . tho Government aro understood to have in view, is not regarded with unmixed favour | by a number of Auckland residents, with | whom a "Herald" representative convorsed on tho subject yesterday. Some peoplo, howevor, view tho idea with approval, as ' being a natural extension of the present 'Post Office Savings Bank system. Tho j pioposcd innovation, tllcy consider, would assist thoso having accounts in tho Savings I Bank, particularly children, in saving tho I many odd small amounts which aro now likely to be expended in more or less unprofitable directions. By others, tho opinion | was expressed that tho Government woro going quite far enough at present in receiving minimum deposits of a shilling. . As for children's pennies, it was pointed out thoy could bo conserved by affixing penny stamps to cards holding a dozen each. Each card, when it contained the twelve stamps, could' be taken to the Savings Bank and the shilling credited to tho depositor's account. It"was held that by placing money boxes in people's homes the Government was only imitating one of tho cheap devices that figure so prominently in connection with tho keen competition of tho American Banks. "Tho noxt thing v/o will hear of," ' said one of tho holders of these views, "will bo that the State is going in for a house-to-houso canvass, which, I believe, is being dono by somo of tho American Banks. It is a most undignified position for tho. Government to take up.. In .connection with this subjcct, it is pointed out that tho Education Act makes provision for tho establishment of Savings Banks for tho use of children attending State schools. Tho School Committees aro empowered to establish such Banks, subjcct to tho approval of the Education Boards, but, so far as can bo loarned, little or no advantage has been taken of this provision." " CHRISTCHURCH. May 6. Tho Victorian railway accident has-drawn tho attention of tho members of the St. John Ambulance Association to tho desirableness of . making arrangements to meet a similar emergency. Mr. P. Hercus, chairman of tho local branch,- said, at a. meeting last night, that the' appliances tlicy had tin hand in Christchurch wore distributed hero and there round tho district, and it behoved them to take into . consideration ' '"whether they should not strengthen these appliances, and strongly • recommend to tho committee, in view. of the Association moving into now promises, that a depot should be established of sufficient size and equipped with sufficient appliances to enable the Society to cope with 'any. sorious accident likely to : happen. . They would, require at least twenty stretchers, together with splints, bandages, and appliances, which would bo ready at a moment's notice if required. It was decided to establish tho depot. Speaking at the . Arthur's Pas 3 Tunnol ceremony yesterday, Sir Joseph "Ward stated that if Mr. Arthur Dudley Dobson, who, with others of tho Canterbury party, was weather-bound at tho Bealey, had been present there would have been threo gentlemen on the platform who had beeu present at tho opening of tho first railway in Cantorbury, the other two being the Hon. A. It. Guinness and Mr. A. D. Bayfield. ■. DUNEDIN. , _ , May 6. Mr. Jas; Bennet's funeral at Lawrence this afternoon was very largely attended. Tho mourners included tho Minister for Lands, tho Hon. T. Y. Duncan, and Messrs. James Allen, T. K. Sidey, J, A. Macp'ncrson, T. Mackenzie, J. I'V Arnold. M.P.'s, and thcro wero representatives from Roxburgh, Miller's Flat, Tapamii, Duncdin, and Gore: Ono of tho wreaths was from tho 'Ministry. Tho senior boys of tho Lawrence District High School followed in prooession for some distance. The service at thegravo was conducted 'by tho Rev. Scott Allan, the Presbyterian Minister.