LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1316, 20 December 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Paper towels have been introduced into sonieol'lhepa'-seiigci-cnrs on the Wellington section of the New Zealand railways. They are being used in place of the ordinary towels, and, like them, hsing- o:i a roller, but. in thick folds, which may ho torn oft' as desired. For hygienic reasons the cotton towel in railway cars has always been justly regarded as unsatisfactory, and the innovation of papar is viewed with satisfaction. The present wet and cold season all over the Wellington province has seriously interfered with the summer season sales of many drapery firms in nearly all the towns. The almost wintry weather at the Christmas season has put a check on purchases of summer finery, and unless there is an early ehango to settled sunshine, it is feared that: large lines of summer wear will remain unfold. Cabinet has authorised the acceptance of tenders for the construction of five sections on tho Westporl-Inaiignhua railway, and of one section on the LawrenceRoxburgh railway;". Also for the construction of new post offices at Ponsonby (Auckland) and at Putarnru. on the Rolorua line, and of new station buildin jrs on the Parnassus section of the Cheviot railway. Other tenders approved were for additions to the pn<t offices at Clive (Hawkc's Bay) and at Inglcwood (Taranaki). Christmas Day performances at the King's Theatre, Opera House. Theatre Royal, Skating Rink, and thn Now Theatre liavo been approved by the City Council. On account of his intemperance, the license of a city taxi-cab driver was suspended ljv the' City Council last evening until the en.l of March next. A cabdriver, whose license was cancelled some months ago, .applied lor tho issue of a license, but the application was held over till the end of March, when it will be given further consideration. At the November meetiug of the Wollit'vton Education Board a deputation from the Itosenoiith and llataitai Katepayers' Association interviewed members: with reference to the provision of a. side school to suit the convenience of tho-o district. The matter has since received the consideration of tho Works and Finance. Committee of the board, which reported yesterday that it had no recommendation to make. One of tho girls attending the South Wellington School has a record of eight ve;ns' uninterrupted attendiUico, not o single absentee mark having been entered against her name on the school i registers. The fact was reported to the •Wellington Education Board yesterday by the headmaster of the school (Mr. (j. Pluxl, and was tho subject of complimentary reference bv members. On the recommendation of Mr. .1. I'i. W. Aitken, it was decided that a letter l:e -.font to tho pupil conveying tho congratulations of the board on her long mid faithful attendance. An oft reiterated complaint among teachers—the amount of clerical work involved in the making up of the annual Departmental returns—was revived at the meeting of the Education Hoard yestcrdav- in a letter frrm the headmaster of the South Wellington School (.Mr. (i. .Vhix). The chairman of the board (Mr. Robert. Lee), saitl that this was an old subject, and had engaged tho attention of education conf n rences on various occasions, lie did not think, however, that teachers in New Zealand were so heavily taxed in tint re-poet ns were teachers in the Old Country. Headmasters should remember that they were quite entitled to call upon the members of their stall's for assistance in the compiling of their returns. Tho work, however, should not. be done in school hours, to the detriment of the leaching work. He was afraid that the board could not hold out any Telief in the matter of these returns," which contained data, nccossaj-y for the information of the education authorities. It was resolved to .inform the writor of the letter accordingly. During tho university session of 1912 a course of lectures on geology will be' Siven by Mr. C. A. Cotton (Lecturer on eologic'al Science at Victoria College), of a standard lower than that required for the B.A. piss. Tho course will not prepare for any particular examination, and will be, as far as circumstances and time permit, sufficiently complete to meet the requirements of those wishing to tako up field geology and especially physiography as a branch of geography. Tho course will consist of about 51) lectures (two per week), without, a fixed course of practical work, but time will be given during lectures for tho examination and discussion of specimens handed round, and students wishing to do practical work in physiography will bo given an opportunity. A number of Saturday field excursions will be arranged to places around Wellington interesting from the point of view of physiography. One of the two weekly lectures will probably bo given on Saturday morning; the time for the other has yet; to lie arranged, Mondays, from (I to 7 p.m. having been suggested. Teachers desirous of attending these classes aro invited to communicate with Mr. Cotton. During I lie .Christmas and New Year holidays the offices cf the Wellington Eduo.ition Hoard will bo closed for three weeks as from to-morrow (Thursday). In connection with the building of the new teachers' training college and practising school at Kellntnie, the Wellington Education Board has decided to invito competitive pencil designs, under conditions which will be arranged shortly, Premiums of .1:70, ,Cit), and £W will be. awarded for the first, second, and , third respectively in order uf merit.

Arrangements aro being perfected lo make tho Christmas ccason a happy ono for inmates of tho hospital. Yesterday the matron was authorised by the board to purchase gifts and extras up to I lit) amount of .ClO, and tu expend .13) on additional games, etc., out of tho liioivn M'Williii.m memorial fund for tho lienefit ol patients. It iseerlain 100 that kindlydisposed people will send other donations of toys and delicacies for the children patients. There will be n. Christmas trco, and the patients, mostly the children, will Iw encouraged to ploy such gnmes as their health will iiermit. At tho Ohiro Home a special amusement programme has ■ been arranged, and the members of the board have been ii vited to visit the home on Christmas Pay. In tho evening there will bo n social for the staff and inmates. The buirn yesterday granted the usual extra Christinas comforts lo recipients of nitdoor relief on the same lines as in previous years. Arrangements have been made whereby the municipal Abattoir will remain open for Sunday killing up to March til, 1!I12, on the uiKlerstanding that the, extra wages paid will bo shared, one-third by the council, one-third by the contractor, and one-thir.l by the butchers, the contractors lo collect Horn tho butchers their .share and charge the council with its share. This arrangement to be from the commencement of Sunday killing for this senson. About a dozen teachers in tho Wellington education district who have been engaged in tho work of instruction in tho subjects of tho rural course in elementary agriculture and kindred subjects in tho district high schools are to benefit by tho distribution, in proportion to tho work performed, of tho balance of tho rural instruction fund held by the board in 1910. Tho sum amounts to £120. The water supply for M-f-lrnso is now ready, and in a icw days it will be turned on. This will remove a menace (o the health of that portion of the city, and also the danger from fire. The Minister for Education, in reply to an application by the Wellington Education Hoard for a grant for an additional room at Clarevillo School, intimated to the board at its meeting yestorday that in his opinion tho circumstances of Hie caso did not. warrant the grant being approved by the Government. This leply was not. considered satisfactory by Mr. W. C. Buchanan, M.P., who considered that the matter should bo pursued furl her, and additional data procured for tho enlightenment of the Minister. The board's secretary (Mr. U. L. Stewart) pointed out that the teaching staff would shortly lie augmented, and that under the board's new regulation [ governing the provision of a 12-foot, space limit per capita—formerly a 10-foot limit —increased accommodation was required. 1 The board decided to renew its efforts, and lo obtain additional date for the information of the Minister.