LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2741, 8 April 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Probably yesterday's, rain was welcomed more by- the Koro Koro and Maungaraki residents than by anyone else. A settler stated, "We are as gay as larks now, tanks flill, fires all out, and' to-night we can sleep in' peace, a thing we.'vo been unable to do since Tuesday last." v

It is not generally known that a conductor on a tramcar can direct a passenger as.to which way be must enter the car. This was decided yesterday at the Magistrate's Court, ivhen a man was fined Is., with 13s. costs, because he failed to obey the conductor's instructions.

During the month of March tho arrivals in New Zealand numbered 1505 and the departures 1868, an excess of departures over arrivals 363; as against 163 in the .corresponding month of last year.

A high educational authority, Mr. G. Hogben, -broke a lance last night in the course of an educational lecture given by him, with the amateur critics who have lately been saying that the handwriting of pupils in our : schools is deteriorating. He said that recently he had seen some 600 examination papers, obviously written in haste, and in not ono instance had he found any difficulty in reading a single word. All the writing was legible and neat. The pupil's had acquired a running hand, better than the stiff handwriting of other times, and had learned 'to write this running hand well enough for their writing to stand the pressure of speed and remain legible. He thought handwriting in 'schools was certainly not deteriorating.

One of the questions put last night to Mr. F. J. Mouat, a candidate for re-election to. the Public Service Appeal Board, was whether it' was right for Mr. J. H. Richardson, Government Insurance Commissioner, and a member of the Appeal Board, to adjudicate upon appeals from officers of the Government Insurauco Department. Mr. Mouat replied that Mr. Richardson was appointed by His Excellency the Governor. He (the candidate) believed that the power of the Governor to make an appointment carried with it a power of revocation, so that it was competent for Mr. Richardson to ask the Governor to rolieve him of his duties, in so fiir as appeals from Government Insurance officers wero concerned.: Mr. Mouat said that he understood that there was provision in the Acts Interpretation Act allowing this .to be done.

During the hearing of a by-law caso in the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning in which an expressman was convicted of impeding . the ' tramway traffic, Mr. O'Shea, the City Solicitor, said that this class of offence was becoming too frequent, and that, these prosecutions wero being taken for the purpose of making drivers more careful, and so preventing accidents. Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., who was on the bench, remarked that he, too, was of the opinion that drivers in the City should be more careful. His Worship instanced a case where, on account of the action of a 3river of an express, the motormanon the car on which Mr. Cooper, was travelling had to plill up suddenly. Had it not been for this prompt action there would no doubt have been a collision.

At yesterday afternoon's meeting of the Mayor's Patriotic Committee, « letter was received from Major Alfred Cowles, of the 3rd Battalion of the N.Z. Rifle Brigade, thanking the committee for its generous gift of 95 cases of fruit and three cases of cakes, which were greatly appreciated by the troops. A similar letter 1 was received from Major W. A. Bennett and Lieut. R. J. Martin, of Transport No. '4,' also expressing thanks for gifts of fruit, etc.

• At the meeting of the City Council on Thursday, the council agreed to "waive the covenant ill Messrs. George and Kersley's, lease of Sections 65 and 66a, Lambton Reclamation, as to the date for the erection of their building, provided tlio firm shall commence tlio erection of a building worth at least £10,000 within twolve months from the termination of the present war with Germany, and that such building shall be completed within two years from the termination of such war.

Our salesmen enjoy booking large orders for "No Rubbing Laundry Help," bpcause it lightens woman's toil. Wellington Merchants.—Advt.

Winter is here.. You ran got what you desire in overcoats from 325. Gel. to 305.; Raincoats, 455. to 90s. At Gen Fowlds, Ltd,. Manners Street,—A<lv^

-During the year, states the report ot the Director 'of Technical Education, the students, in the TecHnical High School mainly, by. their own work in the ordinary course, and with little begging of the usual kind, provided nearly £300 for various patriotic funds, besides making about 180 baby garments for the Plunket Baby Fund and carrying out the writing and illumination on parchment of a book of "Thoughts on tho War," by leaders in New Zealand, which was sold by art union by the A.O.D. The work was nil well done, and a credit to the students and instructors.

"The difficulty which has hampered recruiting amongst the Maoris of the Hokianga district has, I am glad to. say, been removed," said the Hon. Dr. Pomare, in discussing tho results of liis recruiting tour in the far north. Dr. Pomaro added that enlistments amongst the northern Maoris were quite satisfactory. A fillip had been given to rocruiting by tho fact that the members of the Maori Contingent at the front, which had been temporarily taken up and attached xo the various other New Zealand Forces while at Gallipoli, had again been brought together into a separate unit.—Press Association, r

In his annual report presented to the Wellington Technical Education Board last evening, Mr. La Trobe, the director, said that the thanks of the college are due to tho Wellington City Corporation, New Zealand Institute of Architects, and New Zealand Academy of Fine • Arts, who contributed £300, £10, and £10 respectively to tho funds of tho college during the year, and to Messrs. J. Marchbanlcs and H. D. Vickery for prizes for competition among day and evening students in the annual class examinations.

How "astrology" differs from "for-tune-tolling" was explained in tho Auckland Magistrate's Court by a man who was styled an astrologer. "Astrology," declared the man, "is not for-tune-telling. It is physiognomy, and psychometrics. Parents bring their child. I loam the date of the child's birthday, and from .the shape of the head and face, I tell tho parents what profession or trade the child should enter. That's not fortune-felling;" he concluded.

In discussing the matter of the increased price of drugs an Auckland, chemist was asked if this increase wera' likely to impose great on the poorer classes. "No," ho replied, "it need hot necessarily affect them very greatly, because there are so many cheaper and quite efficacious substitutes. That is & point it would be very well for doctors to bear in piind in making otit prescriptions," he added. "Often and often a poor woman ■will come in with.a prescription for a powder, for instance, costing a shilling, when sho could have had one just as effective for threepence. Manj' doctors undoubtedly take into consideration their patients' .finances, but othera again do not, arid it would help greatly at the present time if they would prescribe cheaper drugs wherever' possible to do so."