LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 73, 20 December 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A certain! district high school in. Canterbury has six teachers and about 100 pupils. Its curriculum embraces no fewer than 20 subjects. This school has been 'agitating recently for increased staff, on the ground that the existing staff is being required to do far lop much work. Tho Minister of Education (Mr. Parr) has suggested that the real cause of trouble is to bo found in tho curriculum. The 26 subjects that are be--1"? taught in this small high school mchide mojjnetism and electricity, indexmg and filing, office routine, mercantile and commercial work and law, shipping and insurance, mechanical drawing nnd building construction, navigation, strength of materials, hydraulics, telegraphy and astronomy. It i 8 obvious that the six teachers, who are handling all tho ordinary subjects, _ such as English, and mathematics, are spreading themselves very thin.

"Why should a policeman ride free while a city councillor has to j»"y his fare on the trams?" was the subject of debate at the last Auckland City Council meeting, when the hafager of the tramways reported that no faro was required of police in uniform, or of police in plain clothcs who' could show a. railway pas, this being a custom perpetuated from the time when tho trams\were privately owned. Mr. M. J. SavagoHook the view that a policeman was sworn in to be on tile job all the time, whether he was in uniform or not, and tho police regularly assisted tramway employees in keeping thifigs going smoothly, but others held differently, < expressing tho opinion that a policeman in uniform should Ixs paid for by the Government, not the council, whilo out of uniform he was a private citizen. The matter was referred to tho Public SeTvico Committee to report.

On Thursday, morning last Francis Hammond, a lueniber of the staff of the Trentham Military Hospital, paraded sick, complaining of pains >in the abdomen. He collapsed and diet? at 3.45 a.m. the next day. At an inquest, over which Mr. P. K. Hunt, S.M., presided, un Saturday, «. verdict to the effect that death had been caused through ruptured aneurism was returned. ] llain and boisterous conditions prevented the teams competing in. the Davis Cup challenge round from practising again on Friday, states tho "New Zealand Herald." This was the third day in succession ill which it had proved impossible to settle down to practice work on tho courts. The consequence is that no more play will he indulged in until Monday. The members of both toajii9 were to leave for Rotorua. for the weekend, a spccial car attached to tho express being provided for their accommodation. T'liey wcro to see some of the fights of tho thermal district, and return to Auckland to-day.

A gig accident, in which tho Rev. W. J. Gow, of lUnnuera, Auckland, had a remarkable escape, occurred in the iUaungaturoto Gorge last Sunday.. Mr. Gow, wno is a retired Presbyterian minister, accompanied by Mr. M'Millan, was driving from Waipu to fulfil a preaching engagement at Maungaturoto, when the horse, shying badly, backed the vehicle over a cliff some 50ft. high. Mr. 'Gow was nnablo to jump clear, and went over in the gig, which apparently remained in an upright position until near tho bottom. Mr. Gow was thrown ouij, but scrub broke his fall, and he escaped with a few bruises. The horse and gig landed in a few feet of mud and water, and sustained little damage.

Representatives in New ' Zealand of theatrical firms who haye engaged to send companies to the Dominion for the Christmas dates are beginning to Iks nervous ae to wlmther such companies will be able to lea-re Sydney iu time to open on the appointed dates. Three important organisations, at- least, ore being held up at present—the J. and N. Tait "Ireno" Jlusieal Comedy Co., which waa to leave Sydney for Auckland by the Msvheno on Friday or Saturday last; the Marie Tempast Comedy Co., due to open here on Boxing Day, which was to have failed by the Ulunaroa on Friday, and the Ver'brugghen Orchestra (under the management of J. and N. Tail), which is due to leava Sydney in the course of a few days for Auckland. • If all three attractions are held up in Sydney by the Rtriko of stewards, the festive Reason will be it dull one theatrically. An inquest was held on Saturday morning by Mr.'W. G. Biddeil, S.M., into the cause of death of Ernest James Lowe, of 58 Leraud Slre»t, who died suddeuly at his homo on Thursday evening. The medical ovidenco showed that death whs duo to angina pectoris, following upon serious heart trouble. The- deceased, ■who had been foreman of C. J. Ward and Co.'e boot factory, was 43 years of age. The Coroner found in accordance with the medical evidence. The- Butter and Cheese Committee is to meet to-morrow to consider the offer made by the shipping companies regarding cheese freights. TJie offer wns conveyed in a cablegram received by Hie Government from the High Commissioner last week.

! At the last meeting of the Eastbourne Borough Council the rerry manager reported that the trial trip run, i'etone to Day's Bay, 011 Sunday, December 11, had only been moderately successful owing to a strong southerly which was blowing on that day, but that this trip would bo run for a few more Sundays in order to givo the people of Petpne an opportunity' of visiting .Day's Bay, and providing . sufficient ' inducement was given this service, would be maintained right through the summer, A conference .of delegates from the four centres, held in Wellington at-tho week end, considered a proposal to hold a festival of music, opening "111 Dunodin iii .September, The" meeting jjnanimously decided in favour of holding such a festival, and the dotails were discussed fully. The aocision was subject to tho necessary financial arrangements being made in tho various centres. This point will bo jiettlcd definitely during the present week. A communication was received from the Defence Department at the last meeting of the Eastbourne Borough Council with reference to the proposed allocation of captured gnns. The Department wished to know where the guiis, if allocated, would be placed. It was decided to instruct the Town Clerk to advise the Department that the council proposed, placing tire two guns. 011 concreio foundations at the wharf entrance. A melancholy spectacle ou the main road between Palmerston North and Wellintgon is a burnt-out motor-car (says tho "ilanawatu Times"). . Kvidently tho machine got Alight during travel. Now nothing remains but a crippled engine and a confusion of twisted iron-work. The body of the ear lias been completely destroyed. This adornment of roadside scenery is becoming increasingly familiar in New Zealand. Tho wayfarer who reported the present occurrence mentions that when motoring between Christchurch and Picton last week two similar wrecks were met with en routo. Exactly how tlieso cars get alight is not infrequently a mystery, even to those on board.

Largo supplies of children's dolls have been secured for tho season's trade, practically all being of English manufacture (states the "Now Zealand Herald'"). Before the war theso important articles for the Christmas trade wero supplied almost solely by'-Germany and Austria. During the. war Japan matlo an -unsuccessful attempt to develop the industry, 'but within tho last two years English manufacturers have come to the fore, and the quality of the goods of this description tliey ate now supplying is giving great satis't'a<ition. f .People are perfect fools to buy houses in these circumstances, as tliev are only looking for trouble," said Mr. E. C. Cuiten. S.M., in the Auckland Magistrate's Court recently during .the hearing of n tenement, ease. "I cannot make an order." The tonnnt of tho house was a driver with four children, > while the house had been purchased for a family of soveii. Tho Telegraph Office advises that the morning telegraph attendance at Napier and Oamaru 011 Boxing Day and New Year's Day is to be curtailed to Tun from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The evening attendance is unaltered. It was reported to a recent meeting, of the Eastbourne Borough Council that a good deal of vandalism took place in the borough during week-ends, and it was resolved to instruct the Town Clerk to write to the Police Department calling attention to the matter and requesting their assistance. Notification was rsceived from the Johnsonvillo Town Board at the last meeting of the Eastbourne Borough Council that Mr. Dunbar Sloane had been nominated to represent the combined bodies of Eastbonrno, Upper Hutt, and Johnsonville on the Hutt Road govornipg body. It was resolved to advise the Johnsonville Xown Board .that Eastbourne supported this nomination. Tho sand drift oil tlio Marine Parado was the subject of a petition from several residents '-at tho meeting of tho Eastbourno Borough Council on Friday. It was resolved that tho removal of tho drift and somo preventive measures bo out in hand immediately. 1 "Is living dear here?" was a question asked by an immigrant who arrived in Auckland by the Dorset. When informed of the ruling charges for certain articles of ovcry day use. 110 said, "Aye, I expected to find tilings up a bit here. Thank jjoodiiess it is better here than in liie Old Country, and I think we'will be able to got along all right here. All wo want' is to got work." On heing told that he would not have much difficulty in finding employment, he replied: "That's all I am looking for in tile jneaniime." Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., delivered reserved judgment in the Magistrate's Court on Saturday morning in the caso of I<\ A. Bamfickl (Mr. 0. C. Mazengarb), who sought to recover «C 27 ss. from the Colonial Carrying Company (MV. T. Young) for the loss of goods stored with the company, and which were stolen.. The goods wore burgled in February last, but tho burglar in this instance worked on new lines, for he apparently entered tne storo some time during tho day, and secreted himself until the doors wero locked. The Magistrate said he was satisfied that the company had taken till reasonable euro to ensuro the safety of tho goods, and held that the tiif, however unfortunate his position might be, could not recover. Judgment was given for the defendant company, but no costs were allowed.