NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 147, 18 March 1937, Page 13

NEWS IN BRIEF

i Street Geyser A fresh-water geyser in Willis Street entertained a large crowd of spectators and caused hurried work for members of the Wellington City Council waterworks department shortly after noon yesterday. Through the cap _ blowing off a fire plug in the water main, water played to a height exceeding that of the nearly telephone and telegraph poles for some time. The geyser was directly in front of the front door of the Y.M.C.A., so that it was impossible to either enter or leave that building until the pressure was eased by turning off the main supply. A picture appears on page 9.

Not the Place for Interjection. The unusual occurrence of interjection interrupted the address given by the Rev. Frank de Lisle at the New Zealand Congregational Union service in the Cambridge Terrace Church last night. The offender, after twice expressing disagreement with the speaker’s views, retired from the lists with the words: "It’s all right. I’m being ejected,” and made as 'dignified an exit as lie could.

City Property Auction. A central Wellington city property consisting of a three-story building on a site at the corner of Customhouse Quay and Hunter Street, was offered at auction yesterday by Mr. Gordon Harcourt in conjunction with Mr. E. Palliser. The site for many years was that of the 'Wellington office of the New Zealand Express Company, with an upper floor known ns Thomas’s Hall Bidding started at £3500 and rose to £4750. which was just short of the re serve.

Druids’ Wreath on Memorial. Delegates to the conference of the United Ancient Order of Druids in Wellington yesterday visited the War Memorial Carillon to place a wreath to the memory of Druids who fell in the Great ■War. Two hymns were played on the bells while the wreath was laid. The wreath was laid by the grand president of the North Island Jurisdiction (Bro. W. J. Gregory), accompanied by the grand presidents of the Canterbury and Otago-Southland Jurisdictions, the grand vice-president (Bro. A. .Williams), the immediate past president (Bro. G. Lethaby), and the grand guardian (Bro. H. S. Abel). Dog-proof Fences.

It was stated at the annual meeting of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Wellington yesterday that in residential areas it was impossible to ensure all dogs being kept away from sheep, and that shooting marauding dogs was no cure. Anyone bringing sheep into such areas as reserves, domains, and the like should be made to protect the sheep. The following remit was passed in support of that contention: “That owners of land used for sheep-grazing in or close to residential areas be compelled to make adequate provision for their protection from worrying by dogs by enclosing them with a dog-proof fence.” Shortage of Teachers.

Because of the dwindling supply of certificated teachers, the Education Department has declined to grant a request from the Wellington Education Board for authority to appoint certificated and graded teachers to Grade O schools. In reply to a question from the chairman, Mr. W. V. Dyer, at the monthly meeting of the board yesterday, the senior inspector, Mr. D. Macaskill, said that Wellington had very few supernumerary teachers awaiting positions, as the demands of the Auckland, Taranaki, and Wanganui boards had drawn heavily on them. Mr. L. J. McDonald said that this shortage was caused by the policy adopted of closing the training colleges. The board had protested at t-he time, and in the light of subsequent events its protests had been justified. Schools Conslidated.

The Minister of Education h,as approved of the closing of the Waingawa School in the Wairarapa and the conveyance ot the children to the Fernridge School. There are at present only 11 pupils on the roll at Waingawa. The daily mileage under the contract for conveyance will be 30 miles. School Committee Resigns.

Following a disagreement with the Wellington Education Board over the appointment of Mr. Ernest Marryat as headmaster, the Hatailai School Committee has resigned in .a body. The board has accepted the committee's resignation, and yesterday decided to call a meeting of householders to elect another committee. City members of the board are to attend the meeting. In moving that the board place on record its appreciation of the services of the committee, Mr. C. H. Nicholls s.aid that the Hataitai committee had always devoted itself to the work of the school and it was very unfortunate the members had thought it proper to throw up office.