NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 242, 9 July 1938, Page 13

NEWS IN BRIEF

Children’s Behaviour

Referring to statements that secondary scholars travelling to and from Wellington by train failed to give up their seats to adults, a Wellington headmaster last night said that complaints had never been made to him. The rules concerning the deportment of his boys in trams, buses and trains were very rigid and no boy was allowed to sit while an adult was standing. The tramway department had been asked to report any boy who did so. The headmaster of another large secondary school said that in 25 terms he had only one complaint about the conduct of bls pupils, and that concerned a boy who had jumped off a train while It was moving. "Shocking Waste of Time.”

"I think it is a shocking waste of time honouring a man after he’s dead,” said Mr. R. W. Bothamley, ar ■ the monthly meeting of the Makara County Council yesterday, when the possibility of erecting a memorial was under discussion. "If people want to.recognise his worth,” he added, “they should do so while he is alive.”

Proposal of Marriage. “We do think New Zealand is a very lovely cgCntry and Ils people most kind, and we would certainly like to stay longer and see more of it; in fact, Miss Knott, our captain, has already received a proposal of marriage.” said Miss E. J. Warwick, manager of the English women's hockey team, at the Government reception, at Wellington, yesterday. "We hope it is ‘Knott’ unlikely,” said the Hon. P. Fraser, amid laughter. Leeks and Leakage. In a case In the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday, two bunches of leeks were produced by a witness. Those in big right hand were large mid well-formed and those fix his left hand were about half the size. The charge was one of packing goods so that their quality and condition were not fairly disclosed. "There has been some leakage apparently," said the magistrate, Mr, J. H. Luxford I

Berries for the Birds. A suggestion that the Tararua Tramping Club should consider the planting of fruit and berry-bearing bushes to sustain native wild birds during severe winters was adopted by the annual general meeting of the club last night. Mr. W. 11. Gibbs, who made the suggestion, said that once in every six or seven years came a season of verv prolific fruiting of bush shrubs, followed usually by a comparative dearth. As a result,'during a rigorous winter, many wild birds perished of starvation. Minor Traffic Jam.

A minor traffic jam occurred in Willis Street, Wellington, shortly after 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon. Though of short duration only, it resulted in a sudden banking-up of trams and vehicular traffic passing along and converging on this thoroughfare. The cause of the hold-up was a woman fainting in a tram at: the corner of Willis Street and Lambton Quay, and having to be removed. At one stage more than a dozen trams proceeding toward Lambton Quay were halted between Bouleott Street and the corner of the quay. A feature of the incident was the orderly manner in which all vehicular traffic met the situation. Few Cases of Measles in the South. While cases of measles have been reported to be fairly general in New Zealand at present, Otago nnd Southland are stated to be practically free from infection. The Christchurch medical officer of health, Dr. T. McKibbin, stated that a few cases had been reported from Gore, Invercargill, and Dunedin. The measles were of the small-spotted, or German, variety, and were in a very mild form. There were no traces whatever of any complications such as had been alleged were associated with some cases in North Auckland. There may have been an epidemic in the north, but cases in Otago and Southland were far removed from epidemic proportions. Railway Department Commended. The committee of the Ngaio Progressive Association has decided to send a letter to the Railways Department commending the smooth introduction of the new electric system of transport on the Wellington-Johnsonville line. Some anomalies in the fares were discussed, but action was not taken, it being hoped that the department would make adjustments based upon its experience. Mr. O. Gidall, a member of the committee, presented to the president, Mr. 11. L. Cummings, tr small bronze Maori bust, as an expression of appreciation of bis activities in the agitation for the service, mentioning also the work of previous committees and the previous and present secretaries, Messrs. A. L. Franks and R. Irving, toward the same end. Arrangements were made for planting the ground about the Ngaio station with shrubs.