Page 6 Advertisements Column 5

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 92, 20 April 1911, Page 6

"The worst enemy we haye — tnose abominable desks." Such was the declaration last night of a school-teacher at the meeting of the Teachers' Institute, when the^ subject of apparatus v. free exercises in physical training was being discussed. The suggesbion was- that the seatmo accommodation at the public schools was not of ihe best and was l<rejudical to the health of the children. Tbe attention of tho Education Board is to be drawn to the matter. Egg-raisers are in clover just now, for the local market is absolutely bare. Ort Friday the retail " price was Is 8d per dozen, on Saturday 2s, and to-day 2s 4d. The supply is quite unequal to the demand. Eggs at 2s 4d will, of course, check consumption, and after a time the supply will overtake tho demand. The cooler weather, no doubt, has had its influence on laying hens, as is usual at this time of year. There is a run upon preserved eggs for culinary purposes, but those who wish for the "absolutely fresh" article will have to pay, possibly, 2^cl apiece. 'Complaint is made by the Wellington agents of the Tyser Company (Messrs W. M. Bannatyne and Co. ) of a. recent action of the Railways Department. The firm had at Petone 100 casks of tallow, to bo shipped on the s.s. Nerehana, lying at the Taranaki-street wharf. Goods from Peton© go to the Lambton station, and ihG agente requested that the trucks eliould be shunted on to the line opposite the old Cable's foundry. The'traffic Department agreed to the request, but the Goods Department objected, with the result that the trucks were taken to the Thovndon station, whence •die agents have to cart the tallow to the Taranaki-street wharf. In a-n instructive paper on the ase of second-hand catelGgues, read by Mr. C. Wilson. Parliamentary Librarian, at the Libraries Conference just concluded in Auckland, the author remarked that tho honesty of average second-hand book dealers waie beyond all praise, and the j most economical way to secure the best j and most complete editions was per medium of second-hand catalogues. In building up h new library these caia^ loguee were essential. The descriptions given of volumes offered for sale were generally correct, and all defects, if any, duly noted. The catalogues contained old and raie publications marked down at amazingly low prices, ahd all I managing libraries should make free use of the second-hand catalogues. The Victoria College estimates for 1911-12 wei'e brought down at last night's meeting of the council, and the figures given indicate a deficiency (on paper) of £993 3s. Receipts are set down at £9605 7s, made up as follows : — Statutory grant, £4000 ; grant for specialisation, £2000 ; grant for general purposes, £1500 ; fees, £1700 ; examination fees, ' £200 — these being the principal items. The biggest items on the expenditure list, ' which aggregates £10,598 10s, are: — Seven professors' salaries, at £700. £4900 ; Dean of Laws, £800; one professor £600; one professor, £500 ; two leetiirers, £300 each ; registrar, £300 ; chemicals and apparatus, £593 ; library, £240 ; contingencies, £200. After a desultory discussion on. one or two of ' the items, the estimates were passed. Whilst climbing the steep grade of Thompson-street last night, a vacuum cleaner, owned by the Vacuum Cleaning Company, overturned. The driver proceeded to right the wagon, when the vapour from some petrol which had escaped from the tank came into contact with the flame of a lamp he was carrying, and ignited. The fire brigade was called, but the van was badly damaged before the flames were 1 subdued. Earlier in the evening, about 5.5 o'clock, a kerosene lamp exploded and set fire t6 a room in 123, Ghuznee-street, a sevenroomed dwelling, occupied by Mr. W. li. Newson. The brigade extinguished the flames before very much damage was done. The contents of the house are insured for £125 in the United office. Mr. Merritt, an artist, had a number of oil and water-colour pictures, besides his effects, considerably damaged by fire and water. A plea for the better ventilation of schools was made by a speaker at the meeting of the Teachers' Institute last night. Physical training was the subject under discussion, and the speaker spoke of the carrying out of breathing exercises in the class rooms. These rooms were ill -ventilated, and the exercises were done in atmosphere that was warm and heavily laden with germs. Some of the schools were positively unhealthy. The wooden structures were better than the brick ones, but this was no doubt due to their dilapidated state allowing more air to enter. It was absolutely criminal to work the children under the present conditions. No manufacturer would be allowed to work his employees under the same conditions. The speaker instanced a case in which his own headmaster had come into the class-room and complained of the foetid atmosphere, and had to leave. Every ventilator, window, and the door, was open, yet the foul air remained, and the children had to remain in it. Further particulars of the Langford - ' M'Vea boxing contest in Paris on 2nd April are available. The Parisians backed their black favourite, M'Vea, heavily, while there was a lot of English money for the Boston "Tar Baby." Aiter two cautious opening rounds,' Langford bogan to find out his opponent's weak spot, and in the third and fourth rounds sent heavy rights and lefts to M'Vea's head, himself 'escaping practically without injury. Langford forced his much heavier opponent round the ring in rounds five and six, pummelling the Parisian boxing idol, who livened upir. the several following rounds. M'Vea was, however, continually "running away" with Langford in. hot pursuit. In the twelfth round Laiigford almost "outed" his man with a tremendous right swing, but the bigger man managed to weather the storm. From now on to the end Laneford eased up, evidently seeing that he could not corner M'Vea, who continually clinched or eluded his pursuer. The result was given as a draw. The men will probably be rematched to fight in London. "The. relation between the public and university librarfes " was (says the Star) the topic of the paper prepared by Mr. J. P. Grossmann, at the recent Libraries Conference, and the writer particularly emphasised the point that the two institutions could advantageously work in co-operation. The la-ck of efficient libraries as adjuncts to universities in New Zealand was deplored, and it was suggested that to the universities should be relegated the duty of providing technical and specialised works, and to public libraries the duty of gathering m literature of a more general and miscellaneous character, bo that a scheme could be evolved for closer i-ektionship and reciprocity between the two institutions to avoid a wasteful system, prevent overlapping, and sa.ve apace, orme, and money. Mr. Grossmann declared that governing bodies of universities had neglected their privileges and responsibilities. In a subsequent discussion the Auckland University Library came in for especial criticism. The conference chairman (Mr. T. W. Leys) agreed with tho tenor of the paper. Mr. Großsmann's condemnation of university libraries was not too sweeping, so far as the Auckland Uim r ersity was concerned. There in twenty-eight years they had succeeded in getting together a chaotic collection of about 6000 books without even a shelf-list, without any decent catalogue, and with no proper supervision or control over the issue of books. Apparently there was little hope of reform,