LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 84, 8 April 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Although some rain fell yesterday and caused a' slight rise in the reservoirs at Karori and Wainui, there is still 'need to exercise strict economy in the use of water. The rain was not heavy enough nor for so long a period as is required to bring the water in the reservoirs to the top. Windy_ and dry weather, if of long continuance, will again result in a low water supply. The City Engineer again enjoins economy on the part of all users of water, and suggests shower instead of plunge baths..

A very interesting communication has been received by The Post from Mr. W. F. C. Whiteman, of the Chatham Islands wireless station, concerning the drift of a bottle out of Wellington Harbour. Mr. Whiteman says:—"On 27th December, 1915, a Maori named Ririmu Wiki te Oi delivered into my hands a slip of paper which he claimed to have found in a brandy bottle on the Mairangi Beach, north coast of Chatham Jsland, on Sunday; 26th December. The slip of paper bore on one side postmarks of Petone and Wellington, and on the other side the following inscription : — 'Cast into the sea on Thursday, 10th September, 1915, by Ptes. H. A. Forster and F. Goode, guards of Somes Island Internment Camp.' In accordance with Government regulations relating to articles found on the. beaches, I handed the 'find' over to the Collector of Customs here, who has, I believe, forwarded it to the Customs Department in Jtfew ■Zealand. I wrote to Ptes. Forster and Goode, asking them whether the bottle was really launched from Somes Island, or whether they were outside the harbour when they threw it in. In reply, both gentlemen assured me that the bottle was thrown into the sea from the south-east side of Somes Island. They also stated that the 'tide was on the ebb, and the wind was slight and from the north."

The Postal authorities advise that the s:s. Riverina, which left Sydney at noon on the 6th inst. for Wellington, is bringing mails from Australia and United Kingdom, via Suez, and is due here on Monday next.

"Hundreds of single men in the Civil Service with dependents—and for that matter hundreds of married men in the Public Service — are ready to enlist if the Government will only make up to them the difference between military pay and Public Service pay," declared Mr. P. J. Mouat, a candidate for election to the Public Service Board, at his' meeting last night. "I have no doubt what, ever that a* large number of them will immediately step into the ranks if guaranteed half their Public Service pay in addition to the military pay."

Two prisoners came up for sentence before his Honour the Chief Justice (Sir .Robert Stout) this" morning. Cyrus Charles Hutten. who had pleaded guilty to two charges of theft at Palmerston North, was represented .by Mr. T. M. Wilford, who aske-d for probation on condition that he paid £7 10s, the amount he had received for the sale of the magneto. If set at liberty he was willing to enlist. He was only nineteen years old. His Honour admitted the prisoner to probation on condition that he paid 10s a- month for eighteen months, £7 10s to go to the person defrauded and the balance to the Crown. William Henry Thomas Martin, convicted at Blenheim of misapplying public funds, was represented by Mr. Blair, who said the whole of the money had been returned, so that the Crown had not lost anything. He asked for probation. His Honour said it was not usual to grant probation in such cases, but it appeared that the accounts had got into a muddle, and he would grant probation for two years, prisoner to pay the expenses of the prosecution within six months.

At the Magistrate's Court to-day two women, Margaret Irving and Julia Schultz, were charged with being incorrigible rogues. ■ Irving pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. On behalf of Schultz Mr. H. F. O'Leary asked for a remand until Monday, and this was granted, bail being fixed at £25. Three first-offending inebriates who did not appear had their bail of 10s estreated, while three others were convicted a.nd discharged. Weer Singh (a Hindu wearing the King's uniform), James. Wallace, and Arthur Lecfhard were each fined 20s, with light alternatives. Mr. W. G. Riddell, 5.M... was on the Bench.

Mr. Henry Hayward announced in Christchurch last night that he was offering £50 for a New Zealand National Anthem.

Ernest Devoin, who is charged with having shot at and seriously injured Louisa White in the Nairn-street Reserve last Monday week, and then attempted his own life, was removed today from the Wellington Hospital to the Terrace Gaol. Miss White is still in a serious condition. The lower part of her body is paralysed.

An adjourned meeting of the City Council will be held on Monday at 4 p.m. for the purpose of considering what action should be taken in connection With the motor-bus case, Richardson, M'Cabe, and Company", Ltd., v. the Corporation. Judgment was recently given against the Corporation., but a stay of execution was granted.

A paragraph appeared in The Post last evening stating that the Miramar Borough Council had been requested by the City Council to curtail the use of water in the borough ; also that the Miramar Council had taken more than its share of water. The Mayor (Mr. F. Townsend) informs The Post that he has up to to-day f-eceived from %hn City Council no intimation of the kind. The consumption of water in the Miramar Borough has not be,en abnormal, nor is it likely to be. So far as the Miramar Borough is concerned the consumption is quite normal.

Notwithstanding Sir Walter Buchanan's recent severe criticisms of handwriting by children from New Zealand schools, Mr. G. Hogben, till recently Director of Education, finds the writing good. In the course of his remarks before the Educational Institute last night, Mr. Hogben said he had seen a marked improvement in the handwriting of New Zealand children. Recently it had fallen to his lot to read some 600 examination papers, and the standard of legibility had been very high throughout. He had not found it necessary to hesitate over a single word.' He believe ed that the present method of teaching writing was developing a good moving hand, which stood the strain of speed, without becoming illegible, as the older erect style had done.

Mr. G. Hogben, in an address to teachers last ■ evening, summed up the futility of the present system, of teaching languages in the secondary schools. He deplored the waste of time spent in teaching the elements of French and Latin. Most of the pupils spent twothirds of their time in learning. these, and they never brought either language to the paying point educationally. No boy aftei- four years of teaching could either read, write, or speak French. He failed to appreciate the value educationally of the daily grind in these subjects. It would be much better if the best things in Greek and Latin literature were given to the pupils in translations, than that so much time should be wasted in acquiring an imperfect knowledge of them in the original.

- The. Assessment Court continued its sitting yesterday after The Post had gone to press. Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M.. presided, Mr. H. E. Leighton sat as assessor for the Valuation Department, and Mr. T. Dwan as local body assessor. In the case of the Gas Company, for whom Mr. T. Heave appeared, theCoui't sustained the Departmental valuations (improvements £48,000, unimproved value £42,000). The third objection heard was one in connection with Skerrett and Wyh'e's buildings! Lambton-quay, Mr. A."W. Blair appearing for the objectors. The original valuation was £12,150, made up of £7150 unimproved value, and £5000 for buildings. An application had beeri made for a. reduction to £11,05iQ (unimproved value £6050 and buildings £5000), and the objection was thrown out. On an offer being made to sell :it £11,050, the Valuer-General reduced the valuation to that amount,- and the-, allocation of unimproved value and cost of buildings was now. disputed. The valuations were upheld. The Court then adjourned until next Friday,

Should a boycott of German goods be persisted in after the war? Mr. G. Hogben, formerly Director of Education, thinks it would be unwise. In his address to teachers last evening, he asked them to consider well the possibility of boycotting a nation of eighty million people. If we did, how could Germany pay her debts, to say nothing of her indemnities to Belgium and the other nations? Also, if we did, the financial centre of the world would assuredly be moved fron> London to New York. He believed it would be ignoble to continue to maintain and nurture hate, which was apparently what the new Jingoes asked. The soldiers in the trenches had a better idea, for it was known that they treated prisoners with kindness. No more certain method than a boycott could be discovered of inciting Germany to prepare for another conflict.

In the minds of most people the periscope is only associated with submarines, trenches, and rifles; but at, least one is located apart from the theatre of war. The periscope referred to is that with which a large number of Wellington's tramcars are now equipped. In front of each car is a metal box, indicating the destination of the car When the motorman wishes to alter the destination name, he turns a small handle located on the ceiling' of the platform, until -the desired name appears. In the past, to see this, it has been necessary to lean out in front of flic car in a very ur.-. comfortable attitude and look at the destination box. Now all this is' changed. A small, compact periscope is located on the ceiling of the motorman's platform, directly in front of him, and by a glance at this the driver, without, and further effort, can see. that the destination name is correct.

How America is helping the Allies is shown in a. statement recently made by Mr. W. E. Humphry in Congress, in which he said : " Go to Europe; visit the front. You ride in an American auto to trenches dug with American tools, lined with American timber, protected by American barbed-wire, manned with American guns, filled with American ammunition, defended bj men clothed and fed with American products. American aeroplanes are scouting overhead, the cavalry dashes to the front on American horses, the light artillery is brought up on American mules." A published list of American supplies to the Allies runs into 1,408,000.000 dollars, and includes explosives, shells, blankets, rifles, forgings, rails', harness, vehicles, boats, and aeroplanes.