LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 91, 18 April 1921, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The annual meetings of householder* in the various school districts will be held this evening, in the school buildings, except in cases where other notification is given, for the purposes of receiving the reports of committees and the election of committees for the coming year. Much has been said of the apathy of householders'and the public generally towards matters educational, which apathy may in some measure be due to the fact that the public seldom meets under circumstances which allow of discussion of school questions ; such an opportunity will be afforded this evening. Members of Parliament have been invited to attend the meetings.

The medical treatment of disabled veterans of the. South African war, including the provision of artificial limbs, has been approved. Information to this effect has been received by the Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association from the Director-General of Medical Services, General D. J. M'Gavin. The claims of these disabled veterans have been urged for some time by the association, the position being that the Government had refused to acknowledge any obligations toward these men in respect to medical treatment, and the provision of artificial limbs. The association felt that the claims of the South African veterans were quite as important as those.of the men who suffered in the Great .tax. Last week a deputation from the association renewed the claims to General M'Gavin.

"The great welcomes accorded to Lori Jelliccrel throughout the West Coast district have been a, oonvmeing answer to the disloyalists among us" (says the Greymouth Evening Star). "They at» not wanted here, and' the sooner this fact is reafoed the better it will be for the West Coast. It is a striking tribute to the liberty enjoyed under th* Union Jack, that its calumniators are permitted to go on their way unchecked. According to them, the Germans of 1914 were gentlemen compared with the British of 1921. The wonder is that they remain under the shelfgr-of a flag which they allege is the symbol of oppression in its \ worst form. They are welcome to depart in search of a, better country; the Dominion would be well rid' of mich as they."

After considering the use to which the building and grounds acquired for an extension of the Terrace School playing area should be put, the Minister for Education (Hon. C. J. Parr) has telegraphed as follows to Mr. J. A. Thomson, chairman of the school committee :—"Referring to your committee's interview, after seeing for myself on Tuesday, last the working conditions at the school, I recognise that the disabilities of the SCO children in attendance are serious. I know of no other school that is worse off j for playing space, there being only about, a-quarter of an acre of flat land. I am etill loth to scrap a sound building, but find on inquiry that it -will cost a considerable sum to transform it into a hostel and that it is unsuitable for offices. Under these circumstances, if your committee and residents will level and improve the grounds without further recourse to the Department, which "is spending £6000 for extension of site has treated the school generously, I will recommend Cabinet to have the building sold for, removal." The Minister's telegram will be placed before parents at the annual meeting of householders on Monday, when the question of the steps to be taken to give effect to the Minister's proposal will be considered.

In our report of the case Hosie v. Stone, concerning possession of a house, the term "trespasser" was used in reference to the defendant. It should be explained that Mr. Stone was a tres. passer only in the legal sense. When he took possession of tfte house the keys ware handed over to him in the usual way, und«r instructions from th« owner, and th« differences which subsequently occurred) and which were ventilated in the Court proceedings, arose out of the question of price. Defendant had' been notified by letter from the .Labour Department that the Government had purchased the property for £750, and ha was advised not to take any notice of tha representations of the firm of kiwi agents. His.Honour Mr. Justice Reed, who presided over the hearing of the case, madfc it dear that defendant, if a trespasser, was an innocent one, and that apparently the fault did not lie with him. '•■■■.

On the eye of his departure from New Zealand, Sir Thomas Robinson wrote as follows to the Prime Minister :—"As you know, I am leaving New Zealand for Sydney to-day, but before I go I should like to tell you how much 1 appreciate the most excellent work which has been done by your Department of Imperial Government Supplies. Until I had an opportunity of acquainting myself with their methods and the thoroughness with which they deal with all that has concerned meat shipments during the years which succeeded the outbreak of wax I had no conception that the business was being so well handled on this side as it has been, and this undoubtedly explains the ease and satisfaction with which a business of such great magnitude has been done. I was glad to be able to report to you the progress made in trie settlement of the outstanding items as betweeD the suppliers and the British Government,' and I. think it only fair to the Department to say that the excellence of their arrangements has greatly- facilitated this somewhat difficult matter. I especially desire to express my indebtedness in this connection both to Dr. Reakes and Mr. Lees, whose appointment as Controller of the Department I am very glad to hear has now been confirmed."

In view of the South African tour thie year, it is suggested by the management committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union that the inter-Island fixture this season be played early, in June, so as to give selectors an opportunity to select the New Zealand representative team- for the first Test match against the "Springboks."

The witness who failed to put in an appearance at the Magistrate's Court on Wednesday last to give important evidence in an indictable case, and whose absence was the subject of comment by Chief-Detective "Ward, attended the Court on Saturday. On his behalf, Mr. A. B. Sievwright apologised to Mr. H.. W. Bundle, S.M., for the\ delay that had been occasioned. The apology was accepted, and the case proceeded.

At a conference at Cliristchurch between the Prices Investigation Tribunal and the master butchers reductions in the retail prices of meat were agreed upon, ranging from 2d to 3d in regard to beef, and Id to l£d in respect to mutton. The new rates operate from to-day.

The case of Lenzine v. Beard, which had already been partly heard, was concluded Last week before Mr. H.. W. Bundle, S.M., in the Magistrate's Coivrt, Plaintiff claimed from the'defendant the sum of £119 "16s 7d for materials supplied, and work and labour performed by him for the defendant; also for rent of premises and travelling expenses incurred by him in connection with defendant's business. The defendant counterclaimed for the sum of £146 for value of timber belonging to the defendant and used by the plaintiff, and also for work and labour carried out by the defendant for the plaintiff. The hearing of the case, which was a particularly compli'catod one, extended ov«r three days. Mr. R. Kennedy appeared for the defendant, and Mi*. H. H. Cornish for the plaintiff, Tito Magistrate reserved hk decision.