LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 147, 18 December 1924, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

To-morrow will be the most popular day in the school year, for the various State schools will bo "breaking-up" for the summer holidays. They will not reopen until Monday, 2nd February.

The party of Samoan Chiefs now visiting New Zealand left for Masterton by train this morning. They are to be accorded a civic reception and luncheon at Masterton, and will be taken to Tyneside Station, where they will witness, shearing in full swing. The visitors return to Wellington this evening.

Kabbits appear to have multiplied with unusual rapidity in Canterbury this season, states the "Timaru Herald," and in all the riverbeds and other waste lands, as well as in hillier districts, there are abundant evidences that swarms of young bunnies are threatening potential loss to pastoralists and farmers.

"How can an old woman expect to run a lolly shop?" asked Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court at Auckland during the hearing of a. case in which an elderly person made allegations of misrepresentation of a shop near the picture theatre at Mount Albert, which she bought last May (reports the "Star"). Plaintiff told the Magistrate that she had been out in New Zealand /or three years, and previous to that lutd experience of shopkeeping in Lancashire. "You want a pretty girl to run that show," remarked Mr. limit. This was defendant's contention also. Plaintiff had bought the shop, stock, and fittings for £375, but had lost heavily and was compelled to sacrifice the business for £125, having been unable to pay two premtarery uelee.of £60 and a iurthw ,mm of £150 Mi to defendant,

Seventy-three delegates, representing supporters of the Reform Party in all parts of the Taranaki electorate, assembled in New Plymouth on Tuesday afternoon, and chose Mr. C. E. Bellringer as the Reform candidate for the Taranaki seat at the next election.

A high compliment was paid to New Zealand by Professor J. MacMillan Brown at Masterton. He said that he deliberately chose New Zealand to live in, and was so satisfied with his chwce that he had preferred to stay here. Since he came, he had refused offers of three chairs outside the Dominion, one of them at Oxford.

In order that the provisions of the Finance Act, 1924, might be fully complied with, the members of the Wellington Harbour Board last evening resolved themselves into a special meeting that the promised contribution of £1000 to the Citizens' War Memorial Committee might be formally confirmed.

The Wellington Harbour Board last evening made a grant of £50 to the funds of the committee interested in the establishment cf a marine laboratory and aquarium at Island Bay, arid further decided that a further "donation of" £50 shoujd be made during the next financial year (1925-2G7- if money was still required for the purpose. Last evening's meeting of the Harbour Board, the last of the year, was a pleasant one,' the correspondence before the meeting being also pleasant, none more so than a letter of thanks from His Excellency Sir Charles Fergusson, expressing the appreciation of himself and of Lady Alice Fergusson of the hearty and excellently-organised welcome accorded them on their arrival at Wellington. _When Sir Charles Fergusson, the Governor-General, was approaching New Zealand in the Ruahine, a wireless message of welcome was forwarded to him by the Wellington section of the British Red Cross Society. Yesterday the following reply was received from His Excellency by Mr. F. Goldberg, chairman of the society: "Her Excellency and X deeply appreciate kind message of welcome. Thank you very much."

A further reference to the nomenclature of Palmerston North was made at the annual meeting of the local Chamber of Commerce by Mr. J! M. Johnston. "The town is the centre of the Manawatu—the finest district in New Zealand—and should be called 'Manawatu,' " he declared, alluding to. the number of letters and postal packets which went by mistake to Palmerston South. His recommendation that the incoming council of the chamber be asked 'to further consider the matter of changing the name of the town was approved.

(i There is a rumour abroad (writes "The Post's" London correspondent, on 6th November) that honours will be bestowed by the King upon certain overseas representatives for their work for tho British Empire Exhibition. From this it may bejjnferred that at least the Dominion Commissioners will find themselves Knights of the British Empire in due^ course. The uncertainty in regard to the reopening of the Exhibition was, it is said, responsible for the omission of tho announcement of the honours at the closing ceremony.

An initiation ceremony in connection with the Young Citizens' League was held at the Lyall Bay School on Tuesday last, when 87 candidates were enrolled. Mr. A. Stevenson, president of the league, presided, and the Rev. Mr. Catherwood, Mr. D. M'Laren, and the honorary secretary also addressed the children. The function was a most impressive one. The speakers took the opportunity of offering their heartiest con-' gratulations to Miss E. Lewis, a daughter of Captain Lewis, who lost his life in the Great War, 'on winning the Irentham Scholarship to the value of £25*

Ihe children belonging to the special classes at the Mpunt Cook schools are at present attending a health camp, which, through the courtesy of the 1.M.G.A., is being held at the association s camping ground at Hay wards. They were conveyed to the camp on Friday last in cars, kindly arranged for by the Rotary Club, and driven by students of Wellesley College. The schools in the surrounding district, as well as many friends in the city, have been generous in supplying vegetables and other good, things. The novel experience js be.ng greatly enjoyed, and it result )ll £ that, mUch beneflt will lesult from the week under canvas

in SZ c phi fng °^ a .sens4ti °" wa. caused m the Petone Magistrate's Court yesterday, when the schools truant officer made allegations m regard to a defendant before the Court for failing to send his child to school. In givin ° his hid Th 9 V" ft? l 3id *at gdefe£taS had threatened "to break his head" if he took action against him, "but," said the officer, "I am not the least bit afraid of him, your Worship." Later, after the case, the officer returned to the nd '- "'ta«'uPttng another case, said j lour Worship, defendant, on the Court steps and in the presence of a constable, has just called me a . rWii! ?£' f- R< °» talker, S.M., replied that he had no doubt if the occasion warranted it the police would take action against the offender

A.KLB.A., of New York, who has been appointed professor of. architecture at Auckland University College, was born' in bydney, Australia, 31 years ago. He lias been consistently engaged in studying architecture for the last twelve years, being for some years in Australia, and later, after service overseas with the Australian Field Engineers, he studied in England, on the Continent, chiefly in Paris, and then in the United States. He holds a first-class honours degree in architecture from Liverpool University, necessitating a. five years' course, ho was a. Rome finalist in architecture, and a Kitchener scholar, and is an associate member of the Koyal Institute of British Architects. Mr. Knight obtained firstclass certificates in town-planning under Pro|essor Patrick Abercrombie, there being no degree course in this subject, and he became a Lever Prizeman in Civic Design for a study of the areas around Piccadilly Circus, London. Mr. Knight's studies in America have been very extensive, and he has held a responsible position in the office of Mr. Aymar Embury, a New York architect, noted for his country house and club design work, also for his literature on colonial architecture. He is conversant with the methods adopted jh the teaching of the subject at the Princeton, Columbia, New York, and Harvard Universities and Boston Technology Institute. Before taking up the stud^y of architecture he had considerable experience in building.