LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 45, 24 February 1925, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The schools throughout New Zealand will not reopen till Monday, 9th March, at the earliest. A decision to this effect was reached by Cabinet yesterday. Should the infantile paralysis outbreak necessitate another postponement of the opening, a further announcement will be made.

A gentleman connected with the woollen industry in Victoria, whilst passing through Dunedin, mentioned to a local business man that through English competition trade in Australia was so disorganised in that industry that two companies in Victoria with large and fully subscribed capital and with both new buildings and plant erected are endeavouring to sell their plants, even before manufacturing.

At 617 feet in the low level cross-cut projected to intercept Muir's reef in the Te Puki Gold Reefs, a body of ore has been cut, states a Press Association message from Waihi. The quartz is mineralised, and the lode will probably prove to be Muir's reef. It is 500 feet below the point at which it was profitably worked overhead.

Mr. G. Houghton, a settler, of Tangahi, near the Kaipara Heads, reports to the Press Association that he found a bottle on the beach last week-end [weekend], in which was enclosed the following message :—"Good Friday. Barque Garthsward in heavy storm. Mainmast gone, mizzen shaky, foremast hanging over rudder ; shaky lifeboat (word here obliterated, either smashed or launched). Crew splendid.—(Signed) Robert, A. Welch, master."

The proposal to make Gear Island a park and sports ground was mentioned by the Mayor of Lower Hutt to his council last evening, when he stated that he hoped that shortly a definite proposal would be forthcoming. The matter of other open spaces for the borough was not being lost sight of, and he hoped to be in a position shortly to make a statement on that question, also. A copy of the Wellington Technical College School Magazine was forwarded to Lord Jellicoe at Sydney. In reply, Lord Jellicoe wrote to the Director (Mr. J. H. Howell) as follows :— "Thank you so much for sending me a copy of the college magazine, and also for your most kind letter of good wishes. We still feel ever so keenly our departure from New Zealand, and the memory of our four happy years there will never fail. My warmest good wishes for the future of the college and for yourself personally." The Standing Committee of the Wellington Technical College Board of Governors last evening reported that they had had under consideration the results of the accountancy examinations, and had resolved to place the facts before the Senate of the University of New Zealand with the request that the Senate should obtain a report on the conduct of the examination from an English auditor of standing. It is estimated, says the Greytown "Standard," that between 10,000 and 12,000 cases of apples and 1000 cases of pears were blown off in the Greytown commercial orchards by the gale last Wednesday. In one orchard alone the loss was approximately 7000 cases. Most of the orchardists had only commenced picking the mature fruit for export, and a Government grader was in the district to supervise the grading and packing Curiosity was responsible for what might have been a serious accident at Berhampore last evening. Two children, Joyce Rowlands, aged seven, and Keith Brown, aged six, obtained some gunpowder, and after mixing it with kerosene, applied a match to see what would happen. As a result they received severe burns about their heads, faces, and arms, and were removed to the Hospital. They were suffering somewhat from shock when they were admitted at 7.30 o'clock last evening, but are now progressing favourably. Advice has been received by the Assistant Commissioner (Major E. Vinol from the Deputy-Chief Commissioner (Lieut.-Colon,el G. Barclay) of the following awards to members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade Overseas-(New Zealand Division), approved by H.R.H. the _Cxrand Prior:—Service Medal of the Order,, to Nursing Officer L. M, H. Macandrew (Wellington Nursing Division) and to District Superintendent Hislop (district staff) ; ; first bar to the medal, to ex-Lady Divisional Superintendent, Mrs. K. Preston (Wellington South Nursing, Division) arid to Senior District Superintendent J, Brin ft (Wellington district).^ , j.. . •■.-•■:,':■"*

In a letter to the Stale Forest Service at Rotorua, the Awatere County Council described the condition of its plantations and remarked that young bluegUms were . growing among a "crop>! of thistles, which, it was hoped, would servo to preserve them. A reply was received from the Director of the Forest service, in which the writer said that the thistles would probably have an adverse rather than a beneficial effect .upori the gum trees. Through being sheltered, the young plant would, in all probability, be, drawn up and be very weak.and soft, thus being rendered more liable to be cut down by the first hard frost that is experienced; The writer recommended that the plantation should be cleared of weeds. . .■

Seventy-one cases of infectious disease were'reported in the Wellington Health District during the week ended yesterday as compared with 99 for the previous week. ■ The figures for the various hospital districts are as follow, those for the previous 'week being shown in parentheses :-—Taranaki - Horowhenua, 39 (56)— Scarlet fever, 2 (0); diphtheria, 9 (5);, tuberculosis, 1 (1); infantile paralysis; 26 (47); pneumonia, 1 (2); pneumonic influenjza, 0 (1), Wairarapa-East Cape, 20 (17)— Scarlet - fever, 3 (4) • diphtheria, 3, (2); enteric fever, 2 (0) • tuberculosis, 2 (0); infantile paralysis, 7 (9); erysipelas, puerperal fever, 0 (2). Central-Wellington, 11 (leiScarlet fever- 2 (0); diphtheria, £ (3) ; tuberculosis, 2 (0); infantile paralysis, 4 (10); erysipelas, 0 (2) j. puerperal fever, 0 (11. Nelson^Marlborough, 1 (10)— Infantile paralysis, 1 (9) ; tuberculosis, 0

Speaking at the opening of the week's refresher course for teachers, at the Technical School, Mount Cook, yestor day, the Minister of Education, referrim; to singing, said the Department proposed to appoint two specialist instructors, one for each island, whose first duty should be to-review the teaching of _ the training colleges, and the next duty to write a syllabus of instruction for us o . m the post-primary schools. Ihe present singing syllabus, he said was indefinite. A syllabus of instruction would .be drawn up for, each class. Jiducation boards had been invited to establish instruction classes for teachers. Further, inspectors Would giv c special attention to this subject this year with a view to the detailed syllabus of instruction being complied with. Sihging improved not only the speaking voice and pronunciation and health of the pupil, but hid. a high cultural value, emphasising as it did the right community spirit.

The tragic.death of the explorer of » cavo in Kentucky (reported in the cables) almost in full view of ihe people, who wereiunable to reach him, recalls asomeiwhat similar incident famous in the anI nals of Akaroa, states a (Jhrislchurch correspondent. The coastal ketch Crest was wrecked in October, 1868. She left Akaroa oiie fine ' Sunday evening with'W. A. Ellis (captain), J. B. Barker (part owner), JE. Cunningham (seaman), and W, Belcher. (of Kaiapoi, charterer). The following day at noon Akaroa was astonished to see Belcher walk in with, the report that the vessel had been wrecked; at'the Heads, he himself having managed to get ashore at Flea Bay. It was presumed that the others Were drowned, but two of the Messrs. Rhodes had gone out in a cranky boat to investigate, and found Cunningham hanging on to a rock. The oth'cr two had remained on board, and the vessel had been swept, over some kelp-covered reefs, lipon which even in the calmest weather the sea Itfolce with violence. Ellis might have escaped; brit he would not leave Barker, who could not swim. The wreck was wholly swept into a cave, and there remained utterly inaccessible, the two men could not come out, and all efforts of the Akaroa people, though ' risking their lives again and again, could not extricate them. For three days, the weather remaining moderate, the rescue party stood by: Once a rope was successfully floated into the cave, but the strands parted. The wreck broke up, and -Ellis and Barker' had to climb on to the ledge of a rock to avoid drowning-, and as the mouth of the cave" was closed by the incoming tido they had rigged up a slight-staging with ropes close to the roof.. Hour after hour the ,Would-bo rescuers and rescued looked at each other. Expedient after expedient was tried, but the strongest swimmer was hurled back, and at nightfall each day tho rescUo party had to retreat. On the fourth morning the cave wss found to be empty. There ig a tablet in St. P©t*r'«, Akaroa, in memory of Captain lillu.