LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 119, 23 May 1925, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The amount to the credit of depositors in the Dunedia Savings Bank, which is separate from the Government Bank, has now reached 'for the first time over one million sterling. In 1915 the credit total was £112,438, so that the increase in the last tea years has been amazing.

A tender has been accepted for the erection in wood of a woodwork and cookery school of two large rooms in Coutts street, next to the Football Association ground. The building will serve for Hataitai, Kilbirnie, Lyall Bay, Miramar South, Worser Bay, and Seatoun schools.

On account of losses on the. Christ* church tramways the fares are to be reviewed by the board, and increased tram charges will come into force on Ist June, states a Press Association message. The chairman, in a statement regarding the matter, said the increase was inevitable, but he was not yet prepared to state what it would amount to.

At a meeting of the Canterbury Education Board at Christchurch yesterday, the Appointments Committee reported that its attention had been drawn to a newspaper notice that a school football team on the West Coast had arranged to take part in a match on a Sunday. It was resolved, says a Press Association message, to express the opinion that the board viewed with disfavour any such practices, and to ask committees to discountenance similar fixtures.

On Saturday last at Karori Cemetery, a dedication ceremony was performed by the Rev. T. Fielden Taylor in connection with the placing on the grave of the late Mr. Herbert H. Smith, of Hataitai, of the woodsn cross which marked his soldier son's resting-place in the .British Cemetery, Beaulencourt, France. The late Sapper Raymond Uaude Smith, whose mother, Mrs. E. Smith, still lives at .Hataitai, was a wellknown employee of the Union Company. It is believed that his was the first cross to come from France to New Zealand. The grave at Beaulencourt has been marked by a permanent stone headpiece.

After hearing evidence in the Supreme Urart lasting over a day and a half i?^J U7 wWoh heard the acti°n for ±-200 for alleged slander brought by Kito A. Morton, of Eastbourne, against A. Beal Pritchett (M.Z.), Ltd., and Charles Walker Laird, salesman, returned a verdict for defendants. The jury found m both cases submitted to them that the evidence did not show that defamatory statements had been made concerning Morton. Judgment for defendants was entered by Mr. Justice Ustler. At the hearing Mr. O. C. Mazengarb represented the defendants, and Mr. li. R. Kennedy appeared for plaintilt.

The importance of inculcating the student habit in the pupils of our district nigh schools was stressed by the senior inspector when reporting to the Auckland Education Board that one of the weaknesses he had observed in tie system locally this year was that ten of tn 0 district high schools in the Auckland area were practically devoid of any school lArary. Mr. H. S. King stated tnat a good reference library appeared to him to be a sine qua non for high school pupils, and suggested that the board should grant assistance in tho building up of one at every high school in th a district, and Mr. Banks thought the board should put before the Department a proposal that for every £10 raised by local effort at the schools for such purpose, the Department should grant £10 and the board a further £10. It was decided' (reports the "Auckland btar") to send this proposal along to the Department, and also to obtain from the senior inspector a list of what no considered to be the best reference books as a nucleus for a library of the kind.

The tendency of modern seafaring usage to depart from the old traditions is evidently not restricted to "salt horse" or the casting of the deepsea lead. The recent half-masting of flags disclosed this tendency to depart from the orthodox, in that in some instances the house flag was half-masted and the ensign left at the truck. Remarking on this to an "Otago Daily Times" reporter, an experienced captain stated that the ensign was the principal flag on a ship, it was the national emblem, and the other | flags were subordinate to it in a national sense. To half-mast a house flag and leave the ensign at the truck or the peak was an erratic departure from the wellestablished rule. The only explanation he could think of was that the matter had been left to junior officers, and they, youth-like, had regarded is as an unimportant detail. But it is not unimportant. In these days of storm-proof navigating bridges the "soul and body lashing" had been relegated to the junk barrel as being no longer necessary, 'but we can't have any monkeying with the flag," concluded the captain. The first thar ever shot in New Zealand was bagged by Mr. E. L. Wigley in the Mount Cook district on Sunday, and was brought down to Timaru on Wednesday. -It was a splendid-looking animal, somewhat bigger than the largest goat, with sturdy backward curving horns aud a thick brown coat of Jong shaggy hair. On its knees and chest were puds as though to afford protection in climblug over steep sharp rocks (states a correspondent). The thar is a native of the Himalayas, and was introduced into New Zealand in 19X4, when six of the animals were liberated in the Mount Cook district. They have done well during the last ten years, being strictly protected, and Mr. Wigley states that there are now considerable numbers of thar in the region. Mr. Wigley was authorised by special warrant from the .Minister of Internal Affairs to secure <. specimen to be shown at the Dunedin Exhibition. He was also authorised to secure a chamois for the exhibition, and endeavoured to do so on Tuesday. They are, however, very quick of sight and scent, and as the wind was tricky on Tuesday they scented the hunter before he could get close enough for a shot, and were soon but of range.

"To smoke or not to smoke" is a question that has interested the Devonport Borough Council at the first two' public meetings of its term of office. The previous council used to "light up" immediately upon entry, and offer continual burnt offerings to the goddess of the fragrant weed during the proceedings (states the "Auckland Star"). It is a moot point whether such action soothed the nerves of the smokers or acted as an irritant to the abstainers. Another good argument centres round the suggestion that this privilege was responsible for whatever harmony existed in the past council, and had it been withdrawn no one knows what might have happened. The present problem is whether public business can best be transacted through the pleasant haze of well-beloved pipes, or are the borough problems viewed with clearer vision unhampered by such a veil. At the previous meeting Mr. Henderson proposed that no snioking be permitted until 9 p.m. This was carried by a bare majority. On Tuesday' night, however, Mr. Hislop asked permission : for an earlier "light-up" in view of an easy order paper, but the chair turned a deaf ear to t.lic suggestion. The" meeting closed promptly at 9.1 p.m., but the last sixty seconds of council business were almost, obscured by the smoke screen which rose from v series of puffing pipes which wont full blast «n Urn tick of Uie zero ihflUJ " "■■ ■- ■ - r

,-*• wireless enthusiast at Hamilton, Mr. F. B. Hobbs, has received word that concerts broadcasted from there have been picked up at Tottenham, England, and heard very clearly.

. ihe Main Highways Board's laboratory for the testing of stones, rocks etc has been completed, and will be available as soon as the necessary power can be obtained from the Wellington City Corporation.

The Main Highways Board during its meeting yesterday, considered a number of necessary amendments to the Main Highways Act, which will be the subject of representation to the Government by the chairman and members of the board.

While crossing Post Office square from the Harbour Board's offices last evening, Captain A. V. Hale Munro, the board s traffic manager and chief wharfinger, was struck behind by a motorcar and thrown heavily to the ground, fortunately, the vehicle did not pass over him, and Captain Munro escaped, it is understood, without serious injury, although severely bruised and shaken. He is at present confined to his home under medical attention.

It is pleasing, states a report of the Slain Highways Board, to be able to call attention to the fact that during the past two months certain gaps in the metalling of highways that have hitherto proved to be obstacles to traffic except during fine weather, have been closed UP> largely owing to the special' efforts made by the board's representatives in these districts, the principal localities affected being : Whangarei-Dargaville, via Wheki Valley; Mercer-Ohinewai via Eangmri; Hamilton-Te Aroha, via Motumaoho; Te Kuiti-New Plymouth, via Mokau; Gisborne-Whangara.

The matter of apportionment of funds from motor taxation between the North and South Islands came up for discussion at a meeting of the Main Highways Board yesterday, after which the following resolutions were passed : (1) That under section 21 of the Act the apportionment of the tire • duty and license fees in each island be made in proportion to the number of motor vehicles registered iv each island on 31st March, 1925, and in subsequent years on the basis of respective registrations in each island on 31st. March ot each year; (2) that the interest and sinking fund on moneys borrowed for construction ' work by the board in-each island_ shall be charged against the proportion of the allocation under clause 1. Regarding plant, the board decided to assist certain local authorities in the purchase of plant for the carrying out of programmes of highway construction.

It is not very long since some excitement was caused in Queen street, Auckland, when the benzine tank of a h\" char-a-banc sprung a leak, and the leak" ing benzine caught fire from a spark of a match, the char-a-banc thereupon making off at high speed towards the fire brigade station, dropping a trail of fire as it went. A similar occurence was seen on the Parnell Rise on Wednesday morning (states the "Star") A motor-car, the tank of which was evidently lea'ting, had just passed under the railway bridge when the spirit ignited. As soon as the driver became aware of it, ha accelerated and went along the road in an endeavour to keep ahead of the fire. ; Mentime, some' men from nearby came to the rescue with sacks, and followed the burning trail, trying to. smother the names. After a while they succeeded. The car had a fortunate escape from destruction, for, had the flames got beneath it. the consequences would doubtlessly have been serious. ' ' -'