NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 19, 22 July 1932, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Arßor Day. The observance of Arbor Day, if it is observed at all, usually takes place somewhere about this time of year. This "festival" had its origm in the United States about forty years ago, and at one time was observed with a certain amount of enthusiasm in New Zealand. But that enthusiasm has somewhat waned of late.. The New Zealand Institute of Horticulture, however, would like to give it a new lease of life and is prepared to help in this direction by giving addresses in schools, etc. This is to be don,e in Auckland, to-morrow being Arbor Day, hvit inquiries of tho Wellington Education Board indicate thatdocally the curriculum will proceed | undisturbed. Daylight Saving. ' . .. A motion requesting the Government to extend the period of daylight saving I from fiKlf an hour to an hour was carried unanimously at the annual 'meeting «£ the Wellington Head Centre of the Boyal Life-saving Society last j night. I Helping the Boys. The suggestion of the principal of the Hutt Valley High School (Mr. H. P. Kidson), that local bodies should assist in relieving juvenile unemployment by engaging boys as office supernumeraries at a nominal wage was supported by the Hntt Valley Electric Power Board at its^meeting yesterday. Mr. Kidson pointed out that the' Lower Hutt Borough Council had recently taken on one of- the ttoys from the High School at the nominal wage of ss,a week. Agreement with the principal's scheme was expressed by the chairman of the board (Mr. S. Blaekley) and by Mr. "W. H. P. Barber, and it was decided to empowet the engineer-general manager (Mr.^K. P. Hollands) to employ two boys at 5s a week each, without giving any undertaking of permanent employment, Mr. Hollands said that he could promise- that the boys would be given work of value to themselves and to the board. "Well, the Korth Island, Then." "What!" exclaimed Mr. J. D. Hall, at the meeting of the North Canterbury Executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union on Wednesday, "are they appealing to us for funds}'? The remark ap- j plied to a circular: appeal from the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce for contributions (states the "Christchurch Times'.'). . "I thought," said one member, "that the Chamber of Commerce was/the only wealthy body in Christchurch." The chairman. (Mr. Colin McIntosh) said it was not usual for tho union to make a contribution to the chamber other than its subscription. "We had better carry on as in the past/ he said. "I do not think we are in a position to make a donation to their funds." Mr. J. E. Cullen said the chamber had done great work for the r,ural districts, and if they could see their way to do so, the farmers should make a.donation. Mr. E. T. McMillan said the appeal .was for the Associated Chambers. "That means," said another member,'"that we find the funds for Auckland to fight us." "Not Auckland, particularly," replied the chairman. "Well, the North Island, then," was the reply. The appeal was referred to the Finance Committee with power to act. Secretary Explains. ; Commenting on the statement "published by-the Director of Education're-j garding the school age, the secretary of the Nelson Education Board states that no attitude of virtual defiance was intended or implied (says ' the Nelson Mail"). The board was simply continuing a custom previously in operation. The Director contended that it was illegal for children under six years of age to attend school, although not on the roll, but the board disagreed with this view. The board did not intend to compel any teacher to allow any child to attend, but desired to give teachers the privilege of allowing them to do so in cases where pupils were to reach school fege during the term in which they;'were ? admitted. On no account .was any pupil to -. attend prior to the ( beginning of .the term1 in which he would teach the age.' of six. Mr. Strong stated that there were 19,000 pupils between five and six years of age. If : 'his .figures were correct there would-lie approximately 6300 in' this group in each term, and if every one of these took advantage of the concession the average temporary increase in attondance" would be slightly less than 2.5 pupils per, school. The main point to remember; however, was that the eoncessioi was desired by the.majority of the'teachers', as it enabled them to begin instructing their new pupils at the'commencement of a term. ; St. John's Gate. ..■■,■'■;•;■ '■.'■■-. r- •. .■■■ ' To. those who are interested in the history of the Order of Sit. John, it will come as .pleasing' news to know that the generosity of a member of the^ Order has permitted a stone tabletbeing erected in the wall under the arch of, St. John's Gate in Clerkenwell, 'London, the legend Aipon which runs 'as follows:—"Thiß -building was'the; main entrance to the Grand Priory of the1 Order of the Hospital of St.'John^-of Jerusalem. The original gatehouse wag orocted about the. year 1148, and was burnt down by Wat Tylor.in 1381. It was restored by Prior John Redlington, and was finally rebuilt in its present form by Prior Thomas Docwra in 1504. The Grand Priory buildings were appropriated by the* Crown in 1359. The Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem resumed possession of this Gatehouse in 1873.',' Passersby may now read tho history of the building and learn that it was not, as is so often thought by the uninitiated, one of the gates of London. At the time of its eroetion the Priory was- a long way out of London, and its nearest neighbour was the Priory of St. Bartholomnw the Great, from which establishment has developed the great St. Bartholomew's Hospital. St. John Ambulance. A forward movement has been made by the St. John Ambulance Association and Brigade in Christchurch in the purchase, which has .iust been decided upon, of a large building, .centrally Bituaterl, for the purpose of conversion into ambulance headquarters for the city.

Teachers' Summer School. The 1933 summer school open to all teachers of the Dominion v, by courtesy of tho Nelson College Council of Governors and the principal, »to bo hold at tho Nelson Boya1 College. Tho dates provisionally fixed are from Monday, 16th January, until Friday, 27th January, but possibly the summer school will open a week earlier. Nelson is much in favour as a place for such gatherings, and the - teachers hold themselves fortunate in being able to have tho use of the college. On this occasion tho lecturing personnel will comprise Miss Ferguson (Christchurch), Professor Shelley (Christchurch), Dr. P. Maishall (Wellington), and Messrs. Hollinrake, Falla, and Shaw (Auckland), and Mr. F. Milner (Waitaki). Two programmto will be a judicious alternation of intellectual, cultural, social, and recreative interests. District Beauties. As a stranger to the district, Mr. G. E. Littlejohn, "at last evening's meeting of; the Ngaio Progressive Association, said it seemed to him that in Wellington, great attention was paid to footpaths and roads, and not enough, to the aosthetic side of improvements. There was no doubt that in Wellington the wealthiest parts were the most beautiful, and a district needed to be made attractive before money would be attracted there. Lyall Bay ancl Kilbirnio gave the impression of blocks of houses without many trees. The valley in which Ngaio Was situated had great scopo for beauty. The president, Mr H. L. Cummings, spoke of the activities of the horticultural society and the gardening club in Ngaio, and said that thousands of native trees had been distributed for planting, and they were still available. . The " trees had only had five or sis years of growth, and were not showing much yet. Evotv space, except where traffic was obscured, was planted with trees.