NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 138, 8 December 1945, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

WEATHER FORECAST Forecast to 5 p.m. Sunday:— Light to moderate southerly winds, later becoming variable. A few light shoAvers tonight, but weather fair and cool tomorrow. Further outlook fair. Temperature at 9.30 a.m., 48 degrees. Rainfall to 9.30 a.m., 0.94 in. Rainfall from November 8, 2.52 in. High water.—Today, -8.1 p.m.; tomorrow, 8.16 a.m. and 8.42 p.m. Sun sets today 7.44 p.m.; rise'- tomororw, 8.16 a.m. and 8.42 p.m. Full moon, December 19. Change In Lamb Breeding. Lamb breeders for the past five or six years had been "living on a bed of roses," the manager of the Longburn freezing works (Mr. W. E. Wilson) told a meeting of fat lamb breeders there yesterday. During that time the sole consideration in breeding had been weight, and this had undoubtedly paid, but he expressed the opinion that in a yeai or so the picture would change and once more the greatest emphasis would be on quality. Christian Teaching-. "The world is indeed in a serious position, and it is only in the simple Christian teaching in regard to right and wrong that our salvation will be found," said the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) when speaking last night at the prize-giving ceremony of St. Patrick's College (Wellington); "we must be careful to see that our victory is not snatched away from us." Mr. Fraser added that in international affairs, as well as in national and personal affairs, honesty remained the best policy. They must look the world in the face, be afraid of no one, and take a stand for what millions had died for j —an assurance of fair play for oil j peoples, all nations, and all creeds. j Farm Training. j The establishment, in Wellington of a farm training scheme similar to that in Auckland would be of great value, said Mr. E. G. Cousens, careers teacher at the Wellington Technical College, in his annual report. During the year ended October 31 no less than 15 boys had left the college to take up farming, he said, and although others were anxious to do so,- it was difficult to obtain suitable openings. A few of the most promising might obtain rural cadetships, but the majority would have to take up a position with some farmer, and there was a grave danjer that they might never be more; than farm labourers. When The Title Changed. The name "attorney" went, out in 1875 and people who were practising that branch of the law then became "solicitors," Mr. J. D. Hutchison told members of the Christchurch Rotary Club, reports the "Star-Sun." " "A wit remarked that you don't improve an alligator by calling it a crocodile," he added. Rebuke By Judge. "My oath!" explained a petitioner in the witness box of the Auckland Supreme Court when asked by his counsel if he sincerely desired his wife to return to him. ''Think of a better expression," said Mr. Justice Cornish i As a better expression was not readily j forthcoming, his Honour ordered tfie| young man to stand down until he i could think o'i something belter. After a few moments counsel again put the question, "Do you desire yo-T wife to return to you?'' and mv'1 cl the answer, "I do very much." Rats Eat Lettuce. An Auckland housewife who is a keen gardener noticed that a row of lettuce she had recently planted were being eaten, and she took the usual precautions against slugs, and birds. These, however, had no effect, and the lettuce continued to diminish in size. The culprits were discovered when she saw two large rats, each with a piece of lettuce in its mouth, disappear into a nearby wall. . In addition to lime and ', wire netting, the lettuce bed is now guarded by two rat traps. Casual Child Labour. The benefit of the new legislation raising the school leaving age to 15 might easily be lost unless proper steps were taken to remedy the position in which 55 per cent, of boys attending the college were engaged in casual labour after school and on Saturday , morning, said the Wellington Technical ; College careers master (Mr. E. G. : Cousens) in his annual report. Such ■ work must interfere with a boy's edit- . cation in a harmful .manner, particu- ; larly as the work undertaken was i usually of a routine nature, without educational value, and quite different from the work the boy hoped to un- . dertake when he left school. Inquiries i had showed that most schools were < experiencing the same difficulty, i though not in such serious degree, and ; the Wellington careers teachers were ( exploring the possibility of legal steps ; to prevent such exploitation of their < pupils. i Cultivation Of Reading. j ■ The true function of technical education was not a narrow specialisation, ; stated Mr. N. A. Byrne, head of the ' department of English at the Wellington Technical College, in his annual < report to the College Board of Govern- ' ors. "I would urge a more generous I provision for the supply of books of ' a general nature for the college lib- < rary- It is regrettable that boys and girls are not in general readers. We < .have to compete with radio and film ' which, while admirable adjuncts to 1 a cultural education, are not substi- ' tutes for it. We can counteract the less desirable influences of radio and < the film only by the cultivation of the j reading habit and by the direction of l the student's interest to the better type of film and broadcast." The college libraiy should be stocked with a wide ] selection of modern books if the tendency to superficiality was to be overcome. This tendency he considerd resulted from an education in which radio and film took the place of books While the work of all English teachers ' included speech training, and the resuits of drama, recitation, and public speaking competitions showed that good work was being done, it was, perhaps, a pity that there was no organisation for the full development of the many j talented young students who passed , through the college. The establish- ' men! of classes, taken either by parttime or by the present full-time teach- J ers. was worth consideration.