SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 April 1911, Page 4

SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

To-night the annual meetings of householders will bo held in the various school-rooms throughout the dominion for the purpose of electing committees for the ensuing twelve months. As usual the positions promisel to be kesnly contested, especially in the country townships where the school committee gives the residents the greatest measure .of '"home rule" which the>y enjoy. Generally difficulty arises ov«r iiie interpretation of the Act, so tnat it is just as well to state,

for the guidance of chairmen at tonight's meetings that, under clause 108 of the Education Act 1908,. "every householder of a school district is qualified to vote at any election of> members of the school'committee for such district." What constitutes a "householder" is 0.. question which invariably vexes a meeting and provides a pitfall for the-unwary chairman. The answer is clearly given in the Act itself. The interpretation clause gives the definition of ".householder" as follows : —''Every adult male or female person who has for the period of three months next before the day of election resided in any dwelling-house within the school district as owner or tenant therof." In addition to the above, the father, or if he is dead or absent from the Dominion, the guardian of children attending "and election may, vote for the election of a committee for that school, "wherever resident," but only householders actually resident in a school district can be elected members of the school committee for that district. In addition, there is this important clause: "Provided that in the case of husband and wife, any qualification possessed by either of them shall be deemed to be possessed by each of them.''

Owing to tiie Borough Election meetings to-morrow evening, the United Club's suchre and dance will be held on Friday avening next. —Advt. Mrs Helinsley Burnett, ladies' hair specialist, will be in attendance at her rooms, Coates' Building Mackay Street, m Wednesday next, April 26th.—Advt. A deputation representing the residents if Runanga will wait on Ihe Chairman md town members of the County Council n Wednesday at 11 a.m. for the purpose if discussing preliminaries with reference to forming Runanga into a borough. Monologues, Soliloquy of an old Shoe Tack," "Three Ages of Man," "A Fallen star," "An old Bachelor," "A Voyage of Disaster," "Dindoo's Paradise," "For a Woman's Sake," obtainable from A. E. Kilgour, music dealer, Gieseking's Building. 'Phone 259.—Advt.

Another lot of these world-famed Friser and Rossmann's sewing machines, hand nachines, fast and loose wheel, patent ■-elf-acting bobbin winder, elegant walnut lover and full set of attachments for the ow price of 65/-. —W. McKay and Son, 'eading drapers.—Advt. Included in the new shipment of Frister md Rossmann's sewing machines arc several treadle machines at £5 15s with 'nil attachments. Time payments can be irranged.—Frister and Rossmann's are vorld-famed as being the best made, all orices.—W. McKay and Son, leading trapers. —Advt. Tbe Opposition campaign, which is to >e prosecuted vigorously during the next ?ew months, is to be carried out in the course of the next week or two on the West Coast by Mr W. H. Hemes, the Popular member for Tauranga. After •isiting the Coast Mr Hemes will go to Christchurch, reaching there on the 15th if next month.

The following motion will be submitted :o the various meetings of householders in he respective head schoolrooms to-night in behalf of the Educational Institute, ■[•/.: "That this meeting of householders onsiders that in the best interests of •Education a dominion scheme for promoion of teachers is urgently required; and hat this resolution lie forwarded to the Minister of Education, Wellington.''

White Week at the Thomas and Me>3eath Store.—Spotless white blankets, vhite towels, white quilts and men's spotsss white shirts; tlie whole of the centre ables set out with the white bargains for me week only.- White week ends on Saturday, April 29th.-—The Thomas and vicßeatii Store.—Advt.

The mine manager of the Big River south Mines reports for the week ending "'Oth instant that the crosscut has been extended a further distance of ten feet, naking a total of 83ft. A two-inch sader has been out, which carries gold. The country, generally looks well.

The technical classes for instruction in ! >ook-keeping open for the quarter in the Technical School this evening at halt-past even o'clock. The fee is 10s a quarter 'or twelve lessons, and is fixed at this very low rate to give the young people of both ;cxes the advantage of learning one of the n'ost useful branches of education, and r.hus enable them to advance in business. According to the census returns the •lopulation of the town of Reeiton has lecreased by 133 during the past live .•ears, the total for 1906 being 1631 as •..gainst 1548 on April 2nd, 1911. The figures (says the Herald) serve to shew how misleading have been the statements mblished as to the expansion of the town and the inability of newcomers to obtain house accommodation. Reef ton Riding, outside of the town, shows an increase of thirty during the period, while Murray Riding has declined 21 in population. Boatman's increase is 91, Crushington 142 and Antonio's 620.

"It is quite certain," said Mr Massey, speaking to a New Zealand Herald representative on his return to Auckland tins week, "that the people generally are taking more interest in politics than they have done for many years past. It is vet too soon, of course, to make any prediction as to what will happen at the forthcoming- genera,! election, but it is gratifying to know that more good candidates •ire likely to offer their services in the Opposition interest this vear than has been the case for the past three or four elections."

An unusual sight was witnessed by the passengers on the steamer Ngapuhi, wound from Whangarei to Auckland on Tuesday. About two hours out the vessel passed through a large shoal of Hying fish which rose up in twos and threes from directly under the. bows, and few landwards," in most cases for about 200 yards, before returning to the water. A number of passengers -watched the sight for about an hour. It is estimated that between 60 and 70 fish were disturbed by the vessel. It was curious to notice that even at the moment of rising from the water the wings of the fish remained perfectly motionless, and there was no sign of flapping. One of the spectators said that the sight was "like a lesson on aeroplanes." We will gladly tell you about- our timepayment system, which makes it easy for everyone to possess a piano or an organ. We stock pianos, which have been selected by some of the leading artists of the day." Pianos by Broadwood, the Ronisch, Lipn, Steinway, Bohm, Mozart, Walter Collinson'fi special three pedal piano, the Koch and Sohne, Collard and Collard, the Khchner, also the renowned Bell and Imperial organ. These pianos are appreciated for their great purity and beauty of tone, full volume of sound and sustaining power; they stand thoroughly well in tune, possess a responsive touch, and retain their musical qualities unimpaired for an indefinite period. Being made of the best materials by highly skilled workmen, under careful supervision, they are eminently suited for extreme or variable climates : while as, regards inside and outside finish, polish, durability, construction and design, they leave absolutely nothing to be desired. Sole agents: Dresden Piano Co., Limited., J. C. Stubbs, mana- 1 ger, Greymouth.—Advt. [

Something dainty, novel, yet useful, makes the ideal wedding gift. Our stocks of presentation goods have these characteristics combined with excellence of quality, variety of styles, etc., and are also marked at such reasonable prices that the buyer feels more than satisfied when purchasing from B. Dixon's, Tainui Street.— Advt. The prevailing fashion of the tight skirt and the tendency of the figure towards slinmess have favored those woven undergarments that are so warm and close fitting. They ensure graceful and comfortable adjustment, enhance the neatness of the figure, and vastly improve the fit of one's costume. Ballantyne and Co., of Christchurch, are offering fine value in ladies' natural merino winter weight combinations, medium sizes.—3/11. Country residents may have these sent post free, only accepting them if entirely satisfactory.—Advt. Poam's Kumara beer, second to none.— ford Bros., phone 17, • Knmara.-i-Advt.

An effort is to be made shortly to organise a musical and dramatic society in Hokitika. The of Messrs Maxwell and Mann's .contract for a tunnel on vhe \Vestport-Inangahua Junction railway is over ten thousand pounds.

The amount of £l2 8s 5d was eolle.teq in aid of the Westland Hospital svb the Hokitika race meeting, the sum of £6 17s lOd being obtained on the first day, ana £5 10s 7d on the second.

Mr Howard M. Phillips, representing Webley, Sons and Gofton, expert piano tuners and repairers, of Christchurch, is now in Greymouth. All orders left with MivG. T. Moss will receive prompt attention.—Advt.

The candidates for the Westport Borough Council election which takes place on Thursday, are Messrs John Colli.can, George Hufton, Arthur Fletcher, .John Hannigan, Herman H. Lange, A. Leaver, Daniel Maloney, W. G. McDonald, Robt. Patterson, R. J. P. Sproul, Thos Samuel, and James Wilson The census returns for the Inangahua County are as follows: —Antonio's, 997 (males 750, females 247); Boatman's, 557 (355 and 302); Crushington, 742 (540 and; 202); Murray, 294 (165 and 129); Town of' Reef ton, 1548 (826 and 722); Reef ton Riding, exclusive of town of Reefton, 367 (188 and 179). Total number of males 2824; females 1681; grand total 4505. During the month of March 122 artisans and laborers were employed on the Neison-Inangahua railway, 91 on the Reefton-Inangahua, 192 on the Broken River-Bc-aley, 154 on the Westport-Inan-gahua, and 174 on the Greymouth-Point Elizabeth railways. The number of men employed on the roads in the Greymouth district was 241.

The results of the West Coast draughts tournament just concluded at Westport are" as follow:—Prize winners in Championship: Ist, Lowt-iv 144 ■ 2nd McDonald, 1.4; 3rd, Risk and Askenbeck, 13$ each. Prize winners in Sealed Handicap—lst, Boughton, 9,> Feints, 6 handicap, total 15£; 2nd and 3rd (tie) Rev. Father McMeniiannn. 10 points, 4 \ handicap, total 14-J ; Roberts 6J points, 8 points handicap, total 14i- points. The Minister of Public Works has written to the member for Westland, '•'• T. E. Y. Seddon, in -eferenjo it* the Big Wanganui bridge as follows: "Following on my letter of the 28th ulc with reference to the suggestion to increase the length of the bridge now being erected over the Big Wanganui river, in South Westland, I have the honour to inform you that it has been de-' cided to transfer one span from the western end and to add three more 50 feet spans to the eastern end of the bridge." ■ . Ah! Now that we have caught your eye, we want to tell you that we have just received another.' lot of those 4/6 men's rib pants ond 2/11 , grey flannel undershirts for the men folk. They are really worth double the money 1 . Pricea New Zealand's lowest always.—W. McKay and Son, leading drapers.—Advt. White Week at the Thomas and MeBeath Stoi-e. Sale prices for white blankets, white quilts, white towels, and men's white shirts. Hundreds of white articles laid out for white week at sale prices, ending April 29tb, 1911.—The Thomas and Mcßeath Store.—Advt. Found.—Where to purchase the nowfamous Dingo jubes. These jubes are medicated, a combination of eucalyptus and menthol; singers and speakers praise them. Their effect on the vocal organs is immediately active and lasting for cold in the head and bronchial troubles, they act like a charm. Dingo jubes are now procurable from W. Bennington, confectioner, Tainui Street. One shilling per box.—Advt.

Messrs Kelsall and Son have lost no time in getting under way with their contract for the erection of the new Presbyterian Church in Tainui Street, Gre'vmoutli. The house, which: formerly stood on the .site of the new building, is in course of demolition, with a view to its removal elsewhere, whilst"a gang of men is at work excavating for the foundations of the church itself. Work will be pushed forward energetically, and it is confidently anticipated that the contract will be finished weir to time.

At a recent meeting of the Westport Chamber of Commerce it was resolved to urge upon the Buller County Council the desirableness of making a 'rack to connect Charleston with Reef ton, thereby opening up a-large tract of what is at present unexplored country. In 1867 two practical surveyors, Messrs Mabille and Jenkins, were despatched from Brighton on a like mission, but the likelihood of the workings in that locality after a time failing to carry a large population, the scheme was allowed to lapse. There was a humorous incident connected with a Wellington' wedding on Monday. As the cab with tho happy couple left the church, it was greeted with yells of laughter. The merriment grew as tho cab proceeded down crowded Cuba Street A second cab containing the bridesmaids started out hcttv in pursuit, but could not draw up close. So the bride's cab went gaily on to its destination, the blissful coum-» all unaware of the fact that, attached to the glossy back of their vehicle wa., a hig placard of the "Bad Girl of the Family."

Miss 1001. seems, after all, to be the lucky baby at St. Helens, says a Dunedin Star. On a recent morning a dozen of tiie Knox College medical students visited the establishment and collectively stood as fairy god-fathers, to the infant, their.promises including one, to the effect, that so far as thev can provide it. this child shall never pay for medical advice during her life. That is better than tho gift of a silver mug. In witness of the compact the young men were photographed with the baby.

Captain Broia, of the French ship which arrived at Newscastle from Monte Video on March 2(5, had on board his vessel a woman whose presence had caused him some trouble and embarrassment. The woman in question joined the ship at Monte Video as an able-bodied seaman, being at the time disguised as a man. It appears that she and her husband signed on as members of the crew, and it was not until the vessel was two days out that tho skipper became aware of the presence of a woman in the forecastle. An intimation of this fact was however, conveyed to the captain by the woman's husband. She was immediately removed from the mensi quarters, and was provided with a cabin in another part of the ship. The disguise had been perfect, her hair having been cut short. '. There is a story of the new Speaker : of the United States House of Representatives, Mr. Champ Clarices early days as a politician in the "Manchester Guardian." Ho was a keen but impecunious Democrat; his bosom friend Dolliver (afterwards Senator Dolliver) was an equally keen and equally impecunious Republican. They hit on a novel idea of touring the South-Wosterii States with a joint political debate and charging for admission. It was an irnmenso success. On one occasion an angry Missouri mob, excited by Dolliver's denunciations of their pet party, waited to tar and feather him. Mr Cramp Clark appealed to their sense cf fair ' play, and after an anxious moment got them 'to disperse. But, as Mr Clark said afterwards, " Possibly Dolliver deserved the tarring and feathering, but my great anxiety was about the gate receipts. He had the bag." Table cutlery in any quantity, from quarter-dozen at all prices. Try Arnott and Seabrpok, the place for ironmongery, cutlery, etc.;—Advt. Three useful lines: Boxes containing 12 wedding invitation cards, with envelopes to match, very dainty in .design and style; confetti in handy-sized tubes, and wedding cake boxes suitable for sending by post are always procurable from B. Dixon, bookseller and stationer, Tainui Street.—Advt.

Camera values that should appeal to you! Quarter plate hand cameras from 17/6 to 65/-; quarter plate stand cameras from 70/-; half plate stand cameras from £5 2s 6d. These are imrjorted direct from the factories and are offered at prices below those charged in the large centres of the Dominion. We invite your inspection confident that our' values will make yon our customers.— B. Dixon's, Tainui Stw«l> —Advt.

* On Wednesday morning ten degrees of frost were registered at Ashburton. During last month the Christchurch City Council issued fifty-six building permits for buildings valued at £24,095 the fees amounting to £74. The time for receiving nominations for the Greymonth tug-of-war / has been extended to Saturday evening next. A Press Association • telegram from Dunedin states that a married man, named Arthur Cant, who was in charge of the Labour Department of the Union Steam Ship Company, gave himself up to the police yesterday in connection with the theft of £ll6, the property of the company. It is understood that he was given £l6O to pay off the crew of the Koromiko, and appropriated £ll6 to py his own debts.

A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that with a view of reviving interest in class yacht racing, the Governor, Lord Islington, has informed the commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Mr Bloomfield, of his intention to present a challenge trophy to the squadron for competition under the rules for the time being in force. The trophy will be devoted to one of the metre* classes which have been adopted for special encouragement by the squadron, and the class willbe decided on by the committee as early as convenient.

Ladybirds appear to be doing excellent work in Hawke's Bay orchards. The Orchard inspector in Hawkes Bay reports to the Agricultural journal that on visiting several orchards m and around Hastings, which are sowewhat badly infested with wooly aphis, or American blight, he has noticed a common New Zealand ladybird—the eleven spotted ladybird—doing good wor* by feeding upon the aphis. Ho states that close observation extending over several davs clearly demonstrated that these useful little insects effected » very considerable improvement m th • condition of affected trees—in some instances the trees were almost cleaned. This lady bird is readily recognised as ot red colour, with eleven black spots. Commenting on the escape from custody of Thomas Christie by jumping oft •i train in the vicinity of Woodlands recently, the Southland Times says:— The outcries of sentimentalists are mainly responsible for prisoners being allowed to wear civilians clothes when bein<* taken by rail. Many were pos sessed of the mistaken idea that an extra indignity was imposed upon prisoners'by compelling them to wear the prison "garb when travelling. As si matter of fact, prisoners were kept, throughout the journey, m compartments strictly apart from those used by other passengers, being conveyed to and from the train in closed cabs. Therefore they could not possibly be subjected to any indignity from public scrunity. The escape of Christie is evidence of the fact that the conveyance of prisoners attired in civilian dress is a practise the wisdom of which is, ai Jeast, open to question. According to the Southland limes, included in the deck cargo of the Huanui/ which arrived from the Macquarries recently, was a flock ot eleven king penguins, among which are some remarkably fine specimens iney stand about two feet high and are beautifully marked, their black heads white breasts, yellow necks and slaty blue' backs forming a pleasing harmony of colour. The king penguin is not n gourmand; a meal once a week suffices to satisfv his bodily needs. Ihe bird" on the Huanui haven't been fed since they left their rocky haunts, yet they seem verv complacent and satisfied. Jr their native state they roam about in regiments, each regiment having its own particular rock. If by any chance an intruder should make his appearance on the rock of a neighbouring regiment he is forcibly and promptly ejected The flippers are the weapons or assault, and not the long beaks, ihe beaks are used for getting a grip on an opponents' back for the freer use ot the chastising flipper. Specially reduced, the balance of oui steels of preserving pans and Hason'r jam jars, which mnst be cleared. Come *nd inspect. Arnott and Sesbroofe opposite Town Hall.—Adrt.