LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 23 September 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At one of the Timaru primary schools last week a small boy possessing somewhat of a unique record applied for enrolment. He gave his age as ten and qualifications for standard two. “Where were you before this?” demanded the headmaster. “Well,” replied the youngster, “this will be my seventeenth school. I’ve been to sixteen schools in four years.” “How long will you remain here?” queried the astonished headmaster. “Oh, not long,” coolly replied the boy

Hawkers are a nuisance to housewives which might very well he done away with (says the Taranaki Herald). Apart from the annoyance attached to persuasive attempts to sell things which are. not desired, a woman who is alone in the house sometimes finds herself in an awkward position when one of these itinerant traders calls and is not disposed to accept her refusal to inspect his wares. The other day in New Plymouth a man,, who said he was selling brushware, actually had the impertinence to suggest that he should

“just step inside and open up his bag.” It was “one of the rules of our company,” he said, not to display the goods at the door. When householders are subjected to annoyances of this and a like nature it is liable -to lead to a strong public demand for hawking to be forbidden.

The Defence Department’s annual re. port states: War medals, illuminated certificates, plaques, and scrolls have bpen issued in all cases where the -addresses of the soldiers or next-of-kin entitled to same are known to the Department, lint there are still 410 1914-15 stars, 10,030 British war medals, and 9G50 Victory medals unclaimed, while Gl9B illuminated certificates. 10 plaques and 10 scrolls still await claimants. Steps are taken to issue the medals, etc., upon addresses becoming known to the Department, or on application, and during the past year 60 stars, 980 British war medals, and 1180 Victory medals, and 730 certificates have been disposed of in this manner. Ail returned soldiers who have not yet received the medals to which they are entitled should at once apply to the Defence Department for them. The Melbourne Ltd.'s stock of ladies’ embroidered Fuji silk lingerie has been considerably augmented by some very pretty new designs, Princess underskirts and new shapes in cami-knickers, specially designed and made in our own workrooms, are very chic, while the lovely work and pretty designs in tlje new nightdresses and-kiiic-kej's are creating a furore. —Advt.

-Speaking at a general meeting of the Strati ord A. and P. Association on Saturday, Mr. Johnson said that stewards at shows had to stand a good deal of abuse. He thought that future bad cases should be reported and action be taken. Mr. Johnston stated that one steward said lie had had enough and would not act again as a steward. Ihe chairman said that if future cases were reported the stewards and chairmen of sections would be protected. The following pupils passed the examination in home nursing held on Wednesday week by the Hawera branch of the St. John ’Ambulance Association {names published in alphabetical order): Mrs F. Bernard, .Miss Freda Bone, Mrs W. d. Ciaringbold, Mrs John Gray, Miss’ Emily Muschamp, Miss Flora Smith. Miss Lorena Spragg, Mrs &. b. Watts, and Miss Mary Wilson.' These were the only entrants. Farm property in the Eltham district is still in demand (says the Argus). Only last week a farm of 45 acres, situated a short distance from Eltham, was sold at £75 per acre. In the town a very good demand for residential property is being made at present. Within two or three weeks six houses and a town business -have been sold by Messrs W. H. and A. McGarr.v. There is also a fair amount of activity in the building line. Several new houses are about to be erected almost immediately.

The member for Napier (Mr. L. Alcllvride) asked the PostmasterGeneral in the House of Representatives on Wednesday whether it would he possible to enable nurses to have the word “nurse” appear in front of their names in the telephone directory without paying tjip special business rate. The Postmaster-General (Hon. J G. Coates) replied that he sympathised with ■ the nurses, but the matter presented difficulties in that it was hard to determine wliat profession should he entitled to more favourable terms than- any other. Where a profession was constituted the practitioners came under the heading of business as regards telephone rates. It might be advisable for the nurses, where possible, to join party telephone wires at a considerably reduced rate. However, he would give the matter consideration. A cablegram has been received ticm the Argentine to the effect that if the shipment of ten animals which veie specially selected in New Zealand and taken to the Argentine by Mr (J. E. Robertson to, compete at tho Intel national Show at Paloma seven have contracted foot and m,urh disease and have had to be destroyed. Among toe number was Mr 11. R. Leoper’s vciiknown Jersey cow Maori Pearl. During the discussion of the health estimates Mr. R. Masters (Stratford) brought up the question of maternity bonuses. Referring to the good work done by the St. Helen’s Hospital, etc., be suggested that, in order to assist the hospital boards, with which such institutions are connected, the Health Department should pay a subsidy for each child born in them. Such a bonus, he said, would considerably help 1/he finances of the boards. Sir Maui Pomare (Minister for .-Health) stated that the maternity bonus system had been tried in_other countries, and had proved an absolute failure. “My proposal is that the bonus should go, not to the parent, but to the hospital board,” pointed out Mr. Masters. The Minister said that there were different systems of paying out maternity bonuses, and the Director-General of Health (Dr. Valintine) was reporting on the various systems and as to the feasibility of adopting any one of them in New Zealand. He expected that the report would be available in a few days. The Taranaki Herald reports the death of another of the older settlers in the person of Mr. William Newall Hopkins, of Leach Street, at the age of 81 years. He was born at Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, and came to New Zealand in the ship Maori in November, 1859, as a young lad, being followed bv his parents and other meffibers of their family, who settled in Auckland. ■ Mr. Hopkins was one of the pioneers of the Thames goldfield, having (with hi s brother, John Hopkins, who predeceased him) a claim on the reef, afterwards worked with much success by the Waiotahi Gold Mining Company. Later he went to Christchurch and Wellington, and came to New Plymouth in 1880, being followed a little later bv his wife and family. They came in the Government steamer Hinemoa, before the building of the breakwater, and landed by surf-boat. Mrs. Hopkins, with her young family, lived in the military barracks on Marsland Hill for more than a year. Mr. Hopkins was employed for some time on a contract for metalling the Main South Road between Stony River-and Opunake He is survived by his widow, two daughters and five sons. Onp son (Mr. Ernest Hopkins) lives at Eltham. Four daughters predeceased him. There are 27 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.