LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 26 July 1928, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Minister of Education, replying to n question in Parliament, stated that the matter of embodying the ‘‘Nelson system" of religioirs exercises in schools will he considered when a new education Bill is being drafted. Interviewed after a Cabinet meeting Mr Coates said that the Budget could be expected within a fortnight. It is his personal opinion that the session will finish about the first week in October.

The response to the notice for entries for the Hawera competitions is \ ery satisfactory, the total received up to last night being nearly 600, as against 475 last year. They cover a wide area, and have oome from many places outside Taranaki. An enormous landslide, said to be the largest seen in the district, came down on the Horolriwi Gorge Road, between Paliautanui and the summit of the Paekakariki Hill at about 3 p.m. on Sunday. The slip is about 40 yards in length, and at a fairly late hour on Sunday night was still coming down. The spot is on the main road out of Wellington, and is on a corner known as the “Devil’s Elbow," a notoriously dangerous bend about two miles on the Wellington side of the Paekakariki Hill. As a result of the slip all traffic between Wellington and the Manawntn vide of the island was seriously disorganised.

Tn the Legislative Council at Wellington yesterday afternoon the Hon. Sir John 'Sinclair moved “that in .the opinion of this council the question of the erection of a suitable memorial to the memory of Edward Gibbon Wakeheld and William Hayward Wakefield should be taken into consideration by Ihe Government.” This Was seconded by the Hon. W. IT. Triggs and supported b\- the lfons. IT. L. Michel. Sir Robert Stout and Sir Francis ißcll. Speaking as Leader of the Council, Sir Francis Bell said the Brime Minister had intimated to him that, the Government would certainly give the proposal most favourable 'consideration. The motion was carried.

A recent meeting: of Wanganui unemployed turned down an offer oi assistance by leading citizens and business men because of a stipulation that ihe rate of pay should be 12s a day. 'Die ‘‘Chronicle” learns authoritatively that the sum involved was £2OOO, which would have been used solely for the relief of unemployment; the sum in sight was £IOOO and the Government subsidy of £1 for £1 would have brought the total to the amount stated. The promoters of this scheme now. ask how serious unemployment really is.

There is very little snow on the mountains, says the Cromwell correspondent of the Dunedin “Star.” The lvawarau River is still below last year’s level when the gates were closed, and is falling steadily. Representations are now being made to those in authority to have the dam closed if the river continues to fall. The steps being taken are in the direction of the Government greatly modifying the terms of the insurance and exercising almost direct control over the dam to meet any possible emergency. There is no reason why more modified conditions should not be allowed, as this would permit further progress with the Kawarau “.old mining scheme and tend to assist bigger proposals. While workmen were engaged on excavating for the Auckland Power Board at the bottom of Orakei Road, a copper pocket barometer was found in solid c lay at a depth of 21ft-. It was solid country, and there was no indication that the ground, which was a spur, had at any time been reclaimed. The lettering on the barometer was quite-elear after the clay had been scraped off. Comparing certain aspects of the New Zealand educational system with that of Great Britain and the United States, Dr. Hight, Rector of Canterbury College, expressed the opinion that arithmetic bulked too large in the curriculum of the average school of the Dominion. Par greater attention, he .said, was paid in the English and American elementary schools to the development of taste in literature, and the appreciation of what might be called the fine arts—music, painting, drawing; dancing, and drama. “Here in New Zealand,” Dr. Hight continued, “we are accustomed to spend four to six hours a. week on arithmetic, and even now, I. am sorry to say, a boy is judged on how many sums lie can get right. That sums him up generally I am glad to see the new syllabus provides for a reduction of time given to arithmetic. Nowadays in up-to-date offices machines do the calculation. The purpose of education is, after all, to develop intellectual curiosity and menial reliance.”

The Minister of Health (Hon. J. A. Young) stated in the House of Representatives that the Department of Health by newspaper articles and public addresses lias endeavoured to impress upon the public generally the desirability of using iodised salt, especially in areas where goitre is endemic. In addition, school medical officers in the course of their medical examination of school children have made a practice of advising parents of Children suffering from goitre, even in a minor degree, that- the use of iodised salt is desirable. Evidence which has reached the department has shown that an increasing use i-s being made of this salt, and that in the endemio areas a very considerable proportion of the salt used is of this nature.

A iCchpnt of Levin (says- the “Chronicle”) has in his. - .possession a. watch that is of peculiar interest-, as it- rwpie.;:ents an attempt that was made 40 years l ago to establish a- watchmaking Industry in New Zealand. It is a s-mall instrument intermediate- m -size? bel.’.eei the ladies’ -and' gentlemen’s watches of to-day. The silver case was imported, but the works wore manufactmrxi rut Gcr.e. by a. Mr Baker, who intailed machinery for cutting out the parts and. even went- the length of bringiuo- an expert workman- —a. finisher —from- London. The factory, ft- is believed, was the first of its. lcin-d ever set no in the colony, but following •pon the death of the manufacturer, the entororiiSe did not last long, as the vetch -owned by the Levin resident is described: as “one of the twelve” that were made at Gore.

At the Power Boards’ conference at Wellington yesterday a remit wins accepted extending t,lie period of recovery of accounts for installations to three years from the date on which the last, payment foil due in all cases where the account was 'to be paid on the deferred instalment system. The Government is to be to abolish the existing basis on which it charges a higher rate for each of the first 200 k.v.a. used and to substitute 'therefore a more equitable charge based on a higher rate for a uniform fixed percentage of the total maximum demand of eheh supply authority. The Government is also to 'be asked that power boards be placed on the same basis as county councils with regard 'to settling labour disputes.

A .joint plea that the passage of the Mental Defectives Bill should 'be delayed pending a comprehensive scientific inquiry w'as telegraphed to the Minister of Health last night by the professors of philosophy and of education at the Auckland and Canterbury University Colleges and the Otago University. The telegrams bear 'the signatures of Professors W. Anderson, A. B. Pitt (Auckland), C. F. Salm'ond and J. Shelley (Canterbury), and PW. Dunlop and LaWson (Otago). It is understood that what is desired 'by the pi’ofessors who have sent the request is investigation from the foundation's of principles embodied in the Bill in relation to all the issues involved.

A rush has set in for tho clothing collected for tho poor and needy during the .commercial travellers ’ drive at Auckland. Hundreds of badly clad men and women besieged the -city depots to share in the distribution. Many of the applicants wore in pitiably straitened circumstances. One family which received a parcel of clothes consisted of the husband and wife and 15 children, while another married couple had 14 'children. .'Some of the children wore very little clothing .and had no change of apparel at home. One woman .brought a baby which was wrapped only in a shawl in a perambulator. 'These ehses were treated as urgent, and sufficient clothing was supplied to meet all the winter needs. Queues were waiting at some of the depots when the doors were opened. Close on 200 ox-soldiers were fitted nut by tho Returned .Soldiers’ Association during the day, and many of the men waited hours before they reached their turn. 'Since Thursday, when the association began distributing, 500 ex-soldiers have visited the rooms in search of clothes. Only -men who can show credentials are supplied from this depot. BUOKRELL'S, HAWERA.

quality House in all departments of ladies’ wear, such as Coats, Frocks, 3-piece Suits, Costumes, Hosiery, Purs. Buclcrell’s with over 50 years’ experi enee on this coast i"jvo gained the enviable reputatior as the Quality House in Taranaki. Opposite Central Hotel, Hawera.

To ensure that each member o-f Pair- J liaim-e-nt shall have been elected by a [ majority vote, the deletions should .he j conducted under a; preferential voting j system, the co nfcrone o of rthio Eairnieirs’ Union decided ait Wellington, last nigihitTho itinuistees of the estate of the late D. M. Dingwall, of Beinaionr, Auckland, ha/ve completed- the -puTchaise of 30 a'cireis' at Pap a.toetoc on which to -estaibliilsih the- Presbyterian orphanage provided for i'n the wilt. Between £190,000 and £200,000 will be available for the orphanage under Mr Dingwall ’is bequest. system of cottage buildings •has- ibcen decided upon in preference to one large institution.

The construction of the aerodrome at H.bsonville, Auckland, has been started, and nearly 40 men are engaged on cbe work of preparing for the hangars \. eh an? to house the planes. Eight Moth machines have been ordered by the Goveanmeijit, and these are expected do arrive from England next month. It ins not been announced, however, how many will be sent- to Hobsionvalle. The visit of the All Blacks to South. Africa has resulted in a. huge -increase n the .amount of ma.i l exchanged ‘between. New Zealand: and 'Cape- Town. Usually only .a .small quantity of tetters and packages arrives by each steamer, ut- b'v the last mail the number of bags had increased' to 28, showing that every member of the team roust be an exoeleut correspondent. The Farmers ’ Union conference ait •Wellington emphatically photosted ugaiinist the continued 'practice of putting through ‘important ain'd far-teach-ing legislation by Order-iin>-Council, a practice which did not give an opportunity for the matter to receive the consideration of niembelrs of the House of Representatives. A remit was carried that the purchase by the Government of -motor-buses and the issue of Ordersi-i n - Council prohibiting private buses running on .those routes was am interferc-nee with private for which there was mo excuse.

Replying to a question in the House of Representatives the Minister of Edutation (Hon. R. A. Wright) said that primary schools are staffed in the first place in accordance with the average attendance, one teacher being provided as a general rule for each 40 pupils. Where it is shown, however, that such staffs are inadequate, additional assistants are freely provided on the recommendation of the inspectors. Schools are therefore staffed in accordance with their needs: As no ad-

vantage would be gained by staffing on the average rool it is not proposed to amend the regulations in that direction.

“It would simply r mean the destruction of our dairy 'herds, one after another,” said AH. F. AT. Winstone at i meeting of the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, referring to the need for the most stringent precautions to prevent foot-and-mouth disease from being introduced into New Zealand from Great Britain (states the “New Zealand Herald”). Mr. Winstone said the Auckland Seed Merchants’ Association realised the danger that the disease might be brought- in by means of seeds. It had written to the authorities in Britain to ascertain whether the germ could live for any engtli of time in or on legetable mater. The reply was that research had drown that germs had s beeri found healthy and vigorous on hay after 15 reeks and on bran after 29 weeks. This showed that no risks must be taken with commodities that might possibly lie affected Another member of the o’.mcil remarked that hay and straw packing round goods had been prohibited.

The Gov'erninwht lis to be asked to allow farmers a. month in which to mlalkc application for a refund of motor spirit itax, itthe 'conference of the Farmers’ Uni on decided 1 ait Welliington last night. The. conference objected ito the following conditionis in the petrol tax regulations: (a) That a user shall lose hills rebate of taix should he use. his tractor other tham solely on his own property, even though he enters a. neighbours property without using a: public road; (ib) that should a. farmer employ a. contractor to do tho Work the contractor can obtain no rebate of .thJo tax. This, it wais claimed, penalised the farmer sis the taix imiusit be passed l ou. Amendments' are to be sought, to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1924, so that fammiers e air ting- their own produce or fatnm requirements will be exempted from having to pay the heavy traffic license.

A New Zealander who has just returned from Australia -with his family, said to an Auckland Press representative that, with many others, he went across to the other side with the hope of bettering himself, but he is glad to be back in New Zealand, and there are others who would like to come back if they could only raise the price of their fares. In the suburb where he was living he was surprised at the small deposits which owners of property accepted for their houses. He had sons and daughters of working age, and they never gave him any peace till he agreed to come back to Auckland, where the young people said they had better chances than in Sydney, where they had. had a good deal of broken time. Already since coming bach they had got into what seemed to be permanent jobs. Auckland may be dull, but it had little appearance of it, and looked more prosperous than ■when he left it over twenty years ago.