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Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 23 August 1935, Page 6

“The letter is written in quite good Latin, but it is extraordinarily ill-punc-tuated,” said the chancellor (Mr W. J. Morrell), in placing before the Otago University Gouncil a communication from the University of Rome inviting the council to be represented at the opening of new buildings by Signor Mussolini on October 28. “Signor Mussolini might be in Abyssinia by that time,” remarked the Rev. D. C. Herron. The chancellor suggested that professor Adams should be asked to prepare a suitable reply, and that Mr A. I). Trendall, an Otago student who had distinguished himself at Cambridge University, might be asked to represent the council “if things were well.” This course was approved.

“Taking the handwriting of the children by and large, I am heartily ashamed of it,” said Mr hi'. F. Hemingway, chairman of the Wanganui Education Board, at a meeting of the Manawa.tu-Oroua School Committees’ Association in Palmerston North on Wednesday night. This statement was in reply to a question whether, as an old teacher and chairman of the board, he thought the use of pads, instead of slates, was conducive to good writing. The. matter, ho said, was outside the jurisdiction of the board, but he agreed that there was nothing like the attention paid to handwriting in the schools to-day that there was years a<|o. The majority of present-day children seemed able to write frightfully. Some of the best writers, he had noticed, were Maoris, and lie would like to .see a return to slates.

The view generally held in New Zealand that the people of the Dominion are not as interested or experienced in flying a’s a.i'e those who live in countries where there are more air lines is not supported by Mr J. C. Mercer, pilot and managing director of Air Travel (N.Z.), Ltd. Since his company began operations in Westland last December Mr Mercer has carried scores of overseas tourists in the cabin of his Fox Moth, and has found, with surprise, that many of them have never flown before. Novices in the air hate ccme from Britain, Germany, the United States, Australia and other countries. West Coast settlers look scornfully from tlieir height of air sophistication upon wealthy tourists from the ends of the world who are, perhaps, a little nervous about their baptism of the air.

j’.. f.vided the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association can produce a suitable design before September 12, it is probable that the Postmaster-General (the Pon. Adam Hamilton) will agree to the associations suggestion that a special Anzac commemoration stamp or set of stamps should be struck. It is proposed that the stamp should be sold at twopence, one .penny of which should go to the formation of a fund for the relief of distress among returned soldiers, and that the issue should be on sale from March.to May, 1936. The association, therefore, lias circularised constituent bodies inviting suggestions for the design of the stamp or stamps, which it is recommended should "commemorate New Zealand’s entry into the realm of nations, and should, preferably, refer in some way to Anzac.” A sum of £5 5s will be paid to the person whose suggestion is accepted for the design of the stamp.