NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7366, 20 January 1902, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

Mr McGuire, M.H.R., has reoeived tbe following from the Premier : "I am in receipt of yours of the 9th inst., enclosing a letter from Mr W. Sargeson re his late son, who was a member of the Scottish Horse, and whose effects he is anxious to secure. In reply, I have to inform you that I have pleasure in acceding to Mr Sargeson's wishes,, and have referred his letter to the Commandant's oiSce for action." "Ereoted by the residents of Bunyip district. In memory of Alfred Ernest Duncan, who lost his life by drowning on 14th June, 1901, at Bunyip South, in a gallant attempt to save his sister, aged 10 years and 9 months. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friend." This is graven on a Blab which has been erected over the grave of a Victorian boy. His parents were selectors on a swamp settlement from which the Government had cut a great drain in which water ran deep and strong and over whioh here and there planks were laid as crossings. The little lad and his sister were going to school, when the girl fell from the plank and was being swept down when her brother Bprang in to rescue her. The artificial cutting had, however, neither banks nor shallows, and both were drowned. A few days ago a Maori boy at Whakarewarewa, tearing along in wild haste on a bicycle, ran headlong into a telegraph pole. He was picked up, and taken home as one dead, and elaborate preparations were made for a tangi. Greatly to the joy and astonishment of bis family and the chagrin of those who had been invited to the feast, however, the youth rose up on the night before his proposed burial, and set out for the (kai) food house on his own account. Interrogated on the subject, a "dispassionate friend said, " Oh ! no, you can't' kill a Maori like that, but (confidentially) it stops his brea(h lor fifteen 'hours I" t

The Mana arrived at Patea on Saturday, sailed same night for Wellington, and returns on Tuesday. ( At St. Joseph's Church, on Sunday l morning, the Very Rev. Father McCarthy, Inspector of Roman Catholic schools in the ' archdiocese of Wellington, who is on a visit to Hawera, preached to a large congregation. ; The cane (says a contemporary) should ! never be used as the ordinary instrument of school punishment. A cane may pos- ; sibly bring about irreparable damage, and ] oaning on the hands is the most senseless j and cruel form of punisment imaginable. The birch is the best implement of punishment for small boyß. Firstly, it hurts : secondly, if applied in reason it does no harm. County Councillors on Saturday discussed the question of dog tax. One or two were strongly of opinion that the tax for sporting dogs should be reduced to 7s Cd each, but the majority firmly decided that the tax should be the same as last year - 10a. No fewer than 4565 old boys of English reformatory and industrial schools have been at the front in the present war. Of these 216 have been killed or have died of disease, 351 wounded or invalided, three recommended for the Victoria Cross, ten for the distinguished service medal, two have gained commissions, four have been j specially mentioned in despatches, and others have been specially promoted for good service. The Primitive Methodist Conference was concluded on Friday. The Sunday School report submitted showed that there are 64 Sunday Schools, 525 teachers, 385 Church members, 4717 scholars, 25 Catechism classes, 94 members under 14 years of age, and 365 over 24 years of age. The Bands of Hope number 31, having a membership of 3483 juvenile abstainers and 1336 adults, an increase of 109. In the afternoon the foundation stone of the new Methodist Church in Webb street was laid.