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Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 17, 19 December 1927, Page 6

For a vacancy recently filled on the staff of tho Levin District High School there were no fewer than 56 applicants.

A special car, winch was attached to the south bound Main Trunk express to-day, contained inmates of the Blind Institute, Auckland, who are on their annual vacation.

A six-year-o!d child, Joan Clarkin, the daughter of Mr W. Clarkin, of Eureka, Waikato, while playing with a lawn mower oaught her right hand in the knives of the machine. Part of one finger, was severed and another finger was badly lacerated. Bessie Lee, a pupil of the Matarawa School, has a perfect attendance record for six yearn. She has not been absent from school for even half a day during the period, and has often had to walk 2J miles. This year Bessie has obtained her proficiency certificate.

Dr Victor Galway, Iras been appointed lecturer in music at Otago Universsity for the year 1928. A full course for the degree of Mus. Bac. is now provided, made possible by a provision under the will of the late Mr J. Blair, of Dunedin.

Railway traffic has been exceptionally brisk at the local station. Last week 20 special trains were dispatched to Wellington, representing 8000 tons. This, with the 29 ordinary goods trains, total approximately 20,000 tons forwarded. Considering that stock has not yet started to move, the position at present means heavy traffic for some time.

“There is a pleasure in doing things well, either at school or outside it,” said Professor A. P. W. Thomas, who presided at the prize-giving ceremony in connection with the Epsom (Auckland) Girls’ Grammar School. “If you try to do things well it becomes a habit, ,and it becomes one of the most valuable habits that can be acquired in this world.” Mss Ellen M. Fraer, a resident of Kaikoura and formerly of Christchurch, sister of Rev. C. A. Fraer, of Pliilhpstown, was killed in an accident near the Hundaleo reserve, Goose Bay (states-a Christchurch telegram). The Misses Fraer were driving in a gig when the horse took fright at some passing motor cyclists and bolted. Miss Ellen Fraer was thrown out and sustained serious injuries, resulting in her death a few hours later.

A fire whi,ch raged for three days over a wide area of heavy fem country ■at Pirongia, Waikato, burnt fences wherever settlers had neglected to cut back the heavy growth. The fire reached the western bank of the Waipa, close to the bridge, after sweeping over a length of four or five miles. The origin is a mystery. One settler saved his growth of fern, which he has kept free of fire for four years to burn .and plough this autumn, by patrolling and counter-burning during the fire.

With the new upper dam at Mangaliao brought into service, the storage capacity available is now 248 'million cubic feet of water. This total is made up by three dams. No.- 1 dam, at Mangahao, provides 55 million cubic feet of storage, No 2 dam at Arapeti 27 million cubic feet, and 166 million cubic feet is in the new dam. It is hoped that, within a year, the plant at Waikaremoana will be assisting Mangahao. Progress has reached the point where the headwaters should be ready and the power-station roof constructed within the’ next couple of months. The machinery is expected at any time now.

Travelling over (jonstable Street, Wellington, on a tram-car on Saturday night, William Herbert de Malmanclie had his hat blown off. It is stated that Malmanche alighted from the car on the wrong side in an effort to recover his hat, and that he was struck by a motor-cycle, which threw him over into the roadway, and then by a passing motor-car. ‘ Malmanche was hurried to the hospital which was reached at 10.30 p.m., and where he was treated for serious injuries to his head. He died at 11 o’clock yesterday morning. Deceased was 19 years old and a grocer’s assistant. His family resides at Levin. “The whole educational system of the country seems to be very much in the melting pot at the present moment,” said the Rev. E. C. Crosse at the annual prize giving at Christ’s College, Christchurch. “The University . Amendment Act passed last year letfiing up a University Entnance Board, will probably control, to. a large extent, the curriculum in the schools. I find myself largely in disagreement pvith the, proposals that, have at present been made.” Mr; Crosse expressed the opinion that the matriculation examination as. it- stands needs alteration, and that lie could see no justification for the introduction of a system of accrediting, in lieu of the time honoured method of an examination.

English papers in the matriculation examinations of the last two years were strongly criticised by Mr H. J. D. Mahon,, acting headmaster and English master of the Auckland Grammar School. In the course of his annual report Mr Mahon recorded his protest against the papers. They were of a type that had been obsolete in England for over twenty years, he said, while they contained no questions that tested the candidate’s knowledge and appreciation of literature. The papers seemed to have been devised so as to admit of mechanical marking and to save the examiners as much labour as possible. They put a premium upon antiquated and unenlightened methods of teaching and placed at a disadvantage those candidates whose work was based upon a syllabus that was both cultural and stimulating. Such papers, by discouraging the study of literature might have a pernicious effect upon the teaching of the mother tongue. Mr Mahon said that he trusted that ■one of the first labours of the recentlyconstituted Secondary Schools’ Examination Board would be to devise for matriculation an English prescription similar to that issued by the Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board, in which due weight was given fro knowledge and appreciation of literature.