NEWS & NOTES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 28 April 1908, Page 1

NEWS & NOTES.

Allegations have been made by Horn merchants that the New Zealand con tracts have this season been frequentl; broken by butter factories, which earli in the season sold their outputs right ui till the end of March. A complaint ha reached the Premier from Mr "pamercn the New Zealand Produce Commission ex, to the effect that contrasts havt been repeatedly broken. At tile com raencement of the season the New Zea land factories sold their outputs at o contract price and then, it is stated, tempted by the high prices which subsequently prevailed locally, broke faith with the Home buyers. An Auckland gentleman closely concerned in the traJe said, on being interviewed, that ■ unfortunately in some parts of New Zealand the charges made by Mr Cameron were "a true bill." Some operators had bought outputs up to the end of March, and Ji__ closed contracts with Home firms at prices ranging from lOJd to lOAd. Then prices had gone up in the Dominion to such amounts as 13_d and 14d and the operators; hSd. lessened their exports and sold "3>'utter in New Zealand at these ' pric_sy ; Haking the chances of meeting the claims of somo purchasers for shortages on contracts. Thc^Horae firms would claim for tho shortages on contracts at the difference between the price the contract stipulated they should pay and what the produce was worth on the London market. This would work out at from _d to l£d _ lb., so that the operators reaped the balance of difference betweon this and the prices realised in New Zealand. Whatever had been done in tliat line had been done within the Dominion, and there had been no shipping past the Home firms. Of course it was a questioanblo practice and would do harm to the industry. Vendors of "canned or potted music" — that is tho homely phrase used" in America for phonograph records— are jubilant because the New York Supreme Court has affirmed the decision of the lower tribunals that a composer or the owner of a copyright on his music has no protection aaginst anyone who chooses to reproduce it- by moans of perforated rolls or discs. It is a very important decision, because few American homes are happy without automatic music of some sort, aud many instruments are now sold which, technically, are almost perfect. Cardinal Moran docs not regard dancing with ai.horrence (says an Australian paper). Quite tho oppostie. In openir.tt two schools at Villa Maria, Hunter's Hill, recently he expressed the hope that v»ry good dances would be held to raise flinch t-o extinguish the debt on the r.to properties. The only condition he woiil.l I:ki> lo impose was that the parish priest ( Father Hault) should preside at thr-r.i. Th>ii tho Cardinal paid a tribute to N'ew Zealand dancers. He told h'.i hearers that while in New Zealand re^sntly ho had been greatly pleased with tiie dancing he had seen there. He hid never seen anything more beautiful thnn somo of the Maoris 'terpsichorean <>i7;>rts, and he humorously suggested that some local people should journey to the Dominion to learn some of the steps, and return and perform them under Father Hault's guidance. Ths value of newspapers in education i3 recognised by soma schoolmasters in this country, and occasionally regular readings of the journals are oonducted in the higher classes. The experiment is carried further by a teacher iri. an .upcountry school in Victoria, who' has a regular "Newspaper Day." The children of the upper classes put aside, tlieir text books and devote themselves to a study of the Saturday "Argus," each child being provided with a copy of_the paper. '"* The shipping columns are first dealt with. The chief trade routes traversed by tho steamers advertised are traced out, and tha children follow the produce of their district to the other side of the world. The flags of the maritime nations hang on the walls, and are used to make lessons vivid. A collection of some 3000 pictures culled from the magazines of the last fifteen years are used in connection with these imaginary tt-avels. If the children follow the All-Red Route they are shown pictures of the islands, of life at sea, of Canada, and of a large Atlantic liner. The auction of advertisements provide exercise in mental arithmetic, ana the mining column helps to impart information about the mineral products of the States. The small advertisements lead to an address on tho value of advertising, the marvels 1 of newspaper production, and the his- ( tery of writing and printing. Th6 ( news column provide so much material' that a selection has to be made. The naval estimates lead to an address on the vital importance cf the fleet, the trouble in Macedonia, Spain, and elsewhere suggests a comparison between British and "ther forms of Government. The crick, et columns suggests reflections on the • alue of the game, aud call forth reminiscences from the teacher of giants of twenty or more years ago. A class rocites Newbolt's "Torch of Life,' with its cricket refrain of "Play up, play up, and play the game !" Casualties suggest lessons on the treatment of injuries. The children look down the list of "situations vacant," choose positions, and are shown by tho teacher how to write letters of application for them. Such instruction fulfils the demand of inepootors that eaching should be practical, up-to-date and real. In a sermon preached in London last February Dr Neligan, Bishop of Auckland, made the statement that as a result of secular education in the State schools the country settlers in New Zealand were in danger of relapsing into paganism. This statement has been challenged in some quarters, but some i of tho letters frojn correspondents published ill the Auckland "Herald'- show that, the Bishop does not stand alone in the opinion expressed.The Rev. W. Gray Dison Vaster of Kt. David's Presbyterian Church, writes :— "Anyone who is at ail well-informed of the religious condition of our back-blocks must know that the Bishop U absolutely correct in his statement. A few months ago when addressing the general assembly of the church in Edinburgh, I used almost the same words. I gave two illustration.; for one of these f was indebted to a retired officer of tbe Imperial Army living in a remote township of the AucKland Peninsula. This officer was distressed at the neglected condition of the children of the neighbourhood in respect to religion, so he gathered ten. of them in a class. He began by asking them if they knew what it was to pray bight of the ten had not the slightest idea; onlv one was in the habit of prayingThe other illustration waa given to me by the home missionary of our churcii in the district referred to. Within 1_ f miles of the corridor express passing on I its way to Rotorua, a kdy* onne l * Sunday school clws of 30 chUdren. fahe found that only two out of the 30 had ever heard the. name of Jwus. A third illustration oame to my kaowledge only i this week. The minister of one of our i parishes in the north recently went on a preaching excursion into the ba*blo_k_. Meeting a smart. looking boy on the road he asked him in the course of conversation if he knew about Jesns. "No, who is he " tho boy answered, and when the minister began, to tell him somethin? of tho wonderful life he was startled by a rude laugh. 'You don t expect me to believe a yam like that? cried the boy.