LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16268, 29 June 1916, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

An Australian mail, comprising 15 bags for Auckland and 3/ bags for elsewhere, is due to arrive by the Ruapehu from Sydney at noon to-day.

The Government has decided to issue regulations requiring a married soldier to make a certain allotment of his wages to his wife upon entering camp. Mr. V. J. Lamer, a delegate from the Patriotic Association to the Advisory Board, stated at a meeting of the executive yesterday that arrangements were now being made to put the decision into effect. It was agreed by members of the executive that this would tend to relieve the pressure on the patriotic funds made by applications for assistance from the wives of soldiers on active service.

The death occurred at the hospital on Tuesday morning of John Hanlin, 50 years of age, residing at tho Alexandra Hotel, Federal Street, who was admitted to the institution on Thursday last as the result of taking an overdose of medicine, Formal evidence of identification was taken before Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M.,and the inquest was adjourned.

The fifty-fourth annual meeting of the Auckland Bowling Club was held last evening, and in the report presented it was stated that the total sum of £1973 had been subscribed by members for patriotic purposes during the currency of the war. The sum of £1870 was raised during the Patriotic Fund campaign and, in addition, match fees accounted tor almost £100. The prize-winners in the club's competitions included the Hon. A. M- Myers, Minister for Munitions, Colonel Tracy Inglis, Lieutenant-Colonel Hardie Neil, and Captain Goldstein, all of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

In the course of a letter, dated April 14, received by the executive of the Auckland Patriotic Association yesterday from Major J. E. Duigan, commanding the New Zealand Engineer Tunnelling Company, the writer says: "We have now been at the front for a little over a month, and have quite settled down to our work. So far 1 am glad to say we have suffered no casualties of a serious nature."

| A striking appeal to mothers and to teachers for a more careful and sympathetic study of the child was made last night by Dr. Elizabeth McDonald, medical inspector of schools, in the course of an address at a teachers' reunion at the Auckland Training College. "What you are is more important than what you teach," declared the speaker to the teachers present. "You should live so that the child, by daily association with you, becomes more truthful and obedient. The child grows according to the example you set. If you have not in your heart a fine sense of honesty, I would never trust you to teach a little child to bo truthful. It would not do. In dealing with a child it is the spiritual atmosphere that counts. Could anything finer be said of a mother than that her children grew up good, or of a teacher than that children obeyed her through love ? Use patience, insight, and love; study the, child, and try to create an atmosphere in which it will grow towards goodness and virtue. Mechanical obedience is not worth having. Unless a child leaves school with a healthy body, an active mind, and a character fitted to stand the sharp test of contact with the world, are we any further on with our teaching V

A letter was received by the executive of the Patriotic Association yesterday from Captain R. L. Evatt, of the fifteenth ieinforcements, referring to an endeavour to raise funds in Auckland towards the liquidation of the debt on band instruments. It was stated that there was a balance of £110 owing on the instruments. It was decided to reply that the association could not see its way to make a contribution

The great difficulty experienced by the Auckland Education Board in filling the places of the men on active service was commented on by several members at yesterday's meeting, but the general opinion of those present was that no special concessions should be asked for with regard to exemption, when the same difficulties were confronting •so many other bodies. A letter had been received from the Minister for Education asking for information as to the position in Auckland, and it was decided to advise the Department that the board was finding it very hard to replace the teachers who had enlisted.

A decision was arrived at yesterday afternoon by the executive of the Auckland Patriotic and War Relief Association to discontinue the practice of making an allowance to officers to supplement the Government payment of £25 for their active service kit. The matter was brought up by the receipt of application from seven Auckland officers in the fifteenth reinforcements for the allowance. After some discussion the Mayor moved : "That in view of the action and statement of the Minister for Defence, and acting upon the advice of the Advisory Board, no grants be made by this association in connection with the supplementation of the Govern- j ment allowance for officers' equipment." The motion was seconded by Mr. V. J. Lamer and carried.

An unusual letter was received by the Board of Governors of the Auckland Grammar School at its meeting yesterday, when a lady whose son is now on active service, but who, prior to enlisting, was in the service of the board, wrote to the effect that she did not now require the half-pay allotted by the board. In explanation the lady stated that her son had just been promoted and that the pay he would roceive in future was more than his civilian salary. Members of the board expressed pleasure at the spirit shown, and it was decided to thank the writer for her action.

The possibility' of the British naval authorities seeking recruits in the Dominion for the motor-boat patrol service has aroused a good deal of' interest among local motor-boat enthusiasts. Inquiries made yesterday elicited the information that there are a number of men in Auckland who are anxious to offer their services in such capacity. As yet, however, nothing has been heard from the Defence authorities as to whether recruits are to be accepted in New Zealand, or as to the possibility of the officer appointed by the British authorities to secure recruits visitin? the Dominion. It appears that at the time when the national registration scheme was put into operation a large number of motor-boat men, having gleaned from English motor publications that there was a Royal Naval Motor Corps, offered themselves for " motor-boat service." Not one of their number was called up, however, and the statement that there were " more boats than men " has caused considerable surprise. In the meantime, several of these men have gone to the front as infantry. Nevertheless, if the authorities decide to accept recruits in the Dominion there seems little doubt that a number of local men will avail themselves of the opportunity.

One of the most pleasing features of the Navy League's appeal on behalf of naval men and their dependants has been the sympathetic and generous response r ade by country districts. The following letter from the secretary of the Whakatane Patriotic Association was read yesterday at the executive meeting, as showing the spirit in which many similar donations have been made" Sir,— enclose herewith a cheque for £100, being a contribution from the Whakatane County Patriotic Association to the fund for the relief of the dependants of our naval n en. My association is sensible of, and grateful for, the protection afforded to our Dominion and Empire by the decisive action of our grand fleet, and the contribution is but a slight acknowledgment of our indebtedness to the heroes lost on that momentous occasion."

An offer of scholarships to the value of £30 per annum for a period of five years was made by Mr. H. M. Smeeton to the Board of Governors of the Auckland Grammar School yesterday. The conditions attached to the offer were that the money was to be allocated in three amounts of £10 each to boys whose ability and circumstances, in the opinion of the board, warranted assistance. The board accepted -Mr. Smeeton's offer and instructed the secretary to write thanking him for his generosity.

A most interesting souvenir in connection with the recent North Sea battle has been received by Mr. A. Burt, secretary of the Navy Relief Fund, in the form of "a piece of teak from the decking of the Queen Mary, lost in this action. This was brought to Auckland by an officer of the Muritai. On arrival in Auckland he handed it over to be cut up into souvenirs and sold on behalf of the Navy Relief Fund. The matter came before the executive meeting yesterday, and it was decided to submit the wood to a cabinetmaker to be made up into some suitable form of souvenir, for the purpose inindicated.

A letter was received by the executive of the Patriotic Association yesterday from Mr. M. Rollestori, hon. secretary of the Soldiers' Gramaphone Fund, asking for a contribution of £10 10s, the cost of a gramaphone and records. Mr. Lamer said the Advisory Board was strongly of the opinion that these things should be provided by private subscriptions. The request was declined.

An interesting lecture on the work of, th o tyohn Ambulance Association, and Red iSoss Society, and hospital work generally was given by Major C. E. Maguire, superintendent of the Auckland Hospital, to members of the St. John Ambulance Association and the National Reserve, in the ambulance station, Rutland Street, on Wednesday night. There was a large attendance. During the evening Mr. C. J. Tunks, assistant commissioner of the St. John Ambulance Association, announced the receipt through the Auckland Nursing Division .branch of the Queen Mary Sewing Guild of a further sum of £300 to be transmitted to the headquarters of the association for the brigade hospital in France.

An appeal received yesterday by the executive of the Patriotic Association from the Auckland Hockey Association for a grant of £10 to provide hockey sticks for players who had enlisted and are now in the training camps, was referred-to the Women's Patriotic League for consideration.

At a meeting of the Auckland and Suburban Drainage Board last night, a resolution was moved by the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson. and agreed to, placing on record the board's deep sense of the great less to the Empire by the death of Earl Kitchener.