LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17204, 4 July 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

i The annual reunion of the veterans of the 18th Royal Irish Regiment ■will take place to-day. These reunions, which have been held for a number of years past, mark the anniversary of the landing of 700 officers and men, who subsequently saw stirring fighting in the Waikato War. Today's gathering will commemorate the fifty-flixth anniversary. After the regiment sailed again for Home in 1870 some 300 of them, remained behind, and those who are left of this little pioneer band now meet every year to renew old acquaintance. If the weather is unfavourable this morning the veterans will meet in the Drill Hall at eleven o'clock instead of at the Queen Victoria Statue in the Albert Park. The quarantine station at Motudhi Island is now free of influenza patients. The last remaining case from the Manuka was released from quarantine yesterday. A collision between a motor-ear and an express cart occurred at the intersection of Grafton Road and the bridge shortly after six hast evening. The only damage sustained was to the motor-car. the windscreen of which was shattered and front mud-guards slightly buckled. A City Council by-law signpost was also wrenched out of place. Neither driver was injured The matter of increases to be granted to the four salaried officers of the Tramway Company who are members of the Tramway Officers' Union was left to the City Council when the recent agreement with the men was made. As promised, the council duly attended to the matter, and yesterday notices were sent out to the men concerned informing them as to the increased salaries decided upon. A considerable quantity of combustible material has been offered by residents of Mount Eden and the surrounding districts for use in the rebuilding of the peace celebration bonfire on Mount Eden, which was prematurely ignited on the evening of June 22. Four of the vertical poles that were used in the first pile withstood the fire, and these will be available for sen-ice in the second structure. The matter of a wa( indemnity for New Zealand is the subject of a letter forwarded yesterday by Mr. C- J. Parr, M.P., to the Acting-Prime Minister, Sir James Allen. Mr. Parr inquired if information wpjs available as to what our chief Ministers had accomplished in regard to an indemnity, emphasising that the war expenditure of the Dominion was £80,000,000, in addition to pensions of approximately £2,000,000 a year, besides which there was an immense loss of productive power through 32,000 of our best young men being killed or rendered permanently unfit. The conference to be held between the Northcote and Birkenhead Borough Councils on Tuesday evening was discussed by the Northcote Council last evening. It was decided that the council could not agree to the suggestion by the Birkenhead body that the business at the conference be confined to consideration of the amalgamation proposals. The birth of quadruplets at Ngaruawahia brings to mind the fact that while the birth of triplets is not uncommon, the occurrence of quadruplets is not frequently recorded. Such an event, believed to be the only one for a considerable time, occurred in an Auckland country district a few years ago. The four children, who are "all strong and healthy, are still living. A successful social reunion was held at St. Sepulchre's Church last evening in connection with the annual festival of the church. The vicar, the Rev. W. A. Keay, presided over a large gathering. A musical programme was contributed by the Rev. Jasper and Mrs. Calder and Mr. Nixon, and games and competitions were enjoyed by those present. The proceedings closed "with a sociable dance.

The eleventh hour alteration in the dates of the peace celebrations has caused some perturbation, owing to the small margin of time given in which to make the necessary preparations. The clergy of the various denominations have been taken practically unawares by the substitution of the coming Sunday for August 3 as Thanksgiving Day. Not only have they now to prepare appropriate sermons in the two intervening days, but there is the difficulty of music for the neace services. Most of the Church choirs have been practising for the occasion, but are not yet ready with the special music in rehearsal, and it is doubtful whether they can now be assembled in time to enable the contemplated programmes to l>e sung. The Choral So ciety, also, will be in a similar difficulty in connection with the Te.wn Hall service. The pressing need for increased accommodation at the Girls' Friendly Society Lodge was emphasised in the report of the House Committee presented at the annual meeting last evening. There never had been greater need for a lodge than during the present, period, stated the report, an( it was to be regretted that so many girls had perforce been refused admission owing to limited accommodation. During the last six months 286 girls had slept ?,t the lodge. No visitors had been admitted during the month of November last, as eight of the inmates were suffering from influenza, with only the matron, Mrs. Maynard. to nurse them. The committee tendered its sincere thanks to Mrs. Maynard for her whole-hearted devotion to the work of the lodge, also to Sister Blanche, who h,-.d relieved her during four weeks' absence. "You might as well lock me up in gaol." f?.id p. man charged with drunken- | ness in the Police Court yesterday. The | ac-need had been fined for a similar ; offence earlier in the week, and had then ■ asked for imprisonment also. When again fined 10s ye-te.rde.y the accused re marked ho he left the box. '•That i= no I good to me. I'll come back again on ] Monday." & Ihe desirability of perpetuating the j memory of the late Bishop 0. A. Selwyn, ' bv reelecting the present St. John's Col- . lege building or a portion of it, in ; another part of the college grounds when the proposed new building is erected, was . affirmed by the executive of the Auckland : T'-wn Planning League yesterday. It was ! decided to firing the suggestion before ; the synod and' respectfully urge its adopi lion. I The. overcrowding that is so prevalent ' in Auckland schools was referred to by ; Mr. T. I". Wells yesterday at the annual meeting of the Auckland branch of the ' Educational Institute. investigation of conditions at 54 schools in the Auckland ! district, he said, showed there were 85 ' classes containing between 50 and 60 . hi] | dren. 43 between 70 and 80, 2fi classes ; from 80 to 90. 10 from 90 to 100. and eight with 100 or more pupils. The teach--1 ing in ea< was done by one ■- ertifieated teacher and one assistant. Such a. condition of affairs urgently called for attention. i " The farm is wintering two sheep to the acre, comfortably," said -,i farmer from, the Hokianga district at the meeting of the North Auckland Land Beard yesterday. The commissioner, Mr. E. p. (ireville, asked if there v ere many other places in the district doing as well, aim the farmer replied in the affirmative. M . J. E. Wells, a member of the board, epid there was some exceptionally good land in the district. i