LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17254, 2 September 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

An English mail arrived at Wellington by the Athenic yesterday. The Auckland portion is expected to arrive by the Rarawa to-morrow morning and to be delivered the same day. The Australian mail carried by the Moeraki should reach Auckland at the same time.

The disappearance of a boy of 13, named William Farrell, from his home at Oratia is causing some alarm in the Waikumetp district. The boy left his home on Tuea day last and was -'seen that evening passing through Waikumete toward Auckland. It is stated that the boy, who is very sensitive, received a set-back at school on Monday. He left for school on Tuesday, wearing a grey suit but it was later found that he took a brown suit with him also. He is about 4ft 9in in height and of a dark complexion. A request is made by his fuardian that any information concerning is whereabouts be sent to the Waikumete post office.

" Educationists are notorious for quibbling over matters of routine," said Mr. ! T. U. Wells at a meeting of the Auckland ] Association for the Advancement of Education, last evening. He was endeavouring at the time to find reasons for the falling off in interest in the movement. At some of the meetings, he said, the question of constitution had to be discussed, and apparently the educationists wrangled to such an extent upon it that general interest in the main purpose waned. Mr. Wells and others advocated strongly that business men should be asked to come to the aid of the association to give it driving power. " I believe that the business men," said Mr. Wells, " realise that the advancement of education is vital to the country if it is to hold its own in the economic struggle?that is coming." Miss Butler, in referring to the same matter, said that without the support of business men the community would say, " Here are these cranks out again," but the subject would be no longer a "crank" subject if the business men supported it.

The first Sydney fruit to come direct to j Auckland since the beginning of the seamen's strike arrived here yesterday. The fruit was carried by the R.M.S. Niagara." While the number of men seeking work through the Expatriation Department has been reduced to 121, the total on the register of the Employment Bureau of the Auckland Patriotio Association stands at 366. It is possible that some of these men have secured work and failed to notify the officials, and but it is probable that 300 of the met are still out of work or are subsisting upon the results of casual labour. A large number of the men are seeking light employment. On the list are a number of storemen. horse and motor drivers, shop assistants of a number of kinds, and labourers. An unusual number of applications for exemption from service on the jury were made to Mr. Justice Chapman at the Supreme Court yesterday, when a new jury was being empanelled. Seven men asked to be excused, and with the exception of two His Honor gave his consent. One of these applicants stated that he lived at E'lerslie, and considered that as the prisoner who was to be tried that morning was charged with an offence committed in the Ellerslie district he might be prejudiced toward or against him. His Honor said it was a matter of challenge, and the juryman must take his place among the others. Upon beinc subsequently called the man was challenged by the Crown Prosecutor. Injuries to the thigh resulted in the admission to the Auckland Hospital last night of Mrs. Marion Byrnes, a resident of Balmoral Road, Mount Eden. It is stated that Mrs. Byrnes fell from a box at her residence.

The coal shortage has created a revival of the firewood business in the King Country, writes our Taumarnnui correspondent, and farmers are making money in clearing sections and selling the timber.

A six-days' camp for candidates for non-commissioned appointments on the

permanent staff of the Defence Department opened at Narrow Neck yesterday. During the week the Selection Board, which consists of Colonel H. R. Potter, C.M.G-, officer commanding the district, Lieutenant-Colonel J. G. Duigan, D.5.0., chief staff officer, Lieutenant-Colonel R. A. Chesney, and Major J. A. Wallingford, M.C., will select the Auckland quota of the 80 instructors required.

Twenty cases of influenza were notified to tne district health officer during the week ended noon yesterday. They comprise sight mild and one severe case in the city area, two mild cases at Mount Eden, two raiid at Onehunga, one mild case each at Newmarket, Thames, Te Kuiti, and Te Puke, one "mild and one severe at Tauranga, and one severe case at Ohauiti. Twenty cases were reported during the previous week.

A civic reception will be accorded members of {.he Australian League football team on their arrival from the south, nrobably to-morrow. The test match will be played on Saturday on the Domain. A programme of entertainment of the visitors has been arranged by the Auckland Rugby League.

" Among the working people," said Mr. 0. Mcßrine, at a meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Education, last evening, " there is a keen desire for better education, even if it is not always evident. Better education is vital at present, not only in New Zealand but everywhere. Nothing but true education will save the world."

Four of the Liberal Ministers who resigned last week are, according to custom, entitled to retain the title of " honour-

able." Permission to use the distinction

must be granted by the Sovereign, upon the recommendation of the GovernorGeneral, and sanction is generally given after three years' continuous service as a Minister of the Crown. The Hons W D S. Mac Donald, A. M. Myers G. W. Russell, and J. A. Hanan have been members of the National Ministry since its formation, in 1915. Sir Joseph Ward, as a Privy.Councillor, is Right Honourable. A consignment of 100 quarters of Chevalier seed bailey, sent to New Zealand by Mr. P. J. Mackie, head of a firm of distillers, of Glasgow, arrived in New Zealand by the Port Hacking. The seed, which wag forwarded through the High Commissioner, Sir Thomas Mackenzie, to the Prime Minister, i s to be sold by public auction to farmers in lots of five or ten quarters, and the proceeds, without deduction of any charge whatever, will be devoted to local hospitals. Mr. Mackie states that his object in forwarding the seed is the encouragement of barley growing in the Dominion. Sentences of six months' imprisonment were imposed on two men who were convicted in the Magistrate's Court in Wellington of "ringing the changes" by manipulating a ten-shilling note in making small purchases of fruit and sweets. A constable said that when arrested one man had six packets of fruit and sweets and the other five packets of sweets. Preoccupation with his Parliamentary duties was suggested by Mr. L. M. Isitt, M.P., as a reason for retiring from the Chi istchurch Peace Memorial Committee. " You take it much too seriously," said the Mayor, Dr. H. T. J. Thacker, M.P., " we shall not be there more than about

ten days."

It is the custom for each succeeding Mayor of Chrietchurch to add a link to the gold chain which is worn on official occasions by occupants of the Mayoralty. Three past Mayors—Mr. W. Rcece, Mr. A. E. G. Rhodes, and the Hon. C. LouisRon —have improved the chain by each giving a golden triangle, in which a diamond ie set. The present Mayor (Dr. H. T. J. Thacker) has added a triangle in gold, in \vhifh is set a very fine emerald, surrounded by a circle of diamonds.