LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17272, 23 September 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

Three English mails are due at Auckland by train this morning. They were brought to New Zealand by the troopships Hororata, Ayrshire, and Tainui. Two Australian mails will be delivered at Auckland to-day. One was landed by the Riverina at Wellington, and the other

arrived here by the Port Albany from Sydney last night. The letter portions only of the mails from the South will arrive here to-day, the newspaper portions being due by to-morrow evening's train. It was not known here yesterday whether the Oorinthic. which arrived at Wellington from England yesterday afternoon, brought an English mail. The curtailment of the gas supply is to be continued until further notice, according to Mr. J. Lowe, engineer to the Auckland Gas Company. Mr. Lowe stated yesterday that the company was not getting nearly enough coal to keep it going. That morning the stocks were down to about 300 tons, little more than a day's supply. The position, however, was relieved by the arrival of the Wauaka, which brought 1200 tons of Newcastle coal for the company. The Katoa also has a consignment of coal for the company, but is not due until Saturday morning."

Very few applications for stock in the Victory War Loan of £10,000,000 wore made at the chief post office yesterday. Thursday is the last day for making investments in the loan, so that greater activity on the part of subscribers may be expected in the next day or two.

Dominion Day was observed yesterday by Government offices with the exception of the post office and Customs Department. The banks and the Auckland Stock Exchange and the Auckland University College were also closed. The holiday is being observed to-day by the members of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Society of Accountants and the land and estate agents and auctioneers, the change having been made to coincide with the landing of Viscount Jellicoe. The School Committees' Association at its meeting last night decided to grant a holiday to the schools under its jurisdiction on Friday next, the day on which Dominion Day "act ally falls.

The tragic fate of the steamer Tainui off the coast of Canterbury last week is vividly illustrated in today's issue of the Auckland Weekly News by a large photograph, showing the burning hull of the vessel lying on the shore near the mouth of the Waiau River. In addition a view is published of the upturned lifeboat of the Tainui, to which Mr. William Farrandwhose portrait is also reproduced—the sole survivor of the crew of nine, clung after his companions had dropped off through exhaustion. Another view shows the spot at Gore Bay, where five of the bodies of the victims were washed up. Admiral Viscount Jellicoe's recent visit to Picton is pictorially represented by two excellent plates, the recent heavy floods at Blenheim are well portrayed by a series rf interesting views of the traffic carried on while the streets were under water. An outstanding feature of the publication is a double-page of glimpses of many picturesque and striking phases of life in the tropical re-ions of Australia. Furthermore, eome very beautiful scenes in many parts of the Dominion are reproduced, while a page of New Zealand child studies is v»ry pleasing. The issue, as a whole, is one of great merit, and should make an appeal to a wide range of readers.

The appointment of specially trained teachers to be responsible for the singing in all primary schools in the city and suburbs was suggested at the meeting of the Auckland Primary School Committees' Association last, evening. The matter was introduced in a remit from the Remuera committee, which urged that, in view of the prevalent harm being done to the singing voices of the children in Government schools by the absence of any scientific method of voice production, the association recommend that one or more specially trained teachers be appointed. The remit was carried.

One of the first men " ashore from H.M.S. New Zealand last evening was a fox terrier, who was extremely active, even though he had the appearance of having been too well fed. He is a most intelligent.looking dog, and while the gangway was being put into place he gave the impression that he thought the sailors might harry with their job. When the gangway was ready he dashed on the wharf with every sign of defiance of authority, and dashed about with all the enthusiasm of a liberty man.

The provision of a municipal creche as a pence memorial in Wellington was foreshadowed by the Mayor, Mr. J. P. Luke M.P., last week, who promised that the question would be placed in detail before the council.

An inquiry regarding the flooding of the Thames River is to be made by the Royal Commission which was appointed last April to investigate the damage done by various rivers in the South Island. The commission comprises Messrs. F W. Furkert, Ashley J. Hunter, and F. C. Hay.

The Cambridge branch of the Returned Soldiers' Association has decided to support the political platform put forward by the Auckland Association.

A petty officer from the New Zealand was an interested listener at the meeting of returned soldiers last evening in connection with the gratuity proposals. " I don't see much wrong with Is 6d a day— £27 a year," he said. " I served with the navy throughout the war and my gratuity was £52. That Ls at the rate of £3 a year.-