LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18046, 22 March 1922, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Three English mails have reached Auckland within the last two days, one via Australia and two by direct steamers. Tlje Remuera arrived from Southampton early on Monday morning with 465 bags, and the R.M.S. Makura arrived a few hours later from Sydney with 120 bags. Yesterday the Zealandic arrived from Liverpool with 180 bags. The mails were despatched from London as follows:—The Remuera's on February 2, the Makura's on February 9, and the Zealandic on Fobruaiy 10. Two other English mails will reach the Dominion this week, The Paloona is due at Wellington from Melbourne to-morrow, 90 bags being for Auckland. The R.M.S. Tahiti is due at Wellington from San Francisco on Saturday with 659 bags from England, as well as other mail. A young woman, Miss Rose Hunter, was picked up in Manukau Road, Parnell, shortly after ten o'clock last night, in an injured condition. £he stated that she had been knocked down by a motor-car. She was found to be suffering from a fractured leg and slight injuries to the head, and was couveyed to the Auckland Hospital. " The Minister was delighted with the working of the holiday scheme for nurses," said Mr. W. Wallace, chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board, at the meeting last evening, in referring to the recent visit by the Minißtor for Health, the Hon. C, J. Parr, to the hospital. "He expressed himself as proud that the Auckland Board was the first in the Dominion to give full offect to the proposal for allowing nurses one day off duty in each week." A resolution of sympathy with the family of the late Mr. Thomas Peacock was passed by the Auckland Hospital Board last evening. It was mentioned that Mr. Pcacck was a member of the first committee of management of the hospital in 1883,. and retired when the Hospital Board was treated in 1886. A letter from the superintendent of Mercantile Marine, read at Monday night's meeting of the New Lynn Town Board, asked on what grounds the board had authorised the taking of shell from below high-water mark on one of the beaches The writer considered it a great pity that Home of the beautiful beaches around Auckland were becoming denuded of shell. No more shells would be allowed to be taken from below high-water mark. The chairman said he thought satisfactory provision could be made for future supplies of shell, and the maWcr was left in his hands to arrange. The hide sales fixed for yesterday were postponed owing to the wool sale in Auckland. They will not be held until Tuesday, April 4. The Plunket Society has extended its usefulness to Northcote, where a hranch has just been formed. Arrangements have been made for a nurse to attend at central premises one afternoon a week. That the members of the Auckland Football Association are not divided on the question of Empire, was amply demonstrated at that body's annual meeting last evening. By unanimous consent the meeting was brought to a close by the enthusiastic singing of the National Anthem. A headmaster's responsibility with regard to the education of pupil-teachers and apprentices is the subject of a circular issued by the Director of Education, Mr. John Caughley, to senior inspectors. Mr. Caughley points out that head-teachers are required to see that the necessary instruction is given to all trainees, and that those who matriculated before appointment should sit for their D. certificate at the end of their first year, and then go to the training college. Reference is made to the fact that in some districts failures by this class of teacher were unknown, while in others they were far too numerous. Strict observance of the regulation fcr four hours' teaching and one hour's study is enjoined. Assistant teachers are to assist in the instruction and to give the trainees' work kindly criticism, while the tatter are not to be "allowed to attend technical whool classes without the permission of the Board of Education. One of the exhibits brought back from America by Mr. H. A. Ward, of the Wellington City milk department, was a sealed test tube, containing in sections all the elements contained in milk. The top section shows the ash, and next in order downwards are shown the albumen, sugar, casein, and fat. Such tubes aro used in the schools in educating the children as to the constituents of milk, and the properties possessed by each. It is claimed that by this means the children can be taught at a glance almost the elements of the most nutritive food known to mankind. An inspector for the Health Department discovered at Petone last week a father, a mother, and six children inhabiting one room, "with use of kitchen." The children's ages ranged downwards from eight arid a-balf years. The living room was 12ft. by 12ft., and the inspector declares that it contained three double beds. The South Island oyster season opened on March 1. The Dunedin Bupply is from beds round Stewart Island—beds from which the oysters have to be laboriously dug out—these oysters being quite different from the drift oysters found off Timaru and at other spots on this coast, says a Southern paper. Rough weather has somewhat interfered with the oyster dredging so far this year; still, the supply is of fair quantity, and the quality is very satisfactory, much more so than the first of the season used to be when the taking commenced in February. The total space applied for by Nnfeon fruit-growers in connection with this season's export of apples to England is 83,000 cases. The quantity conJng forward, however, is 100,000 cases, with several thousand half-cases of pears in addition. Efforts are being made to secure additional steamer space. The Government staff on tho Milford track have finished their season's work in consequence of the closing of the track, says a southern paper. The total number employed on the track last season was 16. This includes those in charge of Glade Houbo, which will be untenanted for some time to come. The house lias been wired in to keep off wild goats, which are fairly numerous in that part of the country, and which with mice constitute the only pests which give the temporary tenants of the house any bother. The goats cause a considerable amount of damage to the surrounding bush, particularly the undergrowth, but they make away when a human being puts in an appearance. During the season just dosed, however, one goat refused to be hurried off the track and caused so much trouble to tourists that the manager of the house Went after him with a gun- However, the animal had migrated elsewhere by the time the hunter arrived, and the chase had to be abandoned. A Patea resident, while walking near the edge of the cliffs at the Heads, picked up a tunic button with the crest of the 18th Royal Irish Regiment ob it. This regiment was camped in the vicinity somo 60 years ago. Weanei steers are apparently not worth rearing at present. At the Levin stock sale last week a pen were sold for 9s, the only bid. "* Well, that is the death-knell for next year's bull calves," said the owner disgustedly, " I wish I bad knocked these on % head long . " ■