LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18090, 15 May 1922, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Two passenger steamers from Sydney will arrive ;it, Auckland next. week. The 'R.M.S. Maknra and tho inter-colonial steamer Manuka will both leavo Sydney on Thursday, and will be duo hero next Monday, tho former in tho morning and tho latter in the afternoon.

The Main Trunk express for Wellington last night was a heavy train. It consisted of the Governor-General's carriage, two sleepers, and 1.1 ordinary passenger carriages. About 4% people travelled by tho train.

A personal examination of the conditions of the berthing of overseas vessels at the Auckland wharves was made by the Minister for HcaJth, tho Hon. C. <1. Parr, on Saturday evening. When questioned on the subject last evening the Minister said his inspection had satisfied him tha-t, the regulations framed to prevent rats from getting ashore from vessels were not being carried out in some instances. Ho ".vas remaining in Auckland until this evening, ho said, in ordor to look further into the matter.

No further news of th«( stolen yacht R;iata has been received at Auckland. The Tredenharn, which, arrived from New Orleans on Saturday, saw no signs of the littlo craft.

A revival in tho sport of hunting was manifested on Saturday at 'tho opening meet of tho Pakuranga Hunt at Pakuranga. There was a very largo attendance at the hunt luncheon, where tho speeches of tho Governor-General, Lord .Jellicoe, and tho master of tho hunt, Mr. H. Bullock Webster, aroused considerable enthusiasm. A very enjoyable run followed, hounds killing their hare during tho afternoon.

A difference between tho old and 'the new systems of instructing " tiny tot« " was remarked upon by tho Minister for Education at the opening of the now infant school at Henderson on Saturday. In tho old days, as ho well remembered, said Mr. Parr, the infants wero required to sit stiff and rigid. This strict discipline, so contrary to tho nature of tho little scholars, was being replaced by tho principles of tho Montessori system. 'This system, he added, aimed at developing the mind of the young child in tho most natural manner and tho result was that while he was apparently playing ho was really learning. Fine weather was experienced at Auckland from '1 hursday morning until yesterday evening. The wind has been blowing from the north-oast sinco Saturday morning, with heavy clouds banking up in that direction. Rain fell at 6 p.m. yesterday, but it lasted only a short while, though the conditions were threatening up to late hour. 'I he barometer, which registered 29.80 in. last Monday, rose until mid-day on Saturday, when it registered 30.40 in. It then fell slightly, last night's reading being 30.25 m.

An outbreak of fire occurred yesterdav morning in a corrugated iron wash-house situated in Brighton Eoad, Parnell. The wash-house is a separate building from the house, wnich is owned and occupied bv Mr. S. Donaldson. The City and Parneil brigades attended the fire, which was extinguished before much damage had been done. The outbreak was caused by sparks from the copper fire setting alight somo firewood.

I Tho policv of the Education Department ■ in regard to teachers' residences was explained by tho Minister in his interview with tho Stanley Bay School Committee on Saturday. It waa suggested that a house on a site that was desired as a new playground might be utilised as a teacher's residence, but Mr. Parr said the department did *not favour the provision of more residences for teachers. There were at present, ho said, no fewer than 160 teachers' ! residences empty in various parts of the Dominion.

Tho acceptance of a tender from a Wellington firm for 1624 tons of steel was announced at the meeting of tbo Auckland Harbour Board in April. It has since been suggested in Wellington that this order, which will be filled by a Scottish firm, was something exceptional, in that the board was going further afield than Australia for the goods. The circumstances, as explained from (he noint of view of tho Auckland Harbour Board, wero that the steel was for tho Prince's Wharf. The Broken Hill | Company was to have supplied the whole ;of the steel for this purpose. Owing to the closing of the Broken Hill works tenders wero calfed, and that of the Wellington firm accepted in the ordinary wav. Large orders for steel, it was explained. havo been placed by the board itself within comparatively recent times, delivery to bo from both Britain and Canada-.

The progress of Henderson was illustrated by some figures that were quoted at the opening of tho new infant school in that rising district on Saturday. The chairman of 'the school committee, Mr. R. Carey, said the number of children attending tho Henderson school two years ago was only about 100, but it had now risen to 274. The district, ho remarked, was growing so rapidly that 'the committee would soon be again knocking at the doer of the Education Board and the department for further accommodation. Tho importance of adequate provision beintf made for iibrary accommodation at tho Supremo Court, in connection with the present alterations to the Court buildings, was impressed upon tho Hon. C. ,T. Parr durintr his visit to Auckland by the president of the Auckland Law Society, Mr. .T. Alexander, and Mr. A. H. Johnstone. It was stated that in proportion to the number of legal practitioners the library accommodation at Auckland was the poorest in New Zealand, and that it was essential it should not be further limited. Mr. Parr was informed that tlio Minister for Justice had given an assurance that tho City Council's section adjoining uie Court would be acquired for the purpose of a suitable building, tho cost of whic/t, with tho necessary accommodation, estimated at about £9COO. Mr. Parr, who admitted that the present accommodation was quite inadequate, said ho would bring tho matter before tho Minister for Justice. A fine instance of what may be accomplished by a large firm having sincerely j at heart the interest of its employees was related on Saturday by Miss Jean Stevenson, Y.W.C-A. industrial secretary. Some months ago the Kaiapoi Woollen Company brought out from England a number of workers for its mill at Kaiapoi, and in order to overcame the/difficulty of accommodation, bought a fine old home with a large garden, equipped it, and handed it over to the Y.W.C.A. to be used a.s a hostel for any girl going to Kaiapoi to work, and also as a community centre for the girls of the town. The home contains accommodation for 24 girls, and will bo self-supporting. " The opportunities for social intercourse are always very limited in small country towns," said Miss Stevenson. " and we 'hope to be ablo to make life much brighter for the girls by arranging classes, lectures, and social gatherings, with plenty of diversion in the way of sports and outdoor recreation." It is reported that, the opening of the Otiia Tunnel will result in the building of a new and considerably larger station at Greymouth. Great changes wi'i also take place at Elmer lane, to which place the locomotive workshops and other departments will be transferred. The. latest competitor of the railways is a regular car service between Wanganui an<] Palmerston North. This is only one of the munv services which is seriously redueiiiir the Railway Department's revenue. The Levin Dairy Company is forwarding its butter to Wellington by motor-lorry, with the result thai Ihe butter is in cool store at 2 p.m. on the day of shipment, instead of being in the railway trucks all night. Vegetables and eggs are also being taken down. On the return trip tho, lorries carry cbicflv benzine. Shannon is also receiving and sending a good deal of goode by road.