LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18388, 2 May 1923, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

; : (' The arrangements for the laying of the foundation-stone of the new University Arts Building were discussed at a special meeting of the University College Council yesterday afternoon. It was decided to invite the Prime Minister i to- perform the ceremony on a date to be fixed by him on the occasion : of;:his : visit :to Auckland three weeks il hence. Good • progress '■■; is beiiiij' made with ; the erection of the buildings. ;. The supplies of Mount Somers stone now coming to hand satisfactory in regard to.. both quantity ; and quality. The foundation-stone will be of Coromandel granite. - " ,: \ : ..'■..;.:. v ; - 5 >

; ; A - decision '{■ to erect an up-to-date hall costing £3000 for the Dominion Eoad Methodist Sunday-school ; was reached at a meeting held at the Methodist Church last evening.'• For' some time, the : school, which has a; roll of, v >'4oo, has been-meet-ing in inadequate premises at the rear of the church. The new building will be erected on an adjoining section. The sum ■: promised .at ,the : meeting yesterday was £564, while other donations bring the total up to £1155. ,

Two waterside '-..workers were admitted to the Auckland ' Hospital yesterday suffering from injuries ;. sustained ; while at work. ; '; Mr. J. Smith, of France. Street, Newton, was caught between two trucks on the King's Wharf about three o'clock, and sustained injuries to his leg. An injured right arm and leg, the result of a fall down the hold of the steamer Waiwera, were sustained by. Mr. Harry Abbott at about -10: p.m. He resides at No. 78, Beresford Street. A glare in the sky in the direction .of Birkdale attracted attention of passengers on ferry boats early last evening. Inquiries made at Birkenhead showed that a scrub fire at Birkdale was responsible. ■~:..• The I unsatisfactory 'v sanitary arrangements at the Grafton school were referred to at the annual meeting of householders, and it was decided to ask the Department of : Education to instal a modem system without further delay. Failing this being done it was urged that the new committee should call a meeting of householders with a view- to the taking of further action. The meeting also decided: to j request the Minister to issue a regulation j making it compulsory for teachers to furnish parents and guardians: with ;• periodic : reports, showing the progress of pupils.'; < ■■'■ ~■, ; The police stations at Birkenhead and Northcote ; have been connected with the all-night telephone service,; as the result of representations made by the Northcote Borough Council. ; This , will be a great convenience ; to. these districts in I emergencies, 1 such as serious accidents or fires. ; : In the course of a speech at a farmers' meeting :• •'.' at -; : Invercargill, ■;; Sir Walter. , Buchanan, who is at present visiting \ Invercargill, became reminiscent and told his hearers that it 'was 60 years ago; since . he had first lar .1 at the Bluff from Victoria. The !. town of Invercargill was then, : said Sir Walter, a city to be, and the present Tay Street—he presumed that it was the : :same place —was .nothing; but a sea of mud.; During ■;': his fortnight's stay in Invercargill at that time Sir Walter stated that he had seen ■ only one woman pass along the road, and so ' deep was , the mud that she was ; compelled to wear knee boots. •:-.■. ;u-:',"";;' :':'.' .- .

;:'?A suggestion that in future AnzacDaj should be" observed on the Sunday nearest to April 25, is to be made to the Prime Minister by the Soldiers' Mothers' League. The ; reasons y given for : the proposal are that: the: majority /of returned soldiers belong to the labouring classes who -. can least t afford the loss of a day's wages; and further, that as the landing at'Gallipoli was effected on a Sunday, that day is ! the most suitable for the annual cele- : bration. •" It '.■ is also urged -: that? the selection of the nearest ; Sunday i would give more adequate , recognition to , the services of those: soldiers"; who were not present at the Anzac landing. ' v

fy On« of the largest schools in , the North Island ■• is the Hamilton ' East _: school. It had an average"roll number: of 733 during the last year, with an average attend-* ance of '652. .The school had a very successful -; year. :v": Out of 57 f pupils presented, 49 gained proficiency certificates. : The: first : basket • ball '■■■ team won the district championship cup : with an unbeaten recdrd, while': the first football fifteen won. the Howden Cup. S The-Parker Hill prize for singing was also won by the school choir at the last Winter Show. ' ' During the course of a speech at Waimate,' Dr. ; Wylie, president of . the Waimate branch ;s of the Returned; Soldiers' Association, said lhe :' would like to tell them of a little episode that occurred that afternoon. A fnend of : his met; a man who, needless: to say, vas net a returned soldier, and asked him if he were coming to the " smoko " that evening. "What 'smoko' is* that?" his friend ; inquired. He was promptly informed that it was a smoke concert tendered; to General Sir Andrew Russell. r." Oh /replied the ignorant one. "Is that /the chap who used to keep the cake shop in the main street?" This story,: said: Dr. ; Wylie, could be vouched for by a clergyman ; present that evening. General Russell laughed heartily at the narrative. -

The familiar twin poles which * stood >by the wireless station on the highest point of the : Tinakori bills, Wellington, for many years; have been dismantled, and -the new-; ste'el tower aerial, with its um-brella-like antennae, is now in use; There are four main wires in 1 the antennae, and these are / temporarily tied to fences and posts, but ultimately they will be attached to steel posts/ two to the north and two to the south of the -tower, from 30ft. to :50ft.: in height./ Officials : state that the station is working up to its maximum efficiency with the new tower aerial.

A scheme for laying out and equipping a portion of the Grafton school grounds for the exclusive use; of the infant department was placed before the annual meeting k of householders by Mr. S. J. Marks, on behalf of the Hopper Memorial Fund Committee. He explained that ; the work would be commenced at an early date, and he appealed for financial assistance to enable the' scheme to Be";' carried , out in a manner that; would do justice to the memory of ■ the late Miss E. M. Hopper, who -was infant mistress at the school for thirty years.

' A weasel: is described by the dictionary as " a small carnivorous animal akin to the ferret." A Gore resident uses much stronger language than that when speaking of. the pest to his friends. The other night there was a terrific noise in his fowl-house. In the dark hours he visited his feathered friends, but failed to locate the disturbing element. In the morning nine of the best birds were found dead. The following night the performance so far as noise was concerned was repeated. The poultry fancier again went to the yard, and 'by the aid of the stars he espied the intruder. A pick-handle was used, and one lucky blow ended the weaseL

One of the greatest hopes for the success of the bird-protection movement in New Zealand lies in the education of the young. The Bird Protection Society is meeting with gratifying encouragement in its endeavours to promote such education. One gentleman who is prominently connected with the training of teachers, already gives this work special prominence in his training jin native study, and the society has received requests from other sources for photographs or lantern slides for illustration and lecture purposes, so that the study of bird-life may be made interesting. Boy Scout organisations have also displayed keen ' interest. In England there is a special badge for the scout who qualifies as a "bird-warden" by studybirds and protecting : them. A proposal has been made that a similar badge should be offered in New ; Zealand, or possibly bird-life should be one branch of study for a "forest-warden's" badge. Much support is being received in all quarters for the proposal to institute a bird day, so that children may have their, attention specially dra-wxi *© 4h» valoa of bird-lifa.