LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19203, 17 December 1925, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The primary schools in the Auckland education district will close to-morrow for uie Christmas vacation, re-opening on Monday, February 1. The question of observing half-days during February ha.-> beori left to the discretion of the chairmen of the various school committees and headteachers.

The commencement of holiday excursion fares ori the New Zealand railways yesterday occasioned an unusually large volume of traffic. Both bookings and issues of tickets at the Auckland station were the heaviest experienced for several years and necessitated a considerable increase in the staff of this department alone.

White lines in the centre of the Queen Street footpaths were painted by the City Council staff in the early hours of yesterday morning.' Lines will also be placed ori Karangahapo Road footpaths. It was explained by Mr. G. R. Hogan, chief traffic inspector, that the linos were for the guidance of the large crowds expected in the city during .the holidays. Special patrolmen would also bo placed on duty in an endeavour to enforce the rule and avoid unnecessary congestion. A heavy yarding of cattle was offered at the Wcstfield fat stock sale yesterday and in consequence the market was decidedly easier. Extra prime ox made 34s per 1001b against 36s last week. Prime young cow and heifer beef sold at 28s to 30s, against 30s to 335. Sheep were yarded in average numbers and prices were maintained on a par with those at the previous market, Heavy prime wethers realised 31s and medium 27s to 295. A largo yarding of lambs met with keen competition from butchers and freezing buyers, heavy prime selling from 27s to 29s and light 22s to 265. Pigs maintained last week's prices, choppers making £3 5s to £4 ss; heavy baconers, £4 to £4 8s; heavy j>orkers, £3 to £3 16s.

A return showing the applications from 87 bovs and 227 girls, a total of 314, had been received for employment as probationers was presented to the Auckland Education Board yesterday. For admission to the Training College applications had been received from 19 boys and 27 girls, a total of 46. The chairman, Mr. A. Burns, said that only about 150 of the applicants could be absorbed, which meant 210 disappointed candidates. Three further industrial compensation cases were to have been considered by the Arbitration Court at its present sittings, those of W. T. Pollard v. W. Stevenson and Sons, Edmund Tadbnry v. Leonard and Dingley and Thomas Miller v. the Armstrong, Whitworth Co. It was, however, intimated to the Court yesterday by Mr. ,J. J. Sullivan, counsel for the claimants, that in all three cases settlements had been arrived at. Conversation in Esperanto was the order of the day at a picnic held at Brown's Bay during the week-end. A score of members of the Auckland Esperanto Association made the trip. The fact that the picnickers were able to converse in Esperanto after only six months study of the language was considered striking testimony to the facility with which the language may be acquired. There was loud applause when Professor A. P. W. Thomas, chairman of the Grammar School Board, told the girls of the Auckland and Epsom schools yesterday that he would not inflict upon them a long speech. "Not that I am unable to talk for an hour or two," he added amid laughter. He proceeded to tell of an occasion on which be had been asked by a school of boys to make his speech long. It was a nice hot sleepy day and all the speakers, the chairman included, had cut their remarks conveniently short. Whereupon there were dissatisfied murmurs in the ranks of the scholars and the general wish was expressed that the chairman should proceed at greater length. " I found out,"' Professor Thomas added wryly, "that the boys would have got off their Latin prose hour had I done so." The conveyance of school children is deemed not to be carriage of passengers, but a motor-lorry engaged for the purpose is deemed to be engaged in the carriage of goods, according to a memorandum received from the Education Department by the Auckland Education Board yesterday. The implication that school children are "goods" was, however, sugared by an explanation that this meant that heavy traffic fees for school buses are much lower than they would be otherwise. It was also added that where the bus is the property of the board or the Government no heavy traffic fee is payable. The need of a hostel for girls coming from the country to attend the Auckland Girls' Grammar School was emphasised by the retiring headmistress, Miss W. Picken, at the breaking-up ceremony yesterday. Pupils came to the school from the very Far North and from as far south as Taupo and the Bay of Plenty. "It is difficult." said Miss Picken, "for many of them to find homes suitable from the point of view of comfort, economy, facility for work, and proper supervision at an age when it is specially needed. Now that both boys' schools are supplied, 1 hope the board of governors will face the urgent need for girls. Meanwhile I wish that some private establishment could be Found which would take a considerable number of girls, and which could be under the official sanction of board and principal. I leave this matter in the hands of my successor." | The question of the admission of school children free to the zoo, when accompanied by teachers, and for educational purposes, was raised at last night's meeting of the Primary School Committees' Association. Mr. H. Scott, Grey Lynn, in moving a resolution advocating the concession, said he considered the City Council would be doing a very wise thing iu acceding to the request as the educational value to the children would be very great. It was agreed to ask the council for the privilege, at hours suitable to the authorities. To a scholar attending the Waitaki Boys' High School, James Munro Bertram, Oamaru, has been awarded the first prize in the boys' section in a British Empire essay competition recently organised by the Society of Women Journalists. The competition was divided into three sections, adults, boys and girls, prizes of £SO and £25 being offered to the winner!} of the first section and £lO to each of the winners of the second and third divisions. The generosity of Viscount and Viscountess Buraham provided the prize-money.