LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20364, 19 September 1929, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Tlio Union Company's cargo steamer I'oolta, which is expected at Auckland from Newcastle this evening or to morrow iriorniiig, has 41 hags of Eastern and Australian mail for New Zealand. The mail was sent from Sydney to Newcastle early last week, when it was thought that tho vessel would clear Newcastle on tho luesday. H'owcver, loading was delayed by rain, and the Poolta did not sail until four o'clock on Friday afternoon, three hours after the Ulimaroa left Sydney for Wellington. The Ulimaroa. reached Wellington early on Tuesday morning, and mail brought by her arrived at Auckland by train yesterday morning.

Recent wrostling matches in Auckland were referred to by Mr. H. G. R. Mason, Labour member for Auckland Suburbs, in the House of Representatives yesterday. He gave notice to ask tho Minister ofi Justice, the Hon. T. M. Wilford, whether he would consider taking steps to prohibit public exhibitions in which the infliction of pain to the limit of endurance seemed an essential element.

A complaint made by the Point Chevalier School Committee that children were forced to lie on the ground for drill under the new physical training exercises was referred to by Mr. C. W. Garrard, senior inspector of schools, in a report submitted to the Auckland Education Hoard yesterday. Mr. Garrard said that the new scheme providod for sitting exercises to bo taken only when conditions were suitable. It was decided to ask the senior inspector to explain tlie new system at the next meeting of the board.

Stormy weather is being experienced at sea and is delaying shipping. The Commonwealth and Dominion Line steamer Port Victor, which reached Auckland from New York yesterday morning, encountered a succession of westerly gales and high head seas during the last week of tho voyage, tho conditions being very stormy on Tuesday. The decks were repeatedly flooded by waves breaking on board, but no damage was done. The vessel arrived with a heavy list to port owing to some of the cargo shifting, but she soon straightened up at the wharf after cargo operations had been commenced. Tho Federal Line steamer Papanui, which was expected at Auckland from Liverpool early in the week, reported by wireless at first that she would arrive at noon to-morrow, but a further report received yesterday states that she will not arrive until midnight to-morrow.

The annual term examinations at the Auckland University College will commence on October 10 and continue until October 22. This year the regulation requiring exempted students to sit for the term examinations has been reintroduced, and in addition to the examinations in Auckland special examinations for exempted students will be held in various provincial centres. The degree examinations of the University of New Zealand, which last for a fortnight, will commence on November 1.

The desirability of discussing in committee all appointments such as to the higher positions at the Auckland Training College was brought under the notice of the Auckland Education Board yesterday in a letter received from the Education Department. Particular reference was made to the board's action in discussing in "open board" the appointment of Mr. F. C. Lopdell as vice-principal of the college, when the appointment had yet to receive the sanction of the department. The letter was received, the chairman, Mr. A. Burns, remarking that the publicity might embarrass the department in the event of any change.

During the year ended March 31 644 letters addressed to persons or firms, the transmission of correspondence for whom is prohibited under the Post and Telegraph Act, were intercepted and forwarded to the Dead Letter Office. The letters, for the most part, were addressed to agents of art unions or lotteries in other countries. Some were addressed to recognised i "quacks," while others were addressed to persons who deal in objectionable books or pictures, or who are engaged in fraudulent business. This information is given in the annual report of the Postal Department.

The To Awamutu District High School Committee has decided to telegraph to the Hon. H, Atmore, Minister of Education, again calling attention to tho serious overcrowding of the infant school, • and urging that tho Minister should expedite the erection of the two extra classrooms at tho main school authorised several months ago. Tho Education Board will also be asked to provide a marquee for erection noar the infant school to temporarily relieve the congestion. .

" The Dominion's fat lamb trade has increased very rapidly during recent years," a Waitotara farmer stated (he other day. Ho said- it was a trade which had to be fostered, and that could not he done if every farm were reduced to 20 or 30 acres. He considered that a too intenso prosecution of a closer settlement policy would mean danger to the fat lamb trade. He agreed with closer settlement in the main, but insisted that prices had to bo reasonable, and, above all, settlers had to bo of the right calibre. Even under tlio best of conditions, inexperienced farmers would never survive for long.

Blenheim is "on tho map " of tho world's aviation centres, but it is apparent that some people in the United States do not know in what part of the map to look for it. The Marlborough Aero Club has received a letter from Philadelphia addressed "Marlborough Airport, near Blenheim, Australia." Tho postal officials evidently know more than tho man who addressed the letter, for it went straight to its intended destination.

A successful experiment in the use of carrier pigeons for communication between aircraft in flight and their homo aerodromes was made by tho Marlborough Aero Cluft last week. One of tho Blenheim pigeons liberated from a Moth in flight over Packakariki arrived home promptly, before dark. Tho other, which was liberated over Pahnerston North, was evidently overtaken by darkness, but it returned to its loft tho following morning. The pigeons aro tho property of Mr. K. Patchott, who is co-operating with tho Marlborough Aero Club in its experiments. It is'proposed to train tho birds in picking up bearings from the air by taking them up in flights over Blenheim from time to time and releasing them at varying altitudes. When the system is perfected one or two pigeons will be placed aboard all aircraft taking off on cross-country flights from the Blenheim aerodrome.