LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22431, 29 May 1936, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Technical College Library The gift of a valuable book on typograpliy from tho Auckland Master Printers' Union of Employers was announced at yesterday's meeting of the hoard of the Seddon Memorial Technical College. The principal, Mr. G. J. Park, stated that the book had been placed in the collego library. Ho also mentioned that the library was developing and that £2OO would bo spent on books this year. A full-time librarian was employed. Homework Problem An alternative to the usual varied homework was mentioned at the annual parents' meeting of the Northcote District High School, and was referred to tho committee for consideration. The proposal was that home study should bo confined to some subject in which tho pupil was backward, and that it should include exercises set and corrected by the teacher. The meeting also decided to ask tho Minister of Education, the Hon. P. Eraser,' to make a public statement of his views on homework for primary and also for secondary pupils. A School Teacher's Duty * The assurance that a school teacher's duty did not end when classes concluded for the day was given by Mr. A. B. Floyd, headmaster of St. Heliers Bay school, speaking at a prize-giving function at the school yesterday. He appealed to parents to take a closer interest in the school's activities. Mr. Floyd said many people thought that a teacher worked for only five hours a day. This was not so. A good teacher joined tho children in the playground, and spent his time in thinking and planning for their wellare and that of the school. His duty became much more difficult if parents did not show interest and pride in tho school.

Kindergarten Training A statement that kindergarten training was not a good preparation for an ordinary primary school course, made at a meeting of the Auckland Boys' Employment Committee last night, was described as absurd by Mr. T. U. Wells, president of the Auckland University College Council, and chairman of the Auckland Education Board. rt I used to think," said Mr.. Wells, "that 1 knew a lot about education, but I now think I must know nothing when I hear that kindergarten training is not good. The person who expressed that opinion must have come into contact with a very poor kindergarten. It is an absurd statement.

Fishing in Far South Fishermen report that, contrary to tho experiences ol other years, ' whale feed," which arrives by tho current from the Tasman Sea durijig the summer and then disappears, is still in evidence on outlying fishing grounds of the South, particularly at South Capo Islands and on tho West Coast. While the feed is in evidence, blue cod and other deep-sea fish will not take to artificial bait, Catches have been so poor at the Chalky Inlet fishing station that the men engaged have decided to eeaso for a period in the hope that the "feed" as in previous years will eventually disappear. Tho staff and tho fishermou arrived back at Bluff last week by tho fish carrier Aurora.

From Bullocks to Aeroplanes Having reached the age of S5 years, Mr. W. Higgins, of Middlemarch, Otago, has made what is probably a record number of holiday visits from Central Otago to the North Island town of Taihape. For the past 30 years lie has made an annual rail and steamer trip to tho north on a visit to his daughter. Last week he received an introduction to the most modern method of travel when he left Dunedin for Palmerston North by air. .Mr. Higgms said he had experienced all the forms of transport from tho days when bullock waggons were used to reach Central Otago, but he thought the air would beat them all, and he intended to uso the newly-developed service on all his future visits to Taihape.

Britain's Isolation Removed Tho fact that as a result of the development of air transport Br.tain no longer enjoyed the isolation from European affairs that the English Channel had given in the past was emphasised bv Mr H. Duncan Hall, a member of the Secretariat of tho League of Nations, in addressing the Auckland branch of the Economic Society of Australia and New Zealand last night By this isolation, ho said, Britain had been able to enjoy political stability and had been free to accomplish and benefit from her Industrial Revolution. Now the nation could be "searched out" from any point in Europe in a very short time. With other nations Great Britain was meeting on a common frontier. Mr. Hall asked if people fully realised the effect of the changes in transport upon political relationships.

Railway Telephone Exchange The work of considerably enlarging tho telephone exchange at tho Auckland railway station, which has been proceeding for about two months, was advanced far enough yesterday for the railway portion of tho new equipment to bo used for the first time. Provision has been made for 200 lines in the railway automatic exchange, as well as 20 district lines, giving connections with stations throughout the district. In addition, accommodation can be provided, if required, for 20 public lines inward and 20 outward. Public and railway systems will bo accommodated on a large new switchboard, but the public portion will not bo changed over for a few weeks. Tho installation, which has been a formidable task, will result in improved and more efficient operation of tho service. The exchange will now probably bo tho largest private one in tho city.

Early GgM Prospector While Gabriel Head is generally given the credit for being the discoverer of gold in Gabriel's Gully, at the back of Lawrence, Otago, Edward Peters, or "Black Peter," was tho first man to prospect in tho district, and it was bis work and knowledge that enabled lload to make his famous "strike." At tho seventy-fifth anniversary the other day of the discovery of gold in Gabriel's Gully little was said of tho work of "Black Peter," but during the course of tho celebrations Mr. Harry Hart appealed to those present to do something to show appreciation of the part played by Peters in tho opening up of tho gullv. "1 understand," he said, "that 'Black Peter' is buried at Balclutha. where lie spent tho latter part of his life, and I consider it would bo a kindly and thoughtful gesture if his grave were fpund and a small memorial erected over, it,"-