LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5730, 27 October 1905, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho Government has appointed two inspectors to inquire into the affairs of the North Island District Grand Dodge, U.A.O.D. Mr T. E. Donne has lent to the Education Board a collection secured by him in St. Louis of tho work of American school children, chiefly drawing, writing, and woodwork. It is now in the Education Board office. The Education Board has decided to make alternative proposals to the Government regarding the education of the children at Poroutawhao: (1) To erect a native school there, or (2) to arrange for tho children being convoyed to Levin. The amount of dairy produce shipped in tho colony by the Paparoa, which sailed for London yesterday afternoon, was not up to the average to be expected at this period of tho year. It is anticipated, however, that the next shipments will show a marked improvement. Tho Land Board yesterday consented to tlio Elretahuna County Council taking part of section 19 (Tararua) and 21 (Mangaone) for the purpose of giving access to these sections by way of a suspension-bridge over the Manjmtai,noka. river. Tho Board authorised the amendment of leases affected'after completion.

Owing to the Education Board’s specifications for the ' "orthland School not complying with tho builders’ now conditions of contract, no tenders were sent in. Tho Board has authorised tho erection of tho school under tho supervision of tho clerk of works. The chairman: “The trouble is that tho job is hung up.” Members of tho Education Board were taken by surprise yesterday when tho school committee at Carterton forwarded a letter of thanks for the exertions of the Board in tho matter of tho high school. “Well, Mr Chairman,” said Mr Hogg, “I am almost inclined to move that that letter be framed. Letters of thanks are so rare.” Tho Hon Mr Pitt, Attorney-General, informed tho Legislative Council yesterday that £15,201 had been paid for tho Spottswood estate,'New Plymouth. The average rental being received amounted to 25s per acre, and the improvements made were valued at £2002. It is tho intention of tho Government to bring the estate under the Workers’ Dwellings Act. A letter was received by the Land Board yesterday from the Pahiatua County Council, stating that the forest reserve adjoining the Hall block should be vested in them, in order to preserve tho bush and bridge. As this is a State forest reserve, it was decided to inform the Council that the Board had no power to grant their request, and to point out thht it would require special legislation to do so. The Education Board yesterday threshed out the question whether country schools ought to he let for entertainments and meetings. Mr Hogg strongly opposed the use for this purpose of buildings which were constructed specifically for education. Sir Vile put in a word about using the buildings for political speeches. It was considered that to stop the practice would he a hardship in places where there was no public hall, but the committees should be held responsible for the furniture.

Finance was the only matter that occupied the attention of the College Governors yesterday morning. The last balance at the bank was £1723 6s Bd. Out of that, payments were made for the college to the extent of £321 19s Bd, and to the Girls’ College, £258 2s 2d, reducing the balance to £1143 4s lOd. College arrears and third-term fees amount to £250 10s 4d, and thcee from the Girls’ College to £l3O 17s 4d. Those amounts, together with the rents due (£213 8s 8d), bring the total credit up to £1738 Is 2d. The statement was certified as correct and agreed to.

The fifty-second anniversary of St. John’s Church will he commemorated by the services to he held next Sunday, and by a social meeting on Tuesday evening. At the latter meeting Dr Gibb will deliver a lectnrcltc. “Tho Choice Things of Robert Burns,” illustrated by choruses and songs. During the quarter ended September 30th the revenue of tho Post and Tele, graph Department was £128,406 —postal £88.215. telegraph £-15.191. The Savings Bank deposits amounted to £1,722,500, and withdrawals to £1.505,15-1. Tho discount stamps sold wen to tho -value of £967—£919 being taken in Wellington. Tho Wellington Dentists’ Association has a scheme on hand for the examination of tho teeth of about throe thousand school children, the intention being to supply tho parents with duplicate sheets, allowing tho results of tho examinations. In pursuance of this scheme the association applied to the Board yesterday for tho necessary permission. Mr McDonald and slr Vila both objected strongly to granting anything in the shape of a monopoly to “unions” of any kind. It was decided by four votes to two to grant the desired permission. It will not take more than two houre for each school. Mr D. Nathan, writing from London, says that to tost tho value of highpressure gas for illuminating tljo streets, in comparison with lighting l/y electricity', interesting experiments were to be made by tiie Londbn City Corporation last month. Queen Victoria street and a portion of Queen street were to bo lighted by 45 high-pressure gas lamps instead of tho twenty-seven existing electric arc lamps : Fleet street by thirty-four incandescent gas lamps, in place of the twelve electric ara lamps; and Lower Thames street, from Fish street Hill to Billingsgate Market and Monument street, by thirty-three high-pressure incandescent gas lamps. A 1000 candle-power lamp was to bo placed on each of tho resting-places in front of Billingsgate Market, in placa of the present eight electric arc lamps. If tho experiments turned out successful, it-was estimated that a considerable saving of public money would result. At a meeting of delegates to th«l Wellington Rugby Union, held lash night, “rough play” and “Rugby roughs” came in for some consideration. Hr John Grant mentioned a matter. which, ho said, was being freely discussed in town. Ho alluded to tlu* disqualification of an Oriental player who had been suspended till June, 1906, for allegedly striking an Old Bay player. H<v said tho player reported to have been struck had written! a letter saying that ho was not struckHe moved “That it he a recommendation to tho New Zealand' Union that the disqualification be removed.” Th« question of evidence concerning rough play thou arose, exception being taken by some delegates to the law that a player reported for such conduct may not bring evidence except to provM provocation. One speaker said such rulings wore doing great harm to football. There was not the enthusiasm now there used to he. It was a difficult ’task to get men to go to the gymnasium, because if a player became* “fit” he was frightened to run fash—’ to play “hard”—for fear of disqualification. A member of the Management 1 Committee pointed out that during lost season nobody had been ordered bffSthe field for rough play, but foul play which 1 had been detected had been punished., After further discussion, Mr Grants motion was carried.

Mr T. W. McDonald brought iip n(i tho Education Board yesterday "pa case of a teacher holding the position of commander of a cadet battalion. Trim was refused leave by his headmaster to attend a function at which his battalion furnished the guard of honour. . Mr McDonald considered, if a teacher •was not to get leave for such an occasion, he should he told at once that he could, not hold tho position. The chairman stated that he bad teen waited on by the teacher, and he had granted permission, but, on seeing tho correspondence between him and tho headmaster, ho cancelled the permission. The application to the headmaster said nothing whatever about attending in an official capacity. It said: “I am invited ‘to lunch with his Excellency the Governor to-morrow at 1 p.m. I should bo glad to have leave for the whole or part of the. afternoon.” The headmaster’s re. ply was that he could not recommend the application at such a busy time. Mr Hogg: “That’s very bad taste, indeed. Was it necessary, Mr Chairman, that you should be dragged into this at all.” Mr Allan: “Absolutely unnecessary,” Mr Hogg: “It seems to mo that it’s a bit of indiscretion.” The chairman : “There was absolutely nothing in the letter to show that it had anything to do with an official function.” Tho chairman’s action was confirmed. ,Mr McDonald gave notice to move 'that, leave bo granted automatically where an officer requires to attend a function with any part of his command. Our Great Clearing Sale now in full swing; Chests Drawers 27s Gd, Occa--sional Suites £IO.—II. Fielder and Co. 1 , ' /u. 1 To-day, "st" 2' p.m.." at their room*, FcatherSon street. Messrs 3. 11. Bethuno and Co. will hold an. auction sale of high-class modern, furniture. Full parti-. culars appear in the advertisement. Applications are invited for the use of the Opera House on November 3rd and 4tb. There are offices to let in the T. and G. Mutual Life Buildings, 86, Lr.mblon quay. To-day and to-morrow Messrs Lovien. Shallcrass and Co. will hold a sale of millinery, drapery, bools and sundries. Messrs W. H. Morrah and Co. will sell to-day fi'.e oil-paiutinga by W. Q. Baker. Suratura tea is advertised as "the morning refresher." Grey dress tweeds are the subject of an advertisement by Ml C. Smith, Cuba street.

A sawmill owner is wanted by Mr C.. H. Clinkard, of Devonport, Auckland, to contract for cutting out a bush to the north of Auckland. The International Correspondence Schools, of Scranton, U.S.A., set out in another column the advantages to the student of their system of instruction. Messrs Dwan Bros, advertise for sale a large sheep run near Blenheim, and farm properties near Masterton and Waikanae.

To-morrow is announced as the closing day of Hannah’s shoe sale. Many additional bargains in all grades of boots and shoes are advertised. The Globe Proprietary Co. has a number of businesses for sale.