GENERAL NEWS.

Otaki Mail, 30 May 1930, Page 1

GENERAL NEWS.

At last meeting of the Wanganui Education Board Air J, IC. Hornblow criticised the action of the member for Palmerston North in writing direct to the Department with regard to a dental clinic at Palmerston North, instead of through the Board, states the Wanganui Chronicle. “Why should a politician interfere with this sort of thing?” he said. Board members might as well stay away and go home if that sort of thing went on. When their car skidded and turned completely over on the Palmerston N.Longbnrn road, two ladies and a young girl Dad a. remarkable escape from serious injury on Thursday evening. Airs R. D. Knight, of Lougburn, received head and.face abrasions which necessitated the insertion of several stitches, while Airs A. Loekie, a cousin of Mrs Knight, of Napier, who was driving the car, escaped ' with severe bruise's. The girl also suffered bruises. All are progressing as well as ea.n be expected.

“I think we’ll have it understood tjiat at any bankruptcy meeting in Christchurch 1 won’t allow smoking,.” said tiie official assignee, Air J. 11. Robertson, at a creditors’ meeting in Christchurch. The lawyers pointed nut that they to smoke in magistrate’s chambers and in the jury room; indeed, the Judges sometimes gave them tobacco. Air Robertson, however, remained firm, although he said he would agree to a quarter of an hour’s adjournment if they wanted very badly to smoke. “Some parents seem to be under a misapprehension as to when their children can leave school,” stated Dr. J. W. Alcllwrith, senior inspector at a meeting of the Wellington Education Board. Dr. Mcllwraith pointed out that the leaving age was fixed at 14 years unless a pupil possessed a certificate of proficiency in standard VI., in which case he could leave when he reached his thirteenth year, but no earlier. A child who gained his proficiency before the age of thirteen could ‘go on to a post-primary school or pass into the seventh standard of.a primary school, but he could not leave school altogether.—Press Association. Ingenuity which wan worthy of a greater cause was evidenced by a Maori girl on the opening day of the recent shooting season. It was in the vicinity of Rangiriri, and She iocjl enthusiasts were up and about at daybreak. On the smaller islands in the river, and in the shallows fringing the hanks, they had taken up their posts, and very soon the fun began. Birds began to fall, and those which fell on the banks were retrieved, but those which landed in the river were never seen again. Sportsmen,’ it -is recorded, wondered at the smallnc-sa of " their bags. Later in the day a girl who had never owrteda gun in her life proudly exhibited over 40 birds to her adroio ing family. She chad hidden her canes in the shallow qf the overhanging wil-ij-.ca ami hero, played the part of a retriever, but not for the sportsmen.

Answering a question as to whether the. Labour Party would vote with Reform on a no-confidence motion to put out the United Government, Air. IL E. Holland, at Frankton. said the 1 party dealt with situations a- they arose and had nut discussed its attitude should such a contingency arise during the coming session. The question was, be said, would Reform support Labour iii its no-confidence motion? It would be foolish, he added, to put Mr. Coate- back on the Treasury benches again with his record of class legislation and geuerai failure. The result of the la-t election was a definite pronouncement ffiotu the ]<eop’e that Mr. Coates and Reform werefinished with. Air. Coates' defeat was so overwhelming as to Iciivo bo doubt ft£ public opinion regarding him. Mr Joseph Ward had failed to keep hi? ylcytiou pledges and be must go. When I he did it would not be a question of 1 Reform going back, but of Labour. (Applause).