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Otago Witness, Issue 3276, 27 December 1916, Page 39

Tho Right Hon. Mr Massey has sent the following cablegram to Mr G. A. Lamb (secretary of tho South Island Dairy Association) in reply to Mr Lamb's cablegram pointing out tho probable difficulty ahead in securing shipping freight for cheese:— " President of Board of Trade assures m*» ' cheese "will be shipped and pressure relieved." I A Press Association telegram from Timaru states that rain is very much wanted again, j and many spring crops threaten to be \ worthless. Winter wheat is said to be gen- j erally good, but many of the oat crops now i ripening are very poor. Root crops are not starting well owing to lack of moisture. i Tho Society for the Protection of "Women and Children has received a donation of £2O from Mrs S.W.S., West-wood, Crookston. . !»•; So far as Dunedin was concerned there was very little evidence during Christmas-, tide that we are taking an active part in the greatest war that has ever convulsed the world, except for the greater proportion of khaki uniforms amongst the people. Tho streets were thronged with crowds, all imbued with the holiday spirit, and the busi- i ness done on Friday and Saturday was to the full as brisk as on previous occasions. The various beauty spots around the city drew their quota of visitors, and the suburban tramcars were crowded throughout Saturday and Sunday evenings. There were the usual attendances at church services on Sunday, while holiday parties were numerous. Taken altogether, business people regard the season with satisfaction,, notwithstanding the rise in tho prices of goods. j Mr S. Boreham, secretary of the Agricultural and Pastoral Workers' Union (Otaga, Branch), returned to Dunedin on Friday | night after a visjt to Central Otago in re- j ferenoe to the sheep shearers' trouble ati Mount Pisa. It appears that, though there' was small prospect of a settlement being ajv rived at, the men have returned to work on the manager of the station consenting to pay tho amount of tho men's demands—279 6d per 100 sheep. Tho men demanded 25s at the commencement, but the W \ plovers would give only 22s 6d. At MounW Ida the shearers i-eceive 30s, and the shed hands the wage? set down in the award. The case of two barmaids, Margaret Hall and Winifred Hackett, who were recently charged with breaking tho antishouting regulations, was mentioned at the Polico Court in Auckland last week by Mi? R. A. Singer, who stated that following on the decision of Mr Justice Hosking that tho additional penalty provided by the regulations—six months' suspension— was not

ultra vires, the Trade and the Hotel Employees' Union had decided to take the matter on to the Court of Appeal. He therefore asked that the decision in the two eases should be further adjourned. Mr F V. Frazer, S.M., pointed out that the Court of Appeal would not sit till March, and that ho would not be justified in granting a further adjournment for such a long period. In view of the fact that the respective licensees had been shown to be ■responsible to some extent, and that the two barmaids would automatically be suspended for six months, he would enter a conviction without any monetary penalty. Complaints have been made from time •ho time in different parts of the dominion that the product of the primary schools of to-day does not come up to the standard in the principal subjects of study attained by the boys and girls of some years ago, and it is contended by many who take an interest in education that the syllabus contains too many subjects, while others again consider that the instruction is not as thorough as formerly, the time available being insufficient to properly cover each subject. The Minister of Education (Hon. J. A. Hanan) has been giving considerable attention to the matter, and is issuing regulations ard instructions villi the' object of improving present conditions. The Minister purposes making provision for a wider and more definite course in English, for a more practical course in spelling, for more emphasis on the essential subjects, and a consequent subordination of subsidiary subjects. He also intends arranging for complete model schemes of work to be drawn up for the use of inexperienced teachers, and for directions to be issued to teachers and inspectors with the object of improvement in instruction, inspection, and examination. .It is not the present intention of the Minister to make a general remodelling of tha syllabus or of the system of inspection. What he is desirous of doing is to level up some of the weak places which have become evident in many quarters and otherwise make instruction in primary schools more thorough.

One eon killed at the front, another reported missing, and her husband serving in the trenches is the position of a poor woman resident in Wellington (says the New Zealand Times). The woman has three young children to support. In reepect to her son, who is missing, she received the usual telegram sent by the Defence authorities in such cases, reporting the fact, unci sincerely trusting that satisfactory news would shortly bo received of her son. When her first son was killed the mother applied for a pension, and it •was refused on the ground that the allotments from her husband and second son -were sufficient for the support of herself and family. Now her second son is missing, and the department has informed the woman that his allotment in favour of herself has been stopped, although no official report of his death has been received.