HERE AND THERE

Southland Times, Issue 19333, 27 August 1924, Page 6

HERE AND THERE

Travelling post haste to the bedside of his dying mother, a Nelson man passed through Blenheim last week on his way to a township beyond Dimedin. Leaving Nelson at 1.15 p,m. on Monday, the traveller arrived at Blenheim at 5.30 p,m. and at 7.15 p.m. set out on the long night drive to Christchurch, which occupied 2QJ hours. The express was taken for Dunedin, and just 51 hours 15 minutes after leaving Nelson, the traveller reached his destination, 36 miles beyond Dunedin.

Lessees of railway bookstalls, it is reported, have received something in the nature of a bombshell in the Department’s decision that they must not sell chocolates. In the past chocolates have been sold at bookstalls,, and it is stated that as far as the leases under which they are rented are concerned, there are no prohibitions of articles not to be sold. The leases give the lessees the sole right to sell on the station platform certain specified things—such as books, periodicals, newspapers, tobacco, cigars, and cigarettes, and so forth—and it is assumed that there is no bar to their selling anything else, the understanding being that in respect of the articles not specified they do not possess the sole right of sale.

The vexed question of handwriting in schools was before.the Auckland Education Board the other day. The Department wrote stating that at the recent conference of senior inspectors a resolution was passed to the effect that, having due regard to the age of pupils in the primary schools, the handwriting was satisfactory. The opin. ion was expressed that finished and permanently good handwriting could not be established at the primary school age, but that if the , progress of the pupil in writing were postponed until after leaving the primary school, good penmanship would result. With regard to print writing, the inspectors agreed that this system of writing was worthy of a liberal trial, and that teachers should be allowed every freedom with regard to its adoption.