GENERAL ITEMS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXXI, Issue 70, 11 October 1920, Page 3

GENERAL ITEMS.

Two teachers from the Auckland district, Miss E. M. Harper and Miss E. Roche, .have gone to Vancouver and are temporarily taking up positions in two of the largest schools there, while their positions in New Zealand are being occupied by teachers from British Columbia. •* Writing to relatives in New Zealand, a Now Plymouth lady now visiting England mentions a, visit to Brocke ijhurst. She states that the graves are beautifully kept by a few ladie s there Each one keeps the grass cut and at tends-'to - a'.f "Wdmhor, and one woman makes a very large wreath every Saturday and hangs it 01 a cross, half way Iwtween the mounds, evidently put there for the- purpose.

I i Writing from New York in August, }; Mr R. B. Morris, Secretary of tor 3 Post and Telegraph Department, i | said that he was in the great Aineri--8 i can inetropolis r and did not care how soon he left it. Tile city was sweltering in a .heat wave, and he was writing at midnight with electric fans going on each side of him. Since then a cable message has been received (this week) stating that he was about to' leave for Pans, en route to Madrid, to attend the International Postal Congress. “If I were a private person, 1 would take my wif© and go and live : in New Zealand, for I fell in love with the country. Of all th© girls I lert behind the initials of . the on© I loved j host are ‘N.Z.” General Booth, back in London irom his tour round the world, has undoubtedly happy recollections of his month in the Dominion. These were his first flattering words of commetft when, the London corres- , pendent of The Evening Post saw him. j Indeed,* so great was hi s enthusiasm ! with regard to Now Zealand, as a i “piece of God’s earth” that one wo"— I dered if his natural and inspiring dei light in all good things tempted him j to the use of superlatives. But no, of all th© lands'-he had seen on his long voyage he was genuinely convinced . that New Zealand was the most de- | sirable. “I fell in love with the peoi pie” lie said, “but I did not find them I so energetic, so filled with that imi agination, which is fixe basis for suc- | cess in life, so capable of sacrifice i’i a great cause, as I found the people of Australia. Still, they captivated mo, I was delighted with th© children - in Dunedin, Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch. I was permitted to { speak to th© hoys and girls of the High Schools in Dunedin and Anek- , land. Even in the short time I was iii the country I felt that I was able to enter a little into the r.Te of the children, and to understand their mnltipl city of outlook. But I felt there was a want in the educational system. Man is a composite being—not only of body and mind. Th© training of th© body arid mind is not enough. The educational system could well b« exte ded to meet the spiritual needs of the , children.”

It is stated by a resident of Darwin now visiting Melbourne that when the steamer Abadesia arrived at Darwin to* take away 1500 tons of meat, the wharf labourers “went slow.” When trading to the Argentine the Abadesia had discharged 8000 tons of coal, cleaned her hold s and docks, and taken in 5000 tons of frozen meat, all within eight days. At Darwin G 5 “good unionists” loaded about 50 tons a night. After a week’s experience tiie demurrage charges had to be co:sidered. The union “bosses” wore approached, and it wa s agreed that if the men did twice as much work as they wore doing they should receive double pay. In 17 days the vessel was loaded. The average wage for each man was £lOl for 1 1 days work. Since that many of the “good unionists!” have travelled from the territory on “indigent passages” provided by the Commonwealth. These men quote the case of a “good unionist” .who had been “on the spree” for a few weeks. It was thought that ho should share in the money paid for the loading of one steamer, ’and the edict vas issued that h e must he given a job. There were reason* why the man in charge thought differently. But he paid the “good unionist” regular wages on condition that he never came near the vessel!

At a large gathering at Petone last week, it was stated that Peton e held more sforts championships, considering its size and population, than any other centre in New Zealand, the following is the list of championship and other honors won by the various clubs and individual* during the past season; Petone Cricket Club, senior and junior championships; Petone Root ball Club (Rugby), senior, fourth and sixth-class championships; League Football Club, senior and junior championships ; Petone Rowing Club, tied with Star Boating Club for maiden, pairs, and won Prince of Wales fours at Petone Regatta; Petone Rifle Club, Wellington Rifle Union's Shield, and die club and Wairnrapa championships, Wairarapa short-range aggregate, champion teams match at Dominion meeting, and tyro championship at Wellington district rifle meeting; Petone Bowling Club, champion cf champion rinks, runners-up champion of champion pairs, and won champion of champions singles; Petone Croquet Club, open, championship at Dominion meeting; Petone Tennis Club, interclub ladies’ challenge shield for the second year in succession ; P( tone West school, senior Rugby Championship *md “Chronicle” Cup; Petone main school, “Samuel’’ Cup; Ladies’ Miniature Rifle Club, National Reserve Cup ; Pet' no tug-of-war teams, heavy * and light-weight competition?. In addition D. J. Gainey was chosen a s one of the rifle team to represent New Zealand in Australia, and Captain G. B. Bnmto;v won the foils championship of the ’.ritish Army.