NEWS IN BRIEF.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2030, 17 August 1920, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF.

. Seven bags of Australian mail will arrive here on Thursday, ami the mail ;of the I'liinnroa, which tailed to connect J with the ferry last evening, should be received to-morrow. At the meeting of the Council of Churches last evening it was decided that the committee be requested to confer with the churches of each important centre, with a view to the formation of church councils, and also with a view to the concerted action of all i church councils in the .-ountry on public questions. I A proposal I lint committees should .appoint their own chairmen, instead of 'the council, was moved by Cr K. E. Langley at last evening's meeting of the Christchureh City Council. Cr Langley said that recently there was a vacancy for the position of chairman of the Baths Committee, and some members had objected to the manner in which- the appointment was made. As a matter of fact, the present chairman had the confidence of the committee, and probably would have • been appointed in any case; but it might be possible, under present conditions, for a man to be appointed who had not .the confidence of a committee. After some discussion the proposnl made by Cr Langley was rejected. At the meeting of the. City Council last night a letter was received from - the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. G. J. Anderson), stating that a number of War Memorial designs had recently been received from Mr S. Hurst Seager. Exhibitions of these were being held in the chief centres. The designs would be sent, to Christchureh on or about August 21, and the council was asked to arrange that they l>e shown in the Museum, Art Gallery or some other institution. A selection of photographs of the most suitable had been prepared and would be available for exhibition in the chief towns in Canterbury. The isMrtTer was left in the hands of the Town Clerk to arrange, a proposal being made that the exhibits should be shown in the City Council Chamber. At the annual meeting of the Canterbury Trades and Labour Council on Saturday night, a resolution was passed, urging the Minister of Education to give fuller representation on the Christchurch Technical College Board to contributing bodies (including trade unions). The secretary of the Canterbury General Labourers' Union (Mr IT. Worrall) has received a reply .from the Minister (Hon. C. J. Parr) to a similar resolution passed by the union. Mr Part states: —"The whole system of representation on technical school boards is at present under review, and I hope it will be possible to evolve a system which will meet with the approval of the different organisations interested in technical education, andwhich will, at the same time, provide for the efficient management of our technical schools."

No lady should be without Martin's Apiol and Steel Pills. ' Sold by all jhe'mists and stores throughout Australasia. .13

The executive of the Canterbury Progress League has decided to call a conference of representatives of the Selwvn Plantations Board, the Board of Governors of Canterbury College, and the Canterbury Progress League, to urge the province's claim to have the proposed Sehool-of Forestry attached to Canterbury College.

The total number of books issued from the lending department of the Canterbury Public Library during the month of .Inly was 17,015, compared with 1-1,007 that were issued during July last year. - In the reference library 4448 works were consulted, this being an increase of 1300 compared with duly, 1919. The membership was increased by 131 subscribers. New books to the number of 129 were added to the circulating, .'i(i to the reference, and 83 to the juvenile libraries.

A Warden's Court was conducted vosterday by Mr 11. D. M. Haszard, Commissioner of Crown Lands for Canterbury. The- Commissioner decided to recommend to the Minister of Mines that James Cooni Pascoe, butcher, Reefton, Arthur Thomas Brooks, hotelkceper, Reefton, Thomas Harris and Charles Ewart Harris, miners, Mount Somers, should be granted a coal lease over two areas known as Old Mining Lease Nos. 21 and 24, Blocks V. and VT., Alford Survey District, containing two acres. Recently the Christchureh City Council decided to exclude fruit, hawkers from operating in the streets within a defined area in the city. Hawkers had arranged to wait'upon hist evening's meeting of the council, to voice a pro-test.-"However, only two or three attended, and permission was therefore given to defer the deputation until the next meeting. "A letter was also received from the Canterbury Fruitgrowers' Association, asking the council to receive a deputation with* reference to the question. It. was resolved to reply that a deputation would be received at the next council meeting. Reminiscent of certain comic kinema films were efforts which were made to extinguish a fire in the roof of the engine-rjom at the Wairau Hospital a few days ago. There Was no conveyance in Blenheim to take the town's fire-engine and brigadesmen out to the fire. So the hospital motor-lorry was sent into the towji. However, it was not powerful enough to draw the eu» gine and carry 14 men all the way, and the firemen had to drag the engine for some distance. In the meantime, the hospital staff had found impossible of solution the problem of how to play upon the fire a plentiful supply of water, from welK without any hose or other fire-fighting" appa atus. So the fire had a merry time with the engineroom and laundry, and only the absence of wind saved the hospital itself. . After much agitation, a bus service is to be run on certain days to the Bromley Cemetery. At last evening's meeting of the Christchureh City Council a letter was received from the Christchureh Tramway Board, stating that it watt prepared to reconsider its decision, and .to run an experimental bus service to the Bromley Cemetery between 2 ami 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The service would*be given a t,hree mom lis' trial, on the understanding that if, at the end of that •period, there was a loss, the council would share the loss of the continued service on a basis to be arranged. It was suggested that, as the experiment would have a better chance of success if commenced in the spring, it should start from October I. The council adopted the proposal.