LOCAL AND GENERAL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 58, Issue 4192, 2 June 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Householders are advised thlat local shops will be closed on Monday next (King’s Birthday). Indications point to a large assemblage at the dance in the Town Hall to-morrow evening, arranged in connection with the Te Awamutu Schools diamond jubilee celebrations. The local Bowling Club intends to hold a full-rink tournament on the Victoria Park greens on Monday (King’s Birthday), and already quite a number of outside teams have nominated. The local registrar, Mr A. H. Laybourn, advises that during the month of May he registered nineteen births, nine deaths and thirteen marriages. For May, 1938, the registrations: were: Births 27, deaths 11, marriages 8. A very fine dispaly of drill, and recreational games is to be given at the Teasdale Street school grounds by senior pupils to-morrow afternoon in connection with the jubilee celebrations. Included in the programme is a Waipa Rugby Union match, High School v. Old Boys, at the .school ground, at 2.30 p.m. The appearance of several members of the teaching staff of the new Intermediate High School in their varsity robes, at the official opening of the school on Wednesday afternoon, was freely commented upon by members of the assemblage, and gratification was expressed at the number of teachers who have high scholastic attainments. Among the visitors to Te Awamutu for the school jubilee celebrations there are many who have an old and valued connection with St. John’s Church, and to them, and their friends, the vicar, the Rev. M. G. Sullivan, extends a cordial invitation to attend divine service in the church on Sunday. Details of the times of ordinary and children’s services are-ad-vertised in this issue. In addition to the scheduled list of Rugby football matches to be played at Albert Park to-morrow afternoon, it has been arranged that Rovers juniors (having a, bye in the competition) will play Hautapu juniors on No. 3 ground at 2.30 p.m. Mr TBrown, who is to referee the Ohaupo versus Te Awamutu third-grade contest at 1 p.m., will probably also have charge of the Rovers versus Hautapu match. “Britain imports more than 600,000 tons of pig products each year, and there is no doubt that this industry offers great scope in New Zealand,” commented the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin ,at the Waikato Winter Show on Wednesday. The Minister added that the bacon exhibit at the show demonstrated what could be done with the pig industry in the Dominion. There was no reason why the export trade in this branch of industry should not be exploited more. Not the least interesting item of the official ceremonies at the Intermediate School on .Wednesday afternoon was the presentation of beautiful bouquets to Mrs P. Fraser, Mrs G. B. Melrose, and Miss C. Lehndorf by the girl prefects of the three school libuses—Doris Pattison for Gorst, Joy Bevin for Cameron, and Betty Donaldson for Selwyn. All three recipients, who were taken completely by surprise, expressed their gratification at the tokens of goodwill so delightfully expressed. Apropos the diamond jubilee celebrations this week-end, the fact that school matters were not always conducted so harmoniously is revealed in the following extract from a Te Awamutu correspondent’s (Mr W. Sloane) report to the Hamilton Times in July of 1878: “At a meeting of householders a letter from the head teacher called attention to the fact that no member of the school committee had inspected the school for nearly two years, though the chairm'an had signed the monthly certificate that the school had been properly conducted. Five of the seven committeemen had no children attending the school, and therefore could have little or no direct personal interest in the conduct of the school. It was acting contrary to the wishes of the great majority of the parents and householders. The meeting resolved: “That this meeting has no confidence in the school committee; that it has every confidence in the present teacher; that the school committee be requested to resign; that the Education Board be communicated with as soon as possible to secure its co-operation in the way of persuading the committee to retire."