LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tire New Plymouth and suburban schools have been granted a holiday tomorrow for the Winter Show. The South Taranaki schools will close on July 5 for the Hawera Winter Show. “What we want to get, independent of roads and railways, as soon as possible, even if we have to borrow money to do it, is the development of our hydro-electric works to make ourselves independent of the people who won’t •work.” These remarks were made by the Minister of Agriculture in the course of his speech at the Taranaki Winter Show yesterday. The living conditions of teachers in the backblocks were discussed at the Taranaki Education Board’s meeting yesterday, when in consequence of a recommendation by a sub-committee set up to deal with this matter, the board decided that no teacher be allowed to proceed to an appointment until an understanding is given by the school committee that suitable accommodation is available.

A well-attended meeting of residents of the Omata district was held on Monday night to bring to a final issue the ways and means of presenting a roll of honor to each of the 61 men who had enlisted from the surrounding district. A committee consisting of Messrs. Moore, Bayley and Davidson was appointed to carry out the presentation. The committee was empowered to obtain designs and cost of the proposed permanent memorial to be erected somewhere in the district. A further meeting will be held on Monday night next. A brazen attempt to steal a box of, butter was made at the Straford railway station last night (reports our Stratford correspondent). When the Whangamomona train was leaving at about seven o’clock a box of butter, which had ’been standing on the platform with two other boxes, was found to be missing. The train was signalled to return to the station and a search was made, but the butter box was found beside the line south, of the station, about ten pounds of butter having been extracted. The police have no clue as to the perpetrator of the theft.

The matter of re-establishing a district high school at Eltham was discussed at the Taranaki Education Board’s meeting yesterday, in consequence of a request from the Eltham School Committee for the board to sanction the school. It was the unanimous opinion of the board that in view of the excellent {ffovision made at both the Hawera and Stratford high schools, they could not ask for the re-establishment of a secondary school at Eltham. A resolution was passed to this effect.

A report on the winter school for uncertificated teachers, just concluded at Matiere, was submitted to the Taranaki Education Board yesterday by the chief inspector (Mr. Valentine), who stated that the classes began on May 23 and concluded on June 3, 24 teachers being present. The report added:—“The board’s chief agricultural instructor, Mr. Johnson, declares that at no other teachers’ school where be has acted as instructor has so much interest and enthusiasm been manifested, and that he has never before completed a course feeling more confident’ of good results. Both he and Mr. Insuil gave up their ordinary holidays to conduct this school, and each deserves credit for his faithful and efficient discharge of duty as instructor.”

A report on drinking fountains for schools was presented to yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki Education Board by the architect (Mr. C. H. Moore), who stated that he had given the matter considerable attention in an effort to try and discover some satisfactory system. ‘‘Recently,” he state.s, “I have obtained samples of a patent drinking bubble that should prove very satisfactory. The cost will be 10s (id each bubble. In addition there will be the costs of piping and troughs. I. would suggest this would be a very fine object for committees to raise money, and get a subsidy io enable these fountains to be installed at all the larger schools at least.”

“We are proud of the centre of what has been described as the best province in New Zealand, and we are encouraged by the fact that the figures of the port of New Plymouth show that trade has increased enormously,” 1 remarked Mr. S G. Smih, M.P., at the opening of the Winter Show yesterday. “I am pleased that this portion of the Dominion is not feeling to the same extent as other portions, the effects of the financial stringency, and I hope that when the dark clouds have passed the Government will have an opportunity of completing the railway to connect New Plymouth with Auckland, via Stratford, and also the Te Roti-Moturoa line. I also hope that they will be able to find money to provide a tar-sealed road between Te Kuiti and New Plymouth.”

“I would draw your attention to a class of parent (very rare) who seem to be out to beat the law,” stated the report of the attendance officer (Mr. G. Pascoe) to the monthly meeting of the Taranaki Education Board yesterday. “They keep a child away one day or so a week, say washing day, and next morning a note is sent along by the child that it had been sick. Neither the teachers nor myself are satisfied as to the genuineness of these cases, and as they are not serious enough to ask for a doctor’s certificate one scarcely knows what to do.” Tn commenting on the officer’s report/ members were of opinion that little could be done to deal with this class of offender as any regu-, lation would be liable to inflict hardship on genuine, cases of illness where a parent might rightly keep a child home for some ailment, which, however, would not justify the calling in of a doctor.

The attention of uncertificated teachers in the Taranaki Education district is to be drawn to the fact that the board has drawn up a grading list of such teachers and that appointments will be made in accordance with this list as far as possible in future. A resolution to the above effect was carried at yesterday’s meeting of the board.

On the recommendation of the manual and technical committee the Taranaki Education Board decided yesterday to draw the attention of certain teachers to the. fact that they were absent at different times from the teachers’ winter school. The Arbitration Court will leave Welington to-day for Wanganui, afterwards proceeding to New Plymouth and Palmerston North. The court will open its sitting at New Plymouth at 11 a.m. next Monday. Waitara people are endeavoring to interest the district in the Clarke Memorial Hostel by holding a mart, which is to be held in St. John’s Hall, on June I’7, the proceeds from which will be its quota towards supporting the scheme. At the Hawera S.M. Court on Tuesday J. <F. Condon, of Te Roti, sought to recover from the Egmont Racing Club £lO 10s, the value of an overcoat, The statement of claim set out that the overcoat had been left in the custody of the Racing Club on February 9 for safe keeping after paying the defendants Gd for such custody, and that owing to negligence it had been lost. Counsel for plaintiff stated that they were claiming on the basis of gross negligence on the part of the defendants. The Magistrate said he would take time to' consider his decision.

In this issue appears an advertisement under the heading of Carter’s Friday puzzle, which should prove of great interest to our country readers.

L. A. Nolan and Co. will submit to auction at their mart to-morrow 2 tons of fencing wire, potatoes, pickling onions, linseed meal, fowls, ducks, furniture, etc. Webster Bros, will submit to auction at their mart to-morrow, fowls, ducks, poulry, potatoes, onions, horse, covers and a quantity of household furniture, sundries, etc. i

The secretary of the Board, of Trade advertises in this issue direction as. to complaints under Section 32 of the Trade Act, 1919.

Referring to Smith’s Winter Timetable, will patrons from away back note. , that the Bus leaves Uruti Store daily at 8 a.m., and that the extended run to the foot of the mountain is suspended during the winter months.

Messrs. L. A. Nolan and Co. have received instructions from the committee of the Soldiers’ Hostel to sell at the hostel, Devon Street West, the whole of the furniture and effects, including: Good piano by Bohm., duchess chest, 9 chests drawers, 16 cabinets, 20 b.w. chairs, m.t.t.b. washstands, 14 mirrors, 18 hospital beds, 3 and single bedsteads, 20 single kapocs, 20 blankets, 20 rugs, GO sheets, eiderdown quilts, pillows, 3 dozen pillow cases, 19 colored quilts, 11 dozen towels, 20 pairs curtains, table cloths, toilet covets, 2 dining tables, smell tables, 3 easy chairs, 12 kitchen chairs, carpets, linoleums, coir matting squares, pictures, wringer, crockery etc. Sale at 2 p.m.