CHRISTCHURCH NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18352, 24 August 1929, Page 17

CHRISTCHURCH NEWS.

(Freni Our Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, August 23. The Weather. To-day saw the first break in the spell of bad weather, which has lasted in Christchurch since last Monday evening. After three days of almost continuous rain, the sun made attempts to break through this morning, and for a time the clouds lifted. Shortly after one o’clock, however, the sky again clouded over, and rain again commenced to fall. The forecast for to-morrow favours showery weather. Religious Education. A conference which should be of interest to many will take place in Christchurch next month. It will be held by the New Zealand Council of Religious Education, and will be the first of its kind to be held in New Zealand. Undenominational in character, the conference will embrace representatives of the Christian Church educational institutions and community organisations. Its aim will be to discover basic principles for all moral and religious education in New Zealand. The Rt. Rev. C. WestWatson, Bishop of Christchurch, and president of the New Zealand Council of Religious Education, will preside. The conference will commence on September 3, and conclude on September 5. Probationary Teachers. There is practically no prospect of those who succeed in the matriculation examination this year receiving probationerships, according to a statement made by the chairman (Mr R. Wild) at to-day’s meeting of the Canterbury Education Board. Mr Wild’s comment arose out of a clause in the Appointments Committee’s report, which stated that the Board’s quota of probationers for next year would be ninety-one. He said that the standard now had been raised so that those who matriculated this year must be prepared to put in another year’s study in order to get the higher leaving certificate. This year there would be a sufficient number holding the higher leaving certificates to fill all the positions offering. Revolver in River. A revolver was found in the Avon river, near the Hereford Street bridge, shortly before mid-day to-day. It is believed that the weapon was the one used early last month by the armed burglar who shot Mr Hammond in the back, when Mr Hammond surprised him in his shop in Oxford Terrace. The shop is situated between the Cashel Street and Hereford Street bridges. A passer-by saw the weapon in the river, and informed the police. The revolver was seven-chambered, and of .22 calibre, with a very short barrel. It was empty when found, and was in a rusty condition. The weapon was shown to Mr Turner, of Messrs Hammand and Turner, this afternoon. He said that the gun bore no maker’s name, or any distinguishing feature, but was of a well-known type. Wingatui's Rough Trip. The Union Company’s coastal steamer Wingatui arrived at Lyttelton at 6.55 a.m. to-day, after a protracted trip from Wellington, which lasted about 50 hours. The vessel left Wellington on Tuesday afternoon at 4.10, and when about five miles off Pencarrow Heads, ran into a strong southerly gale and high seas. The vessel had little cargo on board, and as she was flying light and drawing but a few feet, great difficulty was experienced in handling the vessel, which pitched and tossed about like a cork in the teeth of the gale. It took the vessel 40 hours to cross Cook Strait. Cape Campbell was sighted at 9 a.m. on Wednesday morning. After sighting the Cape, a fierce wind and blinding rain squalls were experienced for some hours, under which conditions the vessel slipped steering way, and drifted. Twenty-four hours later, on Thursday morning, the vessel was again in sight of Cape Campbell, and she passed the Cape, just making headway. After rounding the Cape, better progress was made, the weather Improving fairly rapidly, and the vessel berthed at Lyttelton this morning, much to the relief of the tired crew. Hold-up of School Grants. That the question of the possible establishment of junior high schools was being used as an excuse for shelving urgent additions to school accommodation was an assertion made at to-day’s meeting of the Canterbury Education Board, which decided to take steps to represent strongly to the Minister the overcrowding that exists at the West Spreydon School. Mr E. H. Andrews said that the matter should be pressed strongly. He thought It would pay to send a deputation to Wellington. Personal contact was much better than letters. Other boards were getting a good deal more than Canterbury, as a result of personal interviews. He moved that the whole matter of the necessary accommodation be considered, and a report prepared by the town members of the Board, and that a deputation from the Board place the whole position before the Minister in Wellington. The motion was carried.