LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8315, 13 May 1905, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A sale of work in connection with St Peter's Presbyterian Church will be opened on Thursday afternoon, at 2 o*clook ? by the Mayor of Woolston. The object is to clear off the remaining debt on the church. A large variety of useful articles will be offered for sale, and there will be several side shows, including a l?unch and Judy for the young Seople, in the recently-erected Young [en's Hall.

The committee appointed by the ' Board of Governors of Canterbury College to. arrange for the establishment of a .musical section at the Public Library has met several times, lately, and is preparing lists of the works it is thought Bhould be placed upon the shelves. Not only works that are now popular, but also those of a past generation, will be included in the list, and the selection will include some of the finest oratorios as well as standard pianoforte pi«ces, so that all tastes among musical people may be catered for.

It is proposed to invite 'the Premier to visit the Waltham Sonool when he comes to Christchurch next, so that he may Bee for nitnself the extent of the overorowding in the building. Parents in the district oppose the suggestion that the children should be sent to the South Belt School, as they would have to cross the railway line and the tram-| way line, both of which are dangerous. In regard to the suggestion of the Department that children belonging to other districts attending the Waltham School should be weeded put and sent to schools in their own districts, an opinion is expressed that. if the principle was applied to the Waltham children attending the Opawaand Sydenham Schools, the position would be very much as at present.

Earl Roberts is much in demand at the unveiling of memorials to men who Fell in the South African war. One of his latest appearances at functions of ..this kind was at the Central Synagogue, Great Portland Street, London, when he unveiled a tablet to "the loyal and patriotic memory" of soldiers of the Hebrew faith who had

laid down their lives for England. It t was an impressive service. Whe*n the ■names of the dead had been read put

by the rabbi trumpeters stationed in the gallery sounded the "Last Post," while the congregation stood. It may be mentioned that no fewer than two

thousand Jewish soldiers fought under Lord Roberts in South Africa, and the General has testified that they were no less worthy and brave than the best of their comrades.

A discussion on the coming Christchurch Exhibition on Tuesday (says the " Star ") drew a little bit of , — perhaps unconscious— dry humour from the usually staid members of the ■ Auckland Chamber of Commerce. The question at issue was what assistance * the Auckland merchants should give to the Exhibition. It was mentioned that . the Wellington Industrial Association

had decided strongly against encourag- ' ing the Exhibition to Become interna»tionaJ in ite scope, on tie ground that , New Zealand merchants had no money to spare for assisting foreigners to ex- ■ hibit their goods in this colony; Mr M. A. Clark remarked that on previous occasions, both in Auckland and in 'Wellington, the local firms found after international exhibitions that they had learned nothing, while oil the other I hand the English exporters picked up » great deal of information of value to themselves ; and all that the local, firms got in return for the £100 or £150 which some of them had spent on the exhibitions was increased competition from English firms. Other members of the council saw the force of Mr Clark's way of putting the matter, and finally decided to adopt Wellington's view, and . get into communication with the Christchurch authorities as required, 'without delay.