LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9116, 23 December 1907, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Minister of Agriculture has give* his assent to the projected improved ments and alterations at the Christ* church municipal abattoir, and steptf will be taken to carry them into effect, The Lands Department offices will b« closed from December 25 to 28 inchi* sive, and on January 1 and 2. Tkt meeting of the Land .Board which would ordinarily fall on January 2 will probably be held on January 9. The 1908 syllabus of the Associated Board of the Royal Academy of Muaifl and Royal College of Music is now obtainable at the office of Canterbury College, and gives full information regarding the requirements in all musical examinations next year. , - The civil business of the Magistrate'! Court was concluded for 1907, this morniuov There were no defended cases, which constitutes a record. The cases dealt with were despatched quickly, and a genial emile and an air of satisfaction rested on the faces of /the Court officials. . An enthusiastic personage found tim« to write to the Mayor of CEnstchurcb; yesterday requesting him to convey >hei writer's hearty Christmas greetings to the people, of New Zealand and AjKj tralia. The letter has been "received^ and the Mayor is wondering whether if is an imbecility or an insult. . The "Casual Chronicler "■ in. " Thet Dominion" writes:— Most people have failed to note the many .remarkable coincidences that were a feature of the recent fire. The evening paper pointed out two of them: " It is somewhat a coincidence that the Prime Minister and three of his Ministers^ should ba away from Wellington at the present moment." It anight be added that when Mr Carroll and Mr M'Gowan. met on the lawn at 4.17. a.m. — exactly 81 minutes after 2.56 a.m., curiously) enough — it was noted that Mir Carroll met Mr M'Gowan at exactly the same instant as Mr M'Gowan met Mr Carroll. Our contemporary's » other co* incidence was not only a striking oiie, but also a very strong bit of arithmetic. t "The passing of the Houses of Parliament took place," it said, "almost exactly eighteen months' after -the passing of Richard John Seddon. Perhapsy'thd coincidence is symbolical of the changing times." What is still more remarkable, and equally ■ symbolical of the changing times, is that the exact interval between the datea was a,bou# 549 days. Perhaps the most sfcrkiag coincidence, however, was the fact that nobody expected Hhq fire. Who is Watson P The most reliable Watohmaker and Jeweller, 230, Colombo Street. You will always findvhim <ar little cheaper fop* Rings, reliable Watches and all lines in General Jewellery. Watch and Jewellery Repairs • specialty, especially fine Watches. Trj

That the Public School Cadet system, wihich was introduced by the late feight Hon! R. J. Seddon a few years Itgo, is an ; undoubted success will be generally admitted. The public has hot much opportunity of studying the system, because tb« training camps are Iheld but once a year, and then the location of them is not central. But If the people suffer a disability in this direction they have ample opportunity Of keeping in touch wi^h the system through the newspapers of the dominion. On Tuesday of last week a very successful training course of nearly one thousand Public School Cadets of North Canterbury was brought to a close. During the week in which the lads were under canvas fat Rangiora a special photographer of the "Canterbury $imes" secured a fine series of pictures, which illustrates the camp life of the Cadets in an exfcellent- and practical manner. This interesting l collection of pictures will be reproduced in this week's number ©f the "Canterbury Times/' and it frill, form an attractive feature of the illustrations of that popular journal. Other subjects which will be dealt witlx prominently in the pictorial department of the magazine are the cricket Snatch between -aucklana and Canterbury, the Southland and Nelson Agribultural and Pastoral Associations' ehows, Hospital Sunday in Welling^ ton, and the breaking-in of theMan^ fchurian ponies for the Antarctic expedition. An examination for Gregg shorthand speed and theory certificates was held last week by Mr J. W. Irwin, the New Zealand representative. The following .Gregg writers were successful: — Speed "—Test-, two minutes, of new matter; Hot more "than 2 per cent errors allowed:- — 160 words a minute. Miss I. Smvtbson ; 120 words a minute, Miss E. "Tregea ; 110 words a minute, Miss ;j Mi Gordon; 80 words per minute, Mies', M. Burr, Messrs T. Hunt and S. C. SDownard ; 70 words a minute, Miss C. Stokes and Mr N. J. M'Kay. In •theory Misses Davis, Drake. Halley, ; Handisides and Stokes, and Messrs ODownard, Hilliker, Reese and Steele passed. The members of the Christchurch JTramway Corps of the St John Ambulance Brigade have eleet&d the chairSnan of the Christchurch Tramway (Board (Mr A. W. Beaven) -as their j-epresentative.on the Executive Cominrtteo of the St John Ambulance Association. Ohristchurch Centre, and Mr ©eaven ftas accepted the position. The Utility oft the corps was demonstrated jpn a practical manner this morning on the Berry' Road. A v young man fell off ih© trailer attached to the Sumner oar land received severe abrasions to his If ace and head, besides being rendered Unconscious for a short time. Sergeant ff. L. Grange, of the qorps, assisted by flVtotorman J. Whitehouse- XJonifluotor North, promptly applied first bid treatment and sent the lad away for medical attention. ' Your eyesight is a moat precious gift. Do not let it suffer for want of toroper attention. I can give you skillfed attention, and if glasses are rejDuired, can give you them accurately fend scientifically adjusted to your spatial requirements Note address: Walter J. Watson, F.1.0.0., D.8.0.A., London, Consulting Optician, upstairs 830, Colombo Street. 8