TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16694, 28 March 1922, Page 8

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Information has been received by the Rev T. N. Griffin, honorary secretary of the Papanui Progress League, that a commission has been appointed to consider the petition for the amalgamation ol’ Papanui with Greater Christchurch. The commissioners are Messrs A\ . Wilson, Stipendiary Magistrate, G. H. Bullard, Commissioner of Crown Lands, and D. H. Pullar, District Valuer, Christchurch. The fortnightly meeting of the Washington Lodge, No. 28, 1.0.0. F., was held in the lodge room. Selwyn Street, on Monday evening, N.G. Brother ,J. Skelton presiding. One brother was reported on the sick list. Five candidates were initiated into the Order and fifteen were proposed for membership. The sum of £3 was donated to the appeal from the Op aw a- Lodge. A letter of congratulation was sent to Brother Lorgeson on the occasion of his recent murriage. P.G. Brother Simmons presented a report of the special meeting of the dispensary in connection with the increase to the hospital lied allowance. Keen interest is being taken in the inter-university college Easter touroa'•ment, which is to be held in Auckland this year, and the meeting promises to be unusually successful. The colleges .are busy trying out their athlete* for the various contests, athletic, boxing and lawn tennis. The subject for the tournament debate is Dominion Home Rule fbr India- The draw resulted in Canterbury (affirmative) being pitted against Auckland, and Victoria College (affirmative) against Otago. The judges for this section are Mr A. TL Johnstone. Rev W. G. Monckton, and I Mr E. Aldridge. Mr J. G. Rutherford, whose death lias occurred at Rernuera, Auckland, was a member of the Auckland Land Board for the past seven or eight years. In 1900 he was elected 7)resident of the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association, and in 1921 was elected an honorary life member. He was president of the Franklin Association several times. The pnblic posi tion c which he held were varied. He was a member of the Maungatawhiri Road Board, the Bombay School Committee and Auckland Education Board. In 1904 be was elected a. member of the Auckland Hospital and Charitable Ail Board, and for fourteen years did good service as chairman of the committee of the Costley Home, only retiring in 1920. The position regarding unemployed soldiers in Auckland has been, brought under the notice of the Mayor by the Auckland Labour party with a request that lie convene a meeting of local bodies with a view to finding employment, if possible, for out-of-work returned soldiers (states the 4 ‘Star*’). The step was taken at the instigation of the soldiers themselves, a deputation waiting on the secretary of the Labour party, and submitting the sug gestion, supporting it with a list, at tached to which were the signatures of 350 ex-soldiers at present out of work. That this total by no means comprises all the soldiers out of work is quite evident from figures which have been supplied with requests to various authorities on their behalf during the past few days 1 ‘ It does seem unfair that in order to pay for these children in a receding home the mother’s income should be attacked.” said Mr E. XV. White in the Magistrate’s Court this morning during the hearing of a claim for maintenance on behalf of eight children. It appeared that the children were in the Hamilton and Auckland receiving homes and under the Act application was l>eing made to make the mother contribute towards their maintenance. Mr White said the authorities wanted the mother to pay 15s a w eek each for ordinary maintenance and 5s each for education. He did not object to the 5s for education, but altogether the authorities wanted £8 a week to look after the children. That seemed excessive, but perhaps something could be done to .group the children into one home and work on the ce wholesale principle,” as it uere. The Magistrate made an order for £7B a year after bearing evidence that the mother, whose income was £492 yearly, suffered ill-health. Awakeh was visited by a gale of almost cyclonic force last week, which swept everything before it for a width of sixty to seventy yards, states the Auckland “ Star." Roofs of houses were carried some distance, sheets of iron whirling about and trees and haystacks being blown o-ver like tufts of grass. The gale only lasted for five minutes, hut was of sufficient duration to eause several hundreds of pounds of damage. Dr H. G. Denham, who has been offered the position of Professor of Chemistry at Canterbury College, is a son of Mr E. Denham, of Sumner, formerly Commissioner of Stamps in Christchurch. Dr Denham was born in Christchurch, and was educated the Boys’ High School. He went through a course of training as a teacher at the Normal School, as a result of which he was appointed a junior teacher at the Sydenham, Woolston, and Christchurch West Schools. He studied at Canterbury College while teaching, and took the M.A. degree in 1905 with first-class honours in chemistry. He was awarded the Exhibition (1851) J Scholarship, which enabled him to eon- 1 tinue his studies in England and Europe. At Liverpool University lie studied under Professor Donnen, who at that time was in charge of Muspratt Laboratory. From Liverpool, l>r Denham went to Heidelberg, where ho studied under three of the most distinguished professors in Europe. These were Professors Curtins (in chemistry), Lenard (in physics) and Daloman (in. geology). He obtained the degree of Doctor of Science, and on completing his studies in Europe, he returned to Christchurch, doing research work in the chemical laboratory at Canterbury College under Professor W. P. Evans. He was a]>pointed to lecture in chemistry at tho University of Queensland, end while ho was Professor of Chemistry there be was appointed, in the middle of last year, 1 Professor of Chemistry in the Cajw Town University, a. position he now 1 hold*. His investigations particularly have been ip. physical iuid inorganic j chemistry.