LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waipa Post, Volume VII, Issue 331, 17 July 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The game of basket ball-, which is ,b ecom i n § very popular in Auckland as a game for girls, has been instituted at the local school. It is purely a hand-game, and is played with a ball similar to that used in Association football. The field is 60 feet by 100 feet, and at each end a basket is placed ten feet from the ground. The aim of the opposing sides is, by combined effort, to go forward and to throw the ball into the basket — an act in itself which requires great skill. The local girls are being taught by Miss Clark. There passed away on Saturday morning, at New Plymouth Hospital, in the person of Mr E. G. Allsworth, one who played an important part in the affairs of Taranaki not many years ago. For some years in the early days he was located in the Wanganui district and saw a good deal of the Maori troubles. Later he became editor of the Egmont Settler at Stratford, subsequently becoming editor of News. Thence he went to Onehunga, having purchased the Manukau Times which he disposed'of on receiving the appointment to the editorial chair of the Taihape Times, and from there he proceeded to Ohakune, where he spent some years in business, eventually retiring to New Plymouth to spend the remainder of a remarkably busy life.

Speaking at a well attended meeting organised by the Bible in State Schools League in the Parish Hall, Devon port, Bishop Averill said that much misrepresentation had been used by opponents of the movement, and he wished to give the lie direct to one particularly misleading statement —that the Church of Englan d wanted to get hold of the schools. Their opponents wanted to deny justice to the majority, but the desire of the league was to give justice to all —the minority included. The question before the people of New Zealand was: Were they content to deny their children the great help of the Bible, and to accept a system approved only by secularists ? If they were not, they must “ fight on for ever and ever,” like Rewi at Orakau, till the victory was won.

After expressing himself as being “ extremely anxious that the question of Bible-reading in State schools should not come into general politics at the coming elections,” Rev. Dr Gibb, who headed a deputation from the Bible - in - State - Schools League, which waited upon the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher on Tuesday, went on to remark that: “Mr Fisher and his fellow Ministers ought to be aware that there were thousands of people (of whom he was one) who would give priority to this business at the coming election... . Their consciences would compel them to set all other political considerations aside at the election, and give first place to those who supported their demands.” In reply Mr Fisher was kind enough not to make reference to the apparent inconsistency of the League’s attitude, as expressed by Dr Gibb, to the bearing of the question upon politics. He merely went on to say that: “ You must allow that however conscientious you are, there are other people with consciences, too.” He refused to support the Referendum Bill even though the threat should have been made that he would “be cut off in the prime of his political career.” “lam very sorry that it should be so,” said Mr Fisher, “ but if that is the price I have to pay, well, 1 shall have to pay it.” It is disappointing to learn from Dr Gibb that the question of religious instruction is to be brought down to the low plane of party politics —• as we know them —by the threatened creation of a new party to support the Bible-in-schools measure, even though it be at the expense of all other questions of State.

A large audience is expected at the Te Awamutu Town Hall this evening to witness the play entitled “ Dearest Mamma,” staged by members of the Pirongia Tennis Club and Hamilton talent in aid of the Catholic bazaar hind. A very pleasant evening may be looked forward to.

The question of whether the , girls of Australia and New Zealand are allowed too much freedom is raised by the editor of “Everylady’s Journal,” and answered in the July issue by Professor Rentoul, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Australia ; Mr Paris Nesbit, K.C.; Mr Higgs, M.P. ; and Mrs Dr. O’Hara. Prof. Rentoul does not think that our girls are allowed too much freedom. Mr. Paris Nesbit does not think it would be possible to allow them too much freedom, and the Federal member for Capricornia believes that “ a girl should have liberty, providing parents take the trouble to advise of dangers that attend increased liberty.” In the House of Representatives on Wednesday last Mr J.A.Young (member for Waikato) directed the following question to the Minister in charge of the State Insurance Depaitment, “ Whether he will consider the advisability of bringing in legislation providing (a) that no conditions endorsed on any fire insurance policy issued by any company doing business in New Zealand and requiring proceedings thereon to be commenced within any period less than the period allowed by the Statute of Limitations should operate to defeat any claim, unless delay beyond the period allowed by the policy were shown by the company to have prejudicially affected the company in some material degree; and (b) that no condition in any fire insurance policy should have any validity unless approved by the Governor in Council ? The Hon. Mr Fisher (Minister in Charge of the State Insurance Departments) replied,—(a.) It is considered inadvisable for the period in which an action for the recovery of a claim may be brought against an insurance office to be unlimited, for the reason that if the action is not heard while all evidence (which in the case of a fire quickly disappears) is fresh and available, vicious and criminal claims would receive an unfair advantage. The six months from the date of fire allowed by the State Fire Insurance Office has in practice proved entirely adequate for the protection of the interests of its policyholders, and it might be advisable to call upon the companies to adopt a similar period, (b.) No case has been brought una'er my notice showing that the present policy conditions have pressed unfairly upon an insured having a just claim ; but if it can be shown that injustice is being caused, the Government will be glad to consider the honourable member’s suggestion.