LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 17241, 20 March 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

\t last night's n°etiru: ;.f the Board of Governors of the Girls' College, Mr G H. Bennett's resignation was accepted with regret, and it was Oo*:ded to forward him a Jettsr tlinilin,- him ior the great interest he had always taken in the Coilve.

In view of the unavoidable postponement of yesterday's meeting, the members of the AVangauui-Waitotara Patriotic Association will meet the Hon. tlie Defence Minister at the Patriotic Committee's rooms at 12 noon to-dny. The principal business is in connectionwith the proposed convalescent home for soldiers.

The Defence authorities have fixed March \2sth as the last day upon which employers and others may lodge applicatio7is for leave for members Tjf the 37th Reinforcements. After this date only urgent applications, which were unforeseen, will be considered. Following are the final dates iintil| which leave may be requested for members, of later reinforcements i April 22 for '38th Reinforcements; May 20 for •^9th Reinforcements; and June 17 for the 40th Reinforcements.

Speaking at Mosstown ye'stercSny, Mr Fred Pirani asked parents not to believe all they were told about the neglect of the Education Board in regard to school buildings. As a matter of fact, the Board paid all and more »than the Government provided for school buildings, members frequently having to become personally liable for « -xtra expenditure. It was the Government and members of Parlmiment who were to blame for not mal^ ing reasonable provision • for school buildings, and if the electors "were wide awake to their own interests they rould bring such pressure to bear on politicians as would alter the present disgraceful state of affairs.

The recent flood in the Gisborne district has had the effect of deepening the Gisborne harbour. Flying sound T ings were taken, and these, while they may not be absolutely accurate, give a, good idea of the position (says the Gisborne "Times"). They record the fact that a big improvement has taken place, the flood doing in two or three days what the dredge Maui could not do in as many months—increasing the depth generally by 2ift. to 3ft. The harbourmaster informed a reporter that, his soundings showed a rrinimum depth of 7ft. 6in. to Bft. in ibe inner harbour, while at the entrI."*'? there wis a bank 6ft. below water. One hundred yards further out, 9ft. was obtainel. Around the wharves, wtiero lefore there was only 2ft., offc, could now be obtained.

The "Periodical," tho advertising journal of the Oxford Press, notes that the word "strafe" has been accepted for publication in the forthcoming portion of tlie Oxford Dictionary, Vol. 9. "Strafe, v., slang (from tho German phrase ' Gott strafe England,' ' God punish England,' a common salutation in Germany in 1914 and the following years). . Used (originally by British soldiers in the war against Germany) iii various senses suggested by its origin : to punish, to do damage to, to attack fiercely; also, strafe., sb., a fierce assault." The first recorded use is notpd as in. the "Times' " Literary Supplement, 10th Feb., 1916. It may bo mentioned that the word "is pronounced as if spelt "strarf."

The organist of one of the Anglican churches at Auckland scored very "well off the ignorance of a critic a week or two ago, states tho "Scar." He had received an anonymous letter complaining that at an important service the

" Te Denm" was debased by being sung to a "puerile, whirligig chant." By way of reply, the organist wrote to the parish magazine, explaining first that ho used the. chant in deference to the oxpressed wish of the vicar, and had i-ecn glad to do so because he considered that it was one of the simplest and most devotional that could be found in the whole '•palm r music as a setting to the "Te Deum," or any jubilant psalm. Further, the chant hnd been used in tho service of the Church <=inco the tim» of Pope Gregory the Greak (born in 040), under whoso supervision it was r;no of the chants that was considered most fitting for ecclesiastical purposes. It was also probable that it nad been fii.ng to tho jubilant psalms in the time of King David: certainly it had been commended by authorities on church niimic rhrouoh the Middle Ages up to '.•loderu times. Personally ho was prep:M'ed to let the congregation judge for themselves as to the relative values of the verdict of history and that of his anonymous correspondent.

Another Government valuation of wool (the seventh for the 6eason), will commence at Wanganui this morning. The Gisborne Eailway Station was partly gutted l-.y lire yesterday morning.

The Wanganui Hospital Board will meet at the Hospital this morning at 11 o'clock.

Lieutenant A. T). Jack, who for the past IS months hasc been area officer for Group 20, stationed at Taumaninui, has been transfered to Wellington.

There is every probability of several Wanganui swimmers competing at tho Marton Swimming Sports to-morrow night.

A team of High School boys from Palmerston North are coming to Wanganui to-morrow, for the purpose of trying conclusions with the local TechnicarCollege representatives, both in the swimming baths and on the cricket field.

Owing to the large number of boarders, at the Girls' College, the provision of mid-day meals for day pupils has had to be abandoned, but the cookery class stepped into the breach, and now an appetising meal is prepared, at no expense to the Board, and of excellent quality, At Mrs McKenziVs instance, last night, the Board passed a motion of congratulation to the class.

The smoke fiend last Monday night resulted in the system of fire escape at the Girls' College being well tested. An alarm was given in the night, and although a number of the pupils ha-i only recently joined the College, in a very short- time they were out of the partially dark building, without any injury or panic. The Board of Governors last night congratulated the Principal upon the efficiency shown.

The Hon. the Defence Minister will meet the members of the Hospital Board and the sub-committee of the Patriotic Association at the Hospital, at 11 o'clock this morning. At 12 o'clock he will meet the Management Committee of tho Wanganui-Waitotara Patriotic Association at the Patriotic Committee rooms: and at 12.30 he will 7neet the Returned Soldiers' Executive at the Soldiers' Club.

At the Military Service Board sitting yesterday, Mr. Fr\\ V\n,n\ appealed on behalf of the Education Board fur the exemption from military service of Mr Swinburne (headmaster at Crofton find Marion Junction sxiool-O j-nd MHodge (acting r architect and foreman ot works), a request w! :cli w-is trranted conditionally on their remaining in their present occupations. On Mr Pirani's application, three months' extra leave was granted to Mr Marshall, first assistant at Oh ii ""s.

At th« Mosstown School yester^ny afternoon, the ceremony of unveiling an honours board, with the names of the old scholars who had gone to the front, was carried out by the chairman of the Education Board. Mr. Hartnett (chairman of the School Committee) presided, and in addition to Mr. Pirani's speech, Mr T. B. Slipper, formerly teacher at the school, gave r.n eloquent address. ' Under the direction of the head-teacher (Mr Astbury), the school children sang "The British Grenadiers," "Sing me the Praise of the Men of Old," and the National Anthem, and Mr Astbury recited "Britain's Call." Cheers were given for the King and the boys at the front.