LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18792, 30 May 1923, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

At a public meeting held at Oamaru last night addressed by Mr. Munro. Labour M.P., it was unanimously decided fb form a North Otago branch of the New Zealand Parliamentary Labour Party. The Arts and Crafts exhibition continues to attract a great many visitois to the Sarjeant Gallery, and great interest is being taken in the largo collection of paintings from the best painters of the Dominion. Tea may be obtained in the Gallery this afternoon.

The Minister of Agriculture on Tuesday stated that New Zealand would bo represented at the great Dairy Congress to be held at Washington towards the end of this year. It has not yet boon decided who this country’s representative will be.

A deplorable state in connection with the teeth of young lads was disclosed at the medical examination of Senior Cadets for posting to Territorial units in the South Canterbury area. Out of 204 cadets examined, 75 per cent, were reputed to have teeth more or less defective. Strong comment has been made in Pahiat.ua concerning a despicable fraud made by a supplier of the Pahiatua Egg Circle in sending preserved eggs to the depot. If this happens again, the eommitee will revert to the stamping system, reports the Wairarapa Age. At the annual conference of the Nelson Provincial Farmers’ Union a resolution was unanimously carried wholeheartedly endorsing the agricultural banking scheme as advanced by Mr Polson. Dominion president, and expressing willingness to use every endeavour to help towards its successful a ccompl ishmen t. A nett profit of £4796 12s 2d, after making full allowance for interest, sinking funds, depreciation, renewal and reserve funds, was shown by the electricity department of the New Plymouth Borough Council for the year ended March 31st last. The profit is £3265 15s 5d below that of the previous year, when the total was £8062 7s’7d.

The oyster season in Auckland opened on Monday. Two shipments, comprising 353 sacks of oysters, have been received at the Government depot, 246 bags having arrived from Rakino and 107 bags from the Kaipara beds. No picking is yet being done on the Waiheke, Great Barrier, Whangarei and Bay of Islands beds, but a decision in regard to these sources of supply will be reached in a few days, when the Chief Inspector of Fisheries, Mr L. F. Ayson, will visit Auckland.

“If the recent visit to Wanganui schools has taught me anything, it is that wo have been too modest in this district,” said Mr S. G. Smith, M.P., at Monday’s meeting o£ the Taranaki Education Board, when referring to school repairs. Mr Smith said that thefe was no question that some schools had “gone back” during the last three or four years. The time, he thought, was fast arriving when the board must push on much faster with the repairing and painting of schools, keeping them in good condition. Other members concurred in this view, it being pointed out that no retlection was being made on the board’s architect. Later in the proceedings it was decided to employ a painting and repairs staff to make up the leeway during the winter months, school residences to be included in the work. Luring the course of an address before the Dunedin Rotary Club last week, Sir Joseph Ward referred to world problems which are exercising the minds of the leading statesmen and writers of great Powers (states the Otago Daily Times). He pointed out the terrible nature of warfare in the future, drawing a vivid picture of the wholesale destruction of human life by means of deadly gases discharged from huge airships. To prevent this there must be mutual and active co-operation amongst the peoples of the world. We who comprised the British Commonwealth of nations were called upon to shoulder a tremendous responsibility in maintaining world-wide peace. It was necessary that we pay special attention to the education of the masses of the people. It was no use trying to drive them. If they properlyunderstood they would be impressed with the need of handing on the glorious heritage which had been bequeathed to them. In connection with the forthcoming rendition of Mendelssohn’s oratoria “Elijah,” to be given under the auspices of the Wanganui Male Voice Choir, Mr. F. W. Slater, A.R.C.D., who is training the sopranos and contraltos, in the course of his remarks to the choristers at the practice held last Monday, stated that it came as a great surprise to him to find such a fine body of contraltos as regards quality. They were the real thing. He was satisfied that the public of Wanganui heard only a few of its contraltos. These remarks did not in any way detract from the quality of the sopranos, but to find such contraltos as these was an unusual experience for him. With such material to work with, given six months’ solid training, the speaker went on to state that he would not be afraid to join issue with any similar body of singers In Australasia. Mr. Slater has won laurels with both male voice and mixed choirs in the Old Country, and was a harmony pupil of the celebrated Dr. Mann of Cambridge. Praise coming from such a source is praise indeed.

A slight earthquake shock was lelt in Wanganui at mid-day yesterday. The annual meeting of members of the Plunket Society will be held in the Society’s rooms, Campbell St... at 4 o’clock to-day. Afternoon tea will be provided. An undefended divorce case wn? beard at the Supreme Court yesterday The petitioner was Cecil Harold Pu-.li (Mr Hussey) who applied for a divorct on the ground of sepalat ion for m.:r< than three years. A decree nisi wa> granted. An up-river pettier writes as follows —ln these days of stress and pure commercialism. it is a pleasure to record an act of forethought and unselfishness Hearing that some settlers in the ba kh Jocks, up the river, were unfortunate h placed with regard to reading mat: ca lor the winter months, Mr Willi im Hall, secretary of the Cosmopolii/. n Club, and the librarian, Mr MoGrouthei made up a large parcel of reading mat ter and forwarded sanu* for distribu tion among the settlers and flrur wives on the upper reaches of the rivoi The question c.f the kind thought and liberality of Mr H?!l and his librarian will be acknowledged latci by the recipients of their bounty.