LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waikato Times, Volume 92, Issue 14256, 6 January 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The brave only know how to forgive —Sterne.

The members of the New South Wales State Orchestra are to be tendered a civic reception by the Mayor at Auckland to-day. Sir William Merries will be present no represent the Government.

The Theatre Royal Tea Rooms have now been fully staffed, and the management announce that the delays that have been occasioned in v the past through short staffing have been entirely obviated. It is understood that at an early date boxing in Australia, particularly in Now South Wales, will “slump” considerably owing to the departure of at least three of the most prominent boxers for America and England. Fred Key, Jack Green, and Vince Blackburn are mentioned, and also Jamito, the I'ilipino “whirlwind.” They will all tour under the same management.

Extensive displays of ah holiday apparel and Christmas gifts are now being made at Hooker and Kingston’sSpeciallv good values are showing this season in' fancy handkerchiefs, nicely boxed, which form a suitable and serviceable gift for all. Take the opportunity of shopping early, and get the vert’ best attention and pick of the goods.—Hooker and Kingston, Ltd., “The House of Satisfaction,” where you get the cash discount of 3d back m os, 6d discount in 10s. 9d in 15s, and so on.* “KEEP SMILING” Pumice Soap, 4d, “KEEP SMILHW” Boot Polish Bd, “KEEP SMILING" Floor Polish Bd. All Grocers. (T>

The trains which passed through | Hamilton to-day were again crowded, j The Kiwi Entertainers' arrived in Hamilton to-day, and will appear at the Theatre Royal to-night?' The troopship Kigoma, with Zealand soldiers and their families,'" have arrived at Sydney eh route to Now I Zealand. A travelling Military Medical Board will arrive in Harrtilton- from Rotorua on Saturday afternoon. On Monday morning the Board will commence a sitting at the Waikato Hospital, when it will deal with in-patlcnts and outpatients of the institution, both discharged and undischarged men. While the rain showers in Hamilton were heavy while they lasted yesterday morning, they were more continued and of much greater density in the Raglan district. Holiday makers who were returning from a vacation at the coast report that the roads were very holding as the result of the rains.

In New Zealand provision has of late been made by the authorities for the treatment of discharged and undischarged soldiers of forces other than the New Zealand services, who are suffering from disabilities due to, or, aggrvafed by service in the recent war. This applies to members of the Allied as well as members of the British Imperial and Overseas Forces. The northern draft of members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force which reached Wellington by the transport Rimutaka yesterday passed through Frankton this morning. Twelve men detrained at the junction for Hamilton and district destinations, being mot by the local Reception Committee representative and made comfortable during the interval prior to proceeding to their homes.

In connection with the development of the Charleston coalfield, the Greymouth correspondent of the Christchurch Sun states that the directors of the Westport Coal Company have their arrangements well in hand for starting the railway from Gape Foulwind to the mines. The gradient will be easy, so that large rakes of coal will be hauled by a small engine, and it is anticipated that, when the supply is available, it will materally lower the price of lignite in the cities.

According to the latest accounts, it would appear that the unfortunate man (Evans (a passenger victim of the Wellington tram smash) met his death while trying to tsop the car. In the last 'few seconds preceding the crash he was seen endeavouring to lift the molorman up, and immediateliy afterwards endeavour to apply the brakes. His courageous act and presence of mind undoubtedly cost him his life, for had he remained in the body of the car'lie would have probably escaped v.-ith slight injuries.

Sergeant Nicholls, an “Old Contemptible,” of the Durham Light Infantry, is blind, has lost his hands, and ‘has had two ribs removed. Preaching at Bedford Park on “How to Attain Happiness,” he said that on the morning of September '4th, 1916, he was a fit man; at noon, through the mistake of a friend, who himself succumbed, he had 500 wounds. He deter-:nined-to live, and he had not as yet had a fit of depression since the accident. He had found happiness in trying to help others less fortunate than himself.”

Speaking to a Napier Telegraph reporter, a land agent expressed the often-expressed wish that he had a dozen houses to let. The other day, for the first time in nine months, he put out his “to let” board. Worded something like this: “To let: One-roomed whare. Apply within.” “I don’t know how long that board was up,” continued the agent, “but almost before I was settled down again no less than 40 people had made a hasty application for that whare, and some of them had families ranging from one to five children.” ’ *

"We must havti smaller classes," said Mr G. R. Munro Upresident of the New Zealand Educational Institute) while addressing delegates to the annual meeting of the- institute at Wellington. “Larger classes up to 110 are certainly amenable to instruction by skilled teachers, but not to education in the broad and social sense. Mass methods and mechanical discipline, a recent writer had said, Can' never produce social individuality. In the large classes in the schools of this country there is no scope for self expression and individual spontaneity.•' Were the country to realise the great social and educational waste produced by the present system, no argument would block reform. The institute would be failing in the inter- ! ests of the children of the Dominion i were it not to insistently demand smalI ler classes where children can be efflciently educated and trained for their I civic and social responsibilites instead j of being merely Instructed in herds for examination purposes.’’ , The box respirator, so much used by ! our troops who had to face the deadly i German gas, saved many lives. It is interesting to learn that the same appliance has been found of great benefit ' to a “fighter" of peace times—-namely, 1 the fireman. The Dunedin City Brigade (says the Star) possesses one of the latest types of these masks, and on the occasion of a recent fire the appliance was put to an exhaustive tost, and in consequence of the highly satisfactory results attained Superintendent Napier •intends to apply immediately to the Home authorities for a supply. The mask can be quickly adjusted, which is a most essential point for a fireman, when lives may be in danger in a building filled with smoke. The appliance is a most valuable acquisition to firefighters, as compared with the old style of smoke helmet. Superintendent Napier hopes to equip every man in the brigade with a mask. A sample of what may happen when the hydro-electric schemes are in full working order is supplied by the following from the Hawera Star: —There was an unusual ocurrence at Mr J. D. Wills’ farm on the Lake road, by which he lost a valuable cow and himself had a narrow escape from a serious accident. It appears that one of the electric wires which go through his paddocks had got off the cup and looped down in contact with the iron pole. Thus apparently the current ran down into the wires of a fence which touched the pole. The cow, rubbing itself on the wires, received a severe shock, and was very badly injured. Mr Wills, seeing the animal struggling, went across and took hold of one Porn to pull it away from the wire, and received also a shock which threw him into the air and fortunately away from the fence. Nothing could be done for the cow, which died from the shock. Mr Wills though somewhat shaken, was not hurt. The occurrence should act as a warning to those fanners across whose land the electric wires are carried. There is every indication of all goods of Japanese manufacture be coming much higher, as Japan, like other countries is full of labour troubles and unrest. In fact, in many lines, they are discussing the prohibition of export. This is going to make a huge difference to the goods on which we depend solely on receiving from that country. In view of this we are buying all the Jap. goods wo can, and holding for the benefit of our clients. Wo hay probably enough crepe dressing jackets and kimonos to last us this season and next. These goods are well worth buying ] now, as the prices have advanced very j little at present. Jackets 6s lid, gowns , 11s 6d, to 21s. These are elaborately j embroidered. —Hall’s Drapery Stores. 1 <

“You must know,” said a lady delegate to the Teachers’ Conference, at Wellington, “that smoking is greatly on the increase among girls and women, and that drinking is also on the increase. I believe that this is partly due to the fact that many girls in the upper classes of our primary schools are not influenced by a womanly woman.” The (statement brought to his feet a male delegate, who said that he did not think the charge should go forth that the working-class girls, the girls trained in the primary schools, were doing -he smoking. It was the girls whose parents were very wealthy and wire able to send him to colleges taught by women. ‘The statement should net go down, ’ ’ he said, ‘ ‘ that the girls trained by men in the public schools ere the sinners in this respect.”

The applications that have been received. for housing loans will come before Cabinet shortly. The Government is quite unable to find all the money that local bodies in various parts of New Zealand are wishing to borrow. The housing scheme, as approved by Parliament last session, provides for the expenditure of £1,000,000 annually by tlie Government itself on the erection of houses, and for the raising of another £1,000,000 for loans to local bodies. There is further provision for loans to the extent of £250,000 annually to employers for housing purposes, but the applications that have beenTeeeived and that are known to be in contemplation far exceed the money available. The Christchurch City Council alone is asking for £200,000. Cabinet may require to make a pro rata allocation among the local bodies, having consideration to the needs of the districts and the amount of money available. The meat export trade of Australia has a bright future, in the opinion of Mr J. A. N. Elder, managing director of the Melbourne meat exporting firm of J. Cook and Co. (states the Sydney Morning Herald). Mr Elder returned to Sydney by the Sonoma, after investigating the possibilities of the trade in the United Kingdom and America. Great Britain offered the greatest field for the trade, said Mr Elder. The Home Country would be glad to get practically all the meat Australia could send for many years to come. The Continental countries were eager to buy, but. at the moment, trade with them was impossible, as they could not pay in gold. The rate of exchange was a deterrent to any trade with those countries. America, too, offered good prospects for the trade.