DUNEDIN AND DISTRICT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVI, Issue 13, 5 August 1898, Page 18

DUNEDIN AND DISTRICT.

We have learned with much plesure that Mr. It. Dobbin, accountant of the Dunedin branch of the New Zealand Insurance Company, has been appointed interim Manager for the Company in Otago until the arrival of the newly appointed manager, Mr. VV. P. Bolam.

ON Sunday week, at South Dunedin, 15 Children of Mary were formally enrolled by his Lordship Bishop Verdon, and received the medal. Twelve others received the blue ribbon'of aspirants. It was the first ceremony in connection with the sodality, which was started by the Sisters of Mercy.

A concert in aid of the Nautical Festival on behalf of St. Patrick's Basilica, South Dunedin, will be held in the Garrison Hall on August 19. The assistance of the leading local vocalists is being Eecured for the occasion, and everything points to an artistic and financial success. Fuller^particulars will appear in a later issue.

THE Sisters of Mercy, South Dunedin, acknowledge with thanks the following sums kindly collected by Mr. John Boyle, Heddon Bush .-—Cash, 5s ; P. O'Meara, 3s ; M. Cram, 2.^ 6d ; E. Sheehan, 2s ; a Friend, 2s ; Miss M. G-eary, 2s OJ ; Mrs. Hallorau, 3s 6d ; P. Halloran, 2s 6d.

THE Port Chalmers school was examined by the Otago Education Board's inspector on July 29th, and the result is gratifying in the extreme. The inspector examined the whole of the standards in the ordinary pass subjects, class subjects, and additional subjects such as recitation, drill and exercise, singing, needlework and comprehension, and all through he found that the children displayed great efficiency. There were only two failures in the school. The ' average ' column of the inspector's report contains two ' satisfactory,' 5 ' good,' 5 ' very good,' and 6 ' excellent,' and not one .' fair,' 'weak' or 'very weak.' The Sisters of St. Joseph who have the care of the school are certainly to be congratulated on this testimony to the excellence of their teaching methods.

Further serious damage was effected at St. Clair on Sunday night and Monday afternoon last. A heavy sea was roiling- in from the South and the tides being exceptionally high the waves cud away another large section of the sandhills and eat into the properties which formerly adjoined the parade. The occupants of one house found it expedient to vacate-the premises at 2 o'clock on Sunday morning and on daybreak of the following day it was discovered that the bow window projected over the embankment. Temporary support in the shape of pile 3 was effected, but if the house is not removed there is every possibility of its being washed away. At the time of writing a strong- southerly gale ia blowing and fears ai-e entertained that f urther'tiamapre will take place before temporary protective works can be effected.