General News.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19179, 9 December 1927, Page 8

General News.

Large quantities of the wool sold at the recent sale are now being railed from the firms' sidings to Lytteltou.

By special Gazette issued' last night, Parliament is prorogued until March 15th next.—Press Association.

The Wellington City Council yesterday decided unanimously not to allow pictures to be shown on Sunday, Christmas Day.—Prcsß Association.

At its meeting last evening the Allied Building Trades Association decided to subscribe £5 5s to the Christchurch Technical College.

A small girl, aged about two and a half years, was brought to the Police Station last evening by two women who found her wandering about the streets. At midnight nobody had enquired for the child. She is dressed in a blue frock with wliite shoes, and her hair is fair.

At the annual meeting of the Timaru Committee of the W.E.A., it was decided to vote £25 to the funds of the Canterbury District Council of the W.E.A, A cheque for this amount has reached the secretary (Mr G. Manning), and eventually it will go to the Tutorial Class Committee to help to meet the liabilities of that body.

Numerous applications for Christmas toys, contributions in which have been forwarded to the Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer) from several sources, have been received by tho Town Clerk (Mr J. S. Neville), who is arranging for their distribution to people unable to purchase a supply. Mr Neville is obtaining particulars of the ages of their children from the applicants.

Thirty-five of the poles to be used for carrying the high tension wires in connexion with the electrification of the Christchurcb-Lyttelton railway lino havo already been erected between Woolstou and Lyt'celton. Mr J. N. Michelle, electric lines inspector for the Christchurch district, is in charge of the work, on which 17 men, in two gangs, are engaged. The poles are being sunk in concrete.

"I saw a tram conductor the other day extend his fingers from his nose at a group of would-be passengers, standing on a street corner, unable to get a seat." This statement, made at a recent meeting in Mount lloskill, has irritated the members of the Tramwaymen's Union, with the result that they have asked the chairman of the Tramways Committee to investigate the statement. "The _ statement charges the conductor with a most serious offence, and the implication is that tramwaymen generally show rudeness and incivility to the tramway public," says the union in a letter asking that the statement be either substantiated or publicly withdrawn.

At the instance of Mr C. H. Warden, president of the Wanganui Swimming Centre, Mr W. A. Veitch, M.P., lias made representations to the Prime Minister that some national action be taken in recognition of Mr F. Corby's gallant work in the recent disaster in Sydney Harbour, says the "Wanganui Herald." A reply was received from the Prime Minister thanking Mr Wardon for bringing the matter under notice, and saying' that Mr Coates would be glad to arrange for earnest consideration to be given to the representations. A further message will be sent the Wanganui Centre in due course.

The Canterbury General Labourers' Union, at a meeting held this week, arrived at the following resolution: "If the proposed amendment to the Indus trial Conciliation and Arbitration Act is persisted in—that is, those clauses exempting dairy workers, etc., from the benefits of the Act—we urge the Canterbury Trades and Labour Council to take the necessary steps to place before all 'the trade unionists in the Dominion a recommendation that they purchase butter only prepared by workers who aro employed under trade union conditions." A copy of the resolution has been forwarded to the Canterbury Trades and Labour Council.

'Mr Amery, Secretary, of State, for the Dominions, is unquestionably the finest linguist among British Cabinet Ministers, says an English paper. He knows several Oriental dialects as well as European languages, When in Salonika during the war, Sir George Milne, or "Uncle George," as the C.-in-C. was invariably known, asked one of his staff officers if lie knew Greek. The staff officer replied that he did not, but that he had a good little handbook on Greek, and also knew of a Captain Amery who was supposed to be quick at picking up languages. Captain Amery was sent for and presented with the handbook. "Can you,get a hang of it by next week?" asked Sir George. "Oh, certainly," was the reply. "You seem very confident," said Sir George. "Well, you see, I wrote it,'' replied Captain Amery.

The subject of schools- savings banks waß discussed at a conference between representatives of the Wellington School Committees' Association and the Wellington Headmasters' Association. In introducing the subject, Mr J. W. Salmon said that the scheme was working very satisfactorily in Auckland, Timaru, and Feilding, and that in Auckland over £6OOO had been banked in the saving.* bank in twelve months. Ho referred to the advantages to be gained by the scholars in the lessons of thrift. Mr Hopkirk said that while he was in entire sympathy with the ideal, at the same time he did not think that the result achieved would compensate for the work entailed, and there were a>o other aspects that had to be taken into consideration as well. After other speakers had voiced their views for and against, the following resolution was carried unanimously: "That this meeting, representing the Wellington School Committees' and Headmasters' Associations, whilst recognising the importance of encouraging the lessons of thrift among the scholars of the schools, feel that the present opportunities provided by the Government Savings Banks is sufficient for the purpose desired, but arc of the opinion that a special day once a year be set apart to be known as 'saving day,' on which day the scholars could be addressed, by the headmaster, on the advantages of saving and lessons of thrift. The foregoing resolution not to debar any school committee to arrange with its individual headmaster to inaugurate a school banking system if such a scheme is deemed advisable by the headmaster and committee."

Spend a pleasant half hour wandering through our new upstairs showroom Over 600 feet of space laid out with the most attractive display of goods all recently opened for Christmas trade. Camping and travelling requisites, picnic hampers, tricycles, toys, brass and copper goods, and England's best china and crystal in great profusion. Goods will be set aside until Christmas if desired. Mason, Struthers, and Co., Ltd. —6

Twin City Tractors aro "making good," under all conditions in New Zealand, as they have already done all over the world! The "introduction" price at which they are now selling is from 30 to 40 per cent, under their real value, and will shortly be withdrawn, so if you wish to get the very best tractor on the market at a very "ordinary" price, you had better get busy. Trial demonstrations arranged to prospective purchasers. Every Twin City Tractor owner is satisfied —absolutely! Illustrated Catalogue, post free. Booth, Macdonald, and Co., Ltd. —0521