LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1208, 17 August 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Rather an ambitious scheme for raising funds for Victoria College was submitted to the council at its meeting last evening. Mr. J. C. Morrison had proposed to the Executive Coanmitteo of the Students' Association that arrangements might be made for an extensive and systematic canvass throughout the Middle, University, District, of which -.yictpfla. College is tho centre, to raise the sum of for the collego library, and .£SOOO for the Law School. He suggested that as a preliminary step,a conference should be arranged, at which there should be present representatives of tho couueif, tho Professorial Board, and tho Students' Association. Mr. Morrison's letter was forwarded on to the council, together with an intimation that the association had nominated its representatives. After a brief discussion, the tenor of which was that the scheme had small prospects of success, it was decided that tho chairman of the council (Mr. C. Wilson) should attend the conference, members of tho Council being generally agreed that if the students were keen about the proposal,' they should not he discouraged.

Criminal coses, which are- to bo tried at the Supreme Court to-day, arc these in which Edward Reynolds and Annie Peterson are charged with using an instrument for an unlawful purpose. Mr. Justice Sim will sit in Bamco to hear tho cases of Archer v. Lo Crcn, Monteath v. Laery and others, and Kennedy v. Bcvan.

The monthly mcoting of the Clyde Quaj' School Cemnritlee was held on Tuesday night, Mr. D. Robertson presiding. The headmaster reported that the class examinations had been held during the month, and revealed a very, satisfactorystate of affairs. The average attendance was higher than for some time past. A miniature lino range had been installed, and was greatly appreciated by the boys. It w.«s decided that a letter be sent to tho Library Committee of tho City Council asking when the proposed experimental scheme for utilising the children's portion of the Public Library would bo put into operation. A special.meeting of the committee is to be held in a fortnight to receive the sub-conunittec's report, and to make arrangements for tho 1 children's competitive flower show, which will bo held later on .in tho year.

"We have the worst rows in this House when the atmosphere is worst," said Mr. P. M. B. Fisher, in Parliament Last evening, "and the best work is done when we have a little of God's good fresh, air in here, instead of the poison that we have at other times." "The crowd keeps a fellow going," interjected Mr. Poole, as somebody mentioned 'galleries." "Yes," assented a sympathetic i'cllowmeiuber, "it's the-audience."

On Tuesday morning, at Seatoun, a house owned by Mr. William Watson (who is at present in England), and occupied by Mr. Horace A, Cramcnd, manager in Wellington for Messrs. Thomas Cook and Son, was totally destroyed by fire. The adjoining house, tccupied by Mr. Ham, of tho Gas Company, received a scorching.

It has been ascertained by the directors of the Opera House Company that they will have to alter the constitution of the company before they can legally extend the sphere of its operation:!. As is now well known the company proposes to increase its capital by .CoO.ODO to purchase land in Manner* Street east for the erection of u new theatre. Tho company was originally formed to take over the properly of the Te Aro Theatre Company, which erected tho first theatre (which was* destroyed by fire many years on tho sito of tho'existing Opera. House. After tho firo a more modern theatre was built, and though it wun in. its time the best theatro in New Zealand, others have been erected in the Dominion which givo more scope for tho staging, of big productions and the accommodation of the public. The now theatre, contemplated will, however, set a new standard, and with other smaller houses that are to bo erected in Wellington, should serve tho city for a long time to come.

The fortnightly meeting of (ho Sydney Street and Northland Primitive Methodist Mutual Improvement Society was held in the Sydney "Street Schoolroom on Tuesday evening when there was a good attendance of members. The subject for tho evening was-."What I do," and papers were given on carpentry, watchmaking, load-light work, dressmaking, gardening, and sugar-caning by various members. A paper was also read on (he work of I he. Native branch of tho Public Trust Office. The papers proved instructive, and in many cases amusing. The next ordinary meeting of the societv will be a lecture on "Electricity" by Mr. C. (.'able.

The Hon. G. I'owlds slated in Parliament ycsteiday in reply to Mr. Luke,that the Kducation Department is providing rent for the building now used for the Newlands School, which appeared to bo |>uinclent for the present necessities of i the ca».

The boys and girls of Taranaki who are pupils of secondary schools or district high schools arc in a peculiarly fortunate, position, according to the Minister for Education. Not only have tiiey an equal chance with those from the rest of the Dominion of obtaining university junior scholarships, senior national scholarships, and university bursaries, but they have a rich fund devoted to these university scholars-hips (called Taraiinki scholarships), which are granted on the same examination as those'already named, but arc confined to Taranaki candidate*. The annual income derived from the reserves is sutiicient to provido for about four scholarships a venr. During the iivo years 1!)0G to 1010 only four candidates in all have qualified' for tho scholarship?. Jvach of them Ira.* been awarded a scholarship. Mr. Fowlds, replying to a question by Mr. Okcy, in Parliament, said he did not see any occasion to make the terms more liberal than they are at present. Entries for the December theory examination in connection with th; 1 Trinity College of Music, London, close definitely on August 31. Entry-forms and patriculars may bo obtained at Messrs. Chas. Begg's music warehouse, Willis Street. An area of 25,412 acivs was added to the scenic reservations under tho Scenery Preservation Act during tho year ended March 31. The reserves now number 1G!) and aggregate G,V,989 acres. The Under-Sec-retary for Lands states in his report that they contain scenery unique in its way, anil of a nature that cannot bo paralleled in tho world. The chief of 21 reservations made during the year were threo areas on tho North Island Main Trunk railway line, an additional area mm the Waitomo Caves, four areas in the back part of the Nelson district, land around Lake Kanieri and Lake lanthe, in Westlami, landirouud tho Shurplin Falls (nowcalled Tahekorua) in Canterbury, a further area, at Mount Cargill, .Duncdin, Pudding Island in the Otago Harbour, the Kawarau Falls, land on tho Taieri River banks, and also Catlin's River bank. A number of other areas are being reserved this vear. Tho expenditure amounted to .£l/30 lGs. Sd., of which MW was paid in the purchase of private land and .E377 for Native land, surveys and' valuations cost .£1613, and «£<!Bs was expended in fencing reserves and historic spots. _^___^__^_