LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1399, 27 March 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tlip postal authorities advise that the s.s. 3(onn,i, which left .Sydney at noon on March 23, lias on hoard an Australian mail. She is, due to arrive here to-day. The s.s., Manuka, which left .Sydney at 3 p.m. on March 23, has.on hoard an Australian mail. She is due to arrive hero to-day. Upon tho suggestion of the Newtown School Committee, the Wellington Kduration Board has decided to request the Health Department to undertake free of cost (ho disinfection of til] schools in tho Wellington district" at least once annually. Permission has been granted by the Education Board for tho Defence Department to instnl electric light in the school grounds at Thor'ndon, Brooklyn, Newtown, and Karori, the Department to pay (at its own suggestion) the cost of installation and current, and other charges incidental to the lighting, which is required in connection with-the senior cadet parades. Before the Japanese exploring ship Kainan Mam leaves Wellington for Japan, it is probable she will berth at the wharf. Lieutenant Shirnse, leader of the expedition, will return to Japan from Sydney, leaving Hie Kainan Mam at Wellington. He will bo accompanied by Messrs. 'J'akeda, Theda, and Marainatsu (scientists). Captain Nomura will take tho ship back to Japan.

Regarding the prospective appointments for Major T. W. M'Donnld (officer commanding the junior cadets), and Captain R. J. Scddou • (headquarters staff), on their return from England, referred to in a paragraph in The Dohixio.v of yesterday's date, nothing will be available for publication concerning these officers (states General Headquarters) until their period of training has concluded and they arrive back in New Zealand.

Respecting the proposed North Island training camp for teacher officers in the junior cadet corps, tlio Wellington Education Board has expressed its willingness (o render every assistance provided the camp is held during the town school holidays, which begin on May 2".

The appointment of a Uiird inspector nn the .start of the. Wellington Education Board, vice Mr. ,T. S. Toniwnt (appointed to the Teachers' Training College pnncipnlship) was down on tho agenda paper for discussion at tho board's meeting yesterday. Consideration, however was deferred.

A conference- of Spiritualists is to be held in Christehurcli at Easter time. Mr Urn. M'Lean, of Wellington, intends to Unng; under the notice of tho conference the draft, of a Bill (to be later on submitted to Parliament), which has for its objects the checking of fraud and quackery occasionally practised under the Buiso of Spiritualism. It is understood that this measure has been adopted in some of the American States with good eflect.

Ihe chairman of the Harbour Boan (Mr. Robert Fletcher) notifies that i tho weather is wet and boisterous 10-dav the annual inspection of the harbodi tforks by the' members of tho board wii bs postponed to a date to )k announce later.

live of the recently constructed workers dwellings, in Derwent Street, Island Bay, have been completed, and are already tenanted It is expected that four more will ho finished within the week, nun that they will be occupied at once. At Sydenham, Chri.stclitirch, six cottages will bo out of tho builders' hands in a week or ten days, and tenants are ready to take tin-in over at once. A similar number will be ready for occupation at Otahuhu and Ellerslic, near Auckland, within a few days. There is a probability of a new collection of homes being erected shortly on a block of 32 allotments acquired some time ago at Taitvillc At present tho Department Is awaitinjr an Order-in-Councit nulhorisiii" a reduction in the width of a street, but when that is obtained there will bo no further obstacle in the way of putting tho contracts in hand.

lr ir ls ,f rn m lfyl ? B to k "° w >" remarked Mr. 11. (~ Icwsley, in his presidential address at (he annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce vosterday, "thai the Poshnaster-Gonoral hns arranged a satisfactory contract for a monthly service between Auckland and Vancouver, with special provision for cool storage accommodation. It is to be hoped that apart from the passenger and mail facilities thus created by these two services, our trade relationships and nrospects may exI '(" * 'Z l '"'?, wi " ,ar ß«ly depend upon rates ot freight: as if these are reasonable there must ere long be a good market on Hie West Coast of America, which has already expressed its readiness to reciprocate in trade relationships."

Speaking on the subject of steamship subsidies at the annual meeting of the Uiambor of Commerce yesterday, Mr A Jv. Mabin contended that where subsidies were granted by the New Zealand Government some stipulation should be made in regard to restriction of freights At present, Mr. Mabin, remarked, freights'to Uneouyer were fifty, seventy, and one I" ~'!, ' )tT cent over freights to London Hie result was to kill possibilities of fostering trade with America. Efforts should he made, ho concluded, to secure tiie imposition of conditions restricting freights when auy future subsidies were granted. he subject was not discussed at any length, but other members of the Chamber seemed to heartily- sympathise with Mr. Mabin s views upon it.

In Ins address to the Chamber of Commerce yesterday, Mr. H. C. Tcwslev referred briefly to the success of the Coronation Industrial Exhibition held in \\ oiling on las year, and congratuinted the Auckland Chamber of Commerce mien its enterprise in a similar direction. .Mr. lewstey also commended the Christcliurch business oommunitv for their action in forgoing their exhibition scheme for this year.

On Friday evening next Mr. Tennant (principal of the Wellington Training College).will read a paper entitled "Some Impressions of British and Continental' Schools, before the Wellington branch ot tiie Aew Zealand Educational Insti-

The Marnnui Surf and Life-Savin? Cluh has written to Councillor G. Frost (chairman of the Reserves Committee of the City Council expressing the club's willingness to fall m with the recommendation of the city engineer that the new clubhouse should be erected near the Maranui end of the beach, rather than in the centre of the bench, which was fully exposed to the south.

Over a great part of their area the grounds of tlio old Government Houso are being absolutely devastated bv the employees of the Public Works .Department, who are putting down foundations and preparing tho site of the projected Parliament Buildings. Tho latest phase of the work is the cutting down of a broad belt of trees in a lino extending from (lie Liimbton Quay entrance to tho grounds up towards (he building site. J-.'ventuullv a. carriage-drive, is lo be made from the buildings lo the (Juay, and tho clenvin« now being made indicates about (ho line that it will follow. The destruction now

in progress is no doubt a necessary preliminary to building operations, but if things go on as. Nt present it will take the grounds many years to regain their former beauty.

The adjourned meeting of creditors in the bankrupt estate of Peter Thomson, bootmaker, Wellington, was continued ye-tenlny, the OHii-ial As-ignee (Mr. \ Siiup-on) presiding. When (he creditors met »n Wednr-dny l:i-1 I lie jwsi«ne B was empowered (o obtain n legal opinion on an agreement between (he bankrupt and II r .1. W. Iloaie. for on alleged broach „| which Mr. Una re had (alien possession of the stock in baukrupl's shops nt Wellington and yesterday'.- moelinV was not open to the ores?.

A sittiwr of the Bankruptcy Court, will be hoM ta tho Supremo Court to-doy,

Experiments recently conducted under the auspices of tho Department of Agriculture indicate that thoro aro excellent prospects of the profitable manufacture of casein in the Dominion. The Department has decided to obtain tho latest information, in regard to the different'systems of manufacture, and Mr. J. I'edersen, an officer of the dairy division, who has had an extensive experienco both in Denmark anil New Zealand, is to leave for Europe a few days hence to make (lie necessary investigations.

"Is (he Training College gelling the best students that aro olfering, those most likely to do justice to all sides of the course of training? I feci bound to say (hat some of those who have entered might well have l>oen rejected in favour of others applying direct from secondary schools. From these we havo in previous years received a iair number of students, and almost without exception they aro now giving a good account of themselves in the schools. If we must n'ek and choose, then we should have the best, and it should be considered to the advantage of a candidate that he has had two or three years' extra secondary school instruction."— Mr. Wm. Gray, late Principal of (lie Teachers' Training College, in his annual report to the Education Board yesterday.

"I have no sympathy at all with the idea that the students while in training should not aim at a University degree," observes the late Principal of the Training College, Mr. Wm. Gray, in Ids annual report presented to the Education Board yesterday. "If they are able to undertake the degree course they should receive every encouragement to do so, even at the sacrifice of some of their practical work. Those who during their first year prove their capacity for University studies should havo the option of a three years' course, so that if possible they may be enabled to complete their degree. The Training College course, apart altogether from the University, is a heavy one; taken with a full degree course it is much too heavy for the average student. The experience of this year, however, shows that those who attempted most at tho University were also among the most successful in the regular work of the college. In practice,, too, it is possible to give concessions to good students, without in any way interfering with their training."