LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1581, 26 October 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

• On Monday next (Labour Day) there will only bo one delivery by letter-earners, which will close at the Chief Post Office at 7.20 a.m.

Mr. G. W. Kusscll spoke a few phrases after tho Chairman's bell had rung him down, in one of his speeches on tho Land Bill last night, anil was loudly culled to order from tho Government side of the House. "1 am quite sure that ymi don't want to hear mo finish," remurked tho member for Avon, as ho sat down. "We aro glad to hear you finish," retorted tho Hon. W. H. Hemes.

A death under peculiar circumstances is reported from To Kopiiru, in the Darga\illc district, the victim being a girl six years of age. It appears that her mother gavo the little girl some apple parings to throw out, but she. nlo them instead, and developed illness, becoming unconscious. She was token, to To Kopuru hospital, but medical aid proved unavailing, and death ensued.—Auckland "Star."

Tho Academy annual exhibition will bo open for tho last time to-day and on.Sunday afternoon. The following sales aro reported:—C. N. Howoiih, "A Hill Farm, Akaroa," M Gs.; "Slopes of the M'Konzio Clinton Hirer, £U Ms.; E. Fristrom, "Fields near Wellington," £3 35.; E. A. S. Killick, "A Grey Day, Trcntham," .£" 75.; Miss G. Even, "Heretaunga," .£1 Is.; Miss B. E. Chnpplo, "Narcissus," M 10s.; W. Mcnzics Gibb, "The Kakaia Riverbed," M 45.; A. Walsh, "A Grey Hay, Auckland," „G Gs.; J. W. Tristram, "Tho Hill Side," £5 55.; N. Barraud, "On a Canal at Bruges," .£7 Vs.; 0. Melton, "Old Gentleman at Auction Sale," .£l2 125.; "Second-hand Shop, Paris," £2\; E. Atkinson, "In tho Lower Wainui," ,£2 25.; "York Bay," „4 4s.

Through the French. Consul' at Auckland —at the instance of his predecessor in the consulate—the French Government recently presented tho Education Department: with a number of volumes for distribution to suitablo schools in tho Dominion, with a view to tho encouragement of the study of the French language in New Zealand. The books are intended to be used ns school prizes, awarded for proficiency in the language. Two of these volumes were sent to the Board of Governors of the Wellington High School, and acknowledged with thanks at the board's meeting yesterday. Tho monthly meeting of the Board of Wellington College and tho Girls' High School was held yesterday, there being present: The chairman (Mr, A. do JJ. Brandon), and Messrs. W. H. V. Barber, W. F. Ward, W. H. Field, A. Wnrburton, and E. Lee. The statement of finances disclosed a net credit balance of ,£lslß 15s. (Id., after providing for prospective payments totalling .£Bl2 13s. 2d. The amount due in respect of fees outstanding totalled JE2341 7s. 5d., nnd from rents .£487 3s. Bd. Of the amount due for fees outstanding, free places at the colleges accounted for £W3 Ms. 3d., due from the Government.

\ number of ladies and gentlemen conferred with the Mayor (Mr. D. M Lnren yesterday with reference to tho arrival of the contingent of Canadian Cadets, who' will reach hero from the south on Wednesday, November 6. Reports were presented'as to the number provided for and the prospective arrangement for entertaining tho boys. About twenty boys hnve vet to be provided, for in tho way of accommodation and "the Mayor will be pleased to receive further communications from citizens who are prepared to take in one or more boys. The cadets will probably slay six days in tho city.

Mr. John Archibald, .a builder of 32 years' standing, giving cvideneo before the House Rents Commission in Sydney recently, said: "The way men worked now would brsak one up. They 'nine whiM they liked and went when (hey liked. lie dare not say a word to them, end if he went out to a job and 6nw something wrong he koeiv better than to say anything Tho class ot workman to-dav was not half as good as in the old time.'

Tho Presbyterian Maori Mission farm at Matapuna, near Taumarumii, under the Rev. J. I. Monfries, is doing good work in giving a practical farm training to Nativo lads, of .whom, half a dozen arc >n residence at present. A substantial residence with class-room and outside dormitories, is to bo erected early ill the new year, with accommodation for twenty bovs. The farm is one of 200 acres of excellent land, with forty acres under cultivation, and 1000 fruit trees planted. At present nine cows are being milked.Auckland "Star."

Whereas tho St. John's Theological ColIce East Tamaki, is a Dominion institution under Anglican auspices, its finances are attended to by a diocesan-elected board of trustees. This anomalous fact was pointed out by Bishop Crossley at the Auckland Diocesaa Synod on Wednesday, when discussion was in progress on-n resolution which proposed that an additional governor should bo elected by ipast students of tho college. There seemed to bo some doubt as to whether the trustees or tho governors we« tho controlling body. "Do the governors of St. John's govern tho college?" asked tho Rev. W. Beatty, amidst laughter. "I would not risk my life by attempting to answer that question," promntly responded the bishop, to tho accompaniment <"* further merriment.

On Tucsdny next a deputation from the Roval Wellington Choral Society is to wait upon tho Finance Committee of the City Council with the proposal that consideration be given to some arrangement whereby tho citv would secure a new lily Organist, and tho Choral Society a newconductor in place of Mr. J. Maughaii Barnett. The idea is that if (ho council and tho societv could come to an agreement to offer' so much per- year for a term of years, a salary might bo raised sufficiently largo to tempt a fairly good man in England or elsewhere to accept the double post in Wellington. In somo quarters the opinion has been expressed that Auckland might have done this rather than havo held an elaborate test of a number of organists, and then appoint ono who was neither a contestant nor an appli•cant for tho position of City Organist. Still, as Wellington got Mr. Barnett from Napier, Auckland has persuaded him to leavo Wellington, so Wellington should in turn endeavour to securo a first-class man who would give a real fillip to music not only in Wellington, but throughout New Zealand.

The annual prize-giving m connection with the "brcaking-up" ceremony of the Wellington Day Technical School classes will take place in the Concert Chamber, Town Hall, this year on an afternoon (date to bo arranged) early in December. It has Iwen (he custom, observed during the past four or five years, to hold an exhibition of students' work at tho school, on three nights at tho end of the school venr, tho exhibition being open to the general public. This year the exhibition will be held as usual, so the board decided at its meeting last evening.

Just to illustrate the necessity for learning things thoroughly, Lord Chelmsford, opening an ambulance station ot Portland recently, told .a story of a man. who didn't. It happened a year ago, ho said, when )io was watching sonic «i"»«lanco oN(iniiiatio<is in (lie bush. "One of tho examinees," Lord Chelmsford said, "was asked what were llio symptoms of shock. He replied: 'A dry tongue and a great thirst!' I iin afraid wo should find a great many sufferers from shock ot that rate. I would impress <fa llioso .who are coin" through this ambulance trtiuing not to take such an everyday occurrence as a symptom of accident 1"

"Tho Prime Minister is no doubt optimist enough to believe that tho value of land in New Zealand will increase very much, hi tho future," said Mr \\. A. Vcitch during tho debate on tho Land Hill in tho House of Representatives last evening. "No, 1 doubt it very much, interjected Mr. Massey. "Town lands may/' ho nddeel, as an after-thought.. Mr. Vei'tch declared that only u P«siimst would deny that land in New Zealand was likely bo greatly increase in value in tho future.

A stranger who was on a visit to a Wairarapa town, noticing tho snow- on Die mountains to tho westward ot tlie town, asked some boys who were straggling homo from school tho name of tho mountain range. They could.not tell him. "Well," he said, "ran you tell mo where tho Black Sea is?" Tho boys were amused. Of course they could, and draw it; for him if he liked. Then ho asked if they know whero tho Niagara ialis were, and ; f they knew anything about Lake Nyanzn. Yes. they know all about those places, but they did not know the name of their own mountain ranges, llio stranger amused himself by asking variations of tho snnio questions from the schoolboys ho met ns ho strolled clown the street. They could all tell him something about places and mountains they had never seen, but not one of them could tell him tho nam© of their own Tarawa ranges. _______