LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1706, 25 March 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Cook Strait was in n turbulent: mood yostorda.v, and tho (ifl!) passengers who left for I'icion by. tho Maori yesterday morning realised this fact long before tho vessel arrived back at Wellington last evening. The weather w.is tine, but the southerly wind of the last two days had. done its work, and "tho ship wont up and the ship went down."' When-tho Maori wo.s coming out of Tory Channel, homeward bound, she took two big seas over her bows in her own peculiar way of doing these things. 'Ihe result was a wetting for some of tho excursionists. One sea curried six rf them along the deck, and it was thought at first that 0110 of tho number had been hurt, but it was ascertained later that ho was more alarmed than anything else. The Maori reached port at 7 p.m. without further accident. - According to a wireless message, received by tho local. Eiidio Ollico, the s.s. Manuka, en routo from Sydney do AVellington, expects to arrive at her destination, at noon to-morrow. lii addition to-tho 300 immigrants who arrived in Sydnoy on March 14 by tho Demosthenes, another 574 were landed tho following day from; tho P. and 0.. branch liner Ballarat, which arrived from London. At Adelaido 370 wore landed, and 230 moro at Melbourne. Those for Now

South.Wales comprised 305 males, 150. females, and DD children. A service was advertised to take place 011 Saturday evening in St. Mary's Anglican Cathedral, Auckland; The* advertisement stated:—"Tho. Bishop will hold special evensong,, with commemoration of tlio departed. Any desiring mention of their 'dear ones gone before' are. asked to send tho names (lull Christian names) to tho Bishop." 111 connection with this notico a- protest was forwarded to tho. ve-Jry of-St.. Mary's Cathedral 'again# this service being hold, on. the ground that it pertained to Itoimui Catholicism. Inquiry at Bishopscourt elicited tho information that two individuals had sent the protest to tho vestry, and Bishop, Cro.'sley explained that ho had held similar services every year of. his.lifo as a vicar. It would simply bo on similar lines to tho ono held recently in connection with tho death of Captain Scott. . As an. 'instance of how the vast tracks south of Auckland have been transformed by that, prolific'spreader of settlement, tho Alain- Trunk line, tho Hon. W. H : . Hemes, speukiiig at Taumarimui the other evening, mentioned that when ho was first elected in 1886, ; for tile Bay of' Plenty, Taumarunui was then in his electorate, which rail from the township to Cape Runaway in tho oast, and from Wailii boundary in. tho north to the top. of Buap'ehu'. in thc< far south. He; explained t'ha.t in. those days tho progressive township that had grown up was little dreamt of. 'l'auinarunui. was then simply a name on tho map,, somcwhoro about the junction of'the AVanganui and j the Onganio Kivers, and ho assured his hearers that he did not attempt to hold any political meetings l there (luring liis' 1830 campaign.—Auckland "Star,"'

It is'not often that we hear talk about the colour lino in New Zealand (says tho , Auckland "Star"),, for the Maori has. always been, regarded • more, or less in, this, country as a brother member of the human family, notwithstanding' certainlittle differences of inherited' instincts and lines of. reasoning. But up 'in Oruuiti. there 16 a. settler who has. definite opinions of his otvn on. this subject, of the social mix-up of the races, opinions which, unfortunately for himself, tod; scant sympathy, from the-members' of. the Education Hoard. •* On 'Wednesday <v report was:, lie-' love the: board stating that this settler steadily 'and resolutely declined to send, his'children to school,, the reason given. by him being, that 'no children, of. his should' attend! a school at which Aiaori children were also- taught. It appears that.tlireo Maori, children get their education at Oruaiti .school, 110 Native, school is within reasonable distance,. The board dismissed the objection of the, settler by giving instructions that, the.'truant officer should use his persuasions with the. obdurate pakolia.

A circular has' been issued by the* In-. spectorrGeneral of Schools stating: that the British and Foreign Sailors' Society of London has offered to. present annually to pupils in the schools of tlie Dominion, artistic copper plaques,: suitably inscribed and' bearing the- liing's initials,-for tiio. best essays upon,"a. subject, relating to maritime.- affairs. Some years ago, tlio circular states,, the society, received. from ; the . Lords of the Admiralty all the: oak Mid copper removed, from. H.M.S. Victory in the process of repairing damages.causeel by "her collision with the battleship Neptune. About the same time the society, secured all the'copper remaining from Nelson's old" flagship,. FoudroyaAt,, which, had been- broken, up, and from the- material obtained' from, these, two. sources tlio plaqiies and some other. Nelson, mementoes: issued; by the society are manufactured,, lor this year four plaques are offered, the subject of the essay being "The Benefits accruing to the United Kingdom and its Dominions, on the one' hand', and 1 to the United Stateson, the other, from tho Treaty of Peace in. 1814." Tho plaquesmil be awarded to a boy or girl' in both tie North and South Islands,, and: tliocompetitors must bo under sixteen years,, of ago on May 31 of this. year. As tlio essays have to. be sent to London, the results will not bo known, before, tho end- of tho year.

The- conference of Sunday school teachers .was continued in. tho.--Vivian Street Baptist Schoolroom yesterday, when- the proceedings took, the form .of a "Free. Parliament," in which C. D; Mackintosh was, elected, bo tho office of Speaker; . A number of subjects, were fully- andi interestingly discussed. Tho executive of. the Sunday School Union was requested' to, consider the question, of statistibs-wifclii a view- to, securing uniformity in; -the figures supplied liy- schools. A l . resolution, was pissed recommending schools, to ■ amend their system, by abolishing prizegiving as. being; contrary, to. tho, spirit of, : unity which should pervade, a, Sunday: ; school. A motion in favour of; tlio Bible-in-schools was carried: on a division.. In ; .the afternoon, Mr. A. Vareoa, secretary-' : of- the Y.M.C.A.,, road' an.interesting anil, practical paper on "Child. Psydoiogy.'" A. discussion followed, in which Messrs. Barley, Mackintosh, ! CiH/lin, and' Moody, took part., Before concluding its business, tho conference passed, hearty votes, cf' thanks to its secretary,, Mi;: H. J. Thompson, and-to Hiss-Hopkirk, jvho, had! rend-1 c-red valuable service in connection with tho conference arrangements, i

' THE "TRIUMPH" STILL, ON. TOP; : Tho CliristchurclirKaikoura-andi.back record still' stand's to tho credit; of-' Mr G. B. Brown and his full roadster "i'ril umph," and tho new. record: mado last Thursday has been buried almost as soon as. it, was born under the-crushing, weight of. two hours and twenty-ono minutes The principal' features of Mr. G. b' Brown's great ride on. Saturday' liavo boon given full, publicity. On Bth 'February ho rodo alone. Some capital w ns made out of tlie fact that, on. a previous occasion, lie. was, accompanied, by anotherrider, and; though, tho precedent tlms set has been followed; in tlio subsequent attempts, upon, the record: by riders of'nincliincs other than the "Triumph," Mr Brown decidod to demonstrate his faitli in "I'riumnh" reliability by riding alone. Ho rodo tlio snmo full roadster threespeed "Triumph"'as lie rodo when, he established tho record on January 17. Tho . only difference, in tho conditions was that ho 'knew, the road. It mast be remembered- that this Christchurcli-ICaikoura. rido was suggested by "Triumph" competitors presumably as- a course on which their machines had a- better chance against tlio "Triumph" than any other; Tlie. courso evidently does suit their machine—when their machine is. going well—but it quito as. evidently suits, tho "Triumph" just as well, and a. great deal bettor. So the result of' this- little sporting controversy lias beent to establish, tho- "Triumph" l as• the bast "cross-country" motor-cycle, as. well as tho- best snned machinoi. tlio best machine for reliability,, and the. bost for-hill-climbing. Tho. latest "Triumphs" aro now. to hand ;, priocs; fixed engine, .£7O; free engine, ,£SO; three-speed. j!g" 10s. Adams, Limited., Christchurchv Branches,. Whng.imii, Palmorston North. Agents, Sutherland and Kankinc, "Wellington, and Tourist Motor Co,, Hastings.— Advt.

ilio jSavy League has boon granted tho iiso of the Concert Chamber by the City Council for chorus rehearsals by the children who are to sing at tho harbour reception to bo given by tho school branches of the league' to H.M.S. New Zealand. Tiio first rehearsal will ialto place at i p.m. 011 Thursday next, under the baton of Mr. E. J. Oakes. Although tho weather earlv yesterday morning looked anything but promising, the public in largo numbers visited tho various seaside resorts round Wellington Harbour, Several thousands went over to Day's Bay.