LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 182, 22 April 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

We shall be indebted to the courtesy of secretaries of school committees, kindly extended in previous years, for reports lind election results from to-night's meetings in tho suburban and outlying school districts in time for publication in Tuesday morning's issue. For telephone reports ring up 4052.

The Government has recoived many inquiries as lo whether Anzac Day is a statutory half-holiday. The Minister of Internal Affairs vtho Hou, G. \V. Kussell) states there is no obligation on any factory, firm, or person to observe the day as a holiday, but in declaring it a publie holiday for tho Government service throughout tb.a Dominion the Government acted in the hope and in the firm -belief that tho rest of the people of tho Dominion would also observo it as in previous years. Tradespooplo closing: on Anzac Day will bo entitled to keep their places of business open, on tho usual weekly half-holiday.

Dalgoty and Co., Ltd., have declared an interim dividend of I per cent., together with bonus of Is. per share, payable on May 15.

Some light on the overcrowded state of some of our schools is. given in the animal report of tho Eastern Hntt School Committee, which says;— "Our rooms aro crowded in all classes. In tho tour rooms of tho infant department there aro 30 children in. excess of tho iloor space allowance, and 21 in excess in tho upper school, making a total of 01. in excess of tho space allowed, or sufficient, without any further admissions to the school, to fill another room at once. There are 73 in Standards V and VI under one teacher, and 70 in Standards 111 and IV, likewise under ono teacher, If, is a great tax on the' teachers of theso classes. It is an injustico to the people of the district that sufficient room is not provided for their children, and many of them, who aro quito young, arc forced to walk long distances and to cross tho bridge lo tho other Hull School or elso go to private or denominational schools." Yoc many months past complaints against the operations called tho New Zealand Medical Club, the sole purposo of which is to distribute venereal prophylactics among Now Zealand soldiers m Britain, havo been hoard from the people who havo learned of the existence of this business. Tho "club" was established. by Miss Ettie Rout, sometime of Christchurch, and ono Dr. Homibrook. _ A deputation of women waited on the Primo Minister on Saturday morning to ajik him to stop distribution of theso goods. Mr. Mnssey said that he would give attontion to tho matter in England, and that ho would stop the schcrao if he could.

A loiter received recently from an Auckland boy in training in London for air services gives some idea of the care exorcised in selecting aviators for mili-, (ary service. He writes:—"One of tho, idutps I met ut Cardiff when I came here first failed, and will have to join the Tenth Londous as a private. Some of the chief tests are to hold tho breath for nt: least sixty seconds, and to stand on one leg for 45 seconds, with eyes closed and hands held out in front. If you nro standing on the right leg, do not let the left leg touch it. I held my breath for 85 seconds, and nearly burst in the .attempt. Then another tiling that was doDe is to put something down the throat and try to pull tho Adam's applo from its place. Eyesight and hearing tests were verv hard indeed. I passed fit as a pilot. * Out of 130 that went up 48 passed. Only 21 passed as pilots, 23 as observers, and 2 balloon observers. That is but the medical test, tho rest follows."

The entrances to a picture or any other theatre is its chief exit, for, no matter how many emergency exits tliero may be, the public are never trained to use them, and consequently tho main entrance is the main exit. For years past the picture theatre management, seized of tho vnlue of advertisement, have developed very elaborate scliemf.s of advertising their wares by poster creations, and often set scenes, which have ocr'; ! '.' ;, u

the greater part of the entrance vestibule. This is contrary to the by-laws, which bear unon the blocking up of those spaces needful for the rapid handling nf crowds. It is argued by the civic ni'thoritios Hint, were a panic to occur, the first rush out of Hie people would knock tho obstructions over, those following would trip and fall, to tho danger of others. Instructions have now been issued that there must be no obstructions in entrance vestibules. Poster and boards must be placed close to the wall as futures, and no easels will bo permitted. _ The now order was given effect to in most of tho theatres on Saturday.

The principal item in the new proposals of tho Auckland tramway men is' a demand for a wago of Is. 6d. per hour, vising to Is. Sd. per hour in the lirst year, for both niotormcn and conductors. At present motormen recdive Is. (lid. an hour for tho first year, rising by annual increments of Id. and Id. up to Is. 3d. per hour. Conductors at. present receive le. per hour for tho first year, rising to Is. 2d. per hour by similar increments. A short sitting of the Magistrates Court was held on Saturday morning, with Mr. S. K. M'Carlhy, S.M., on the. Bench. For insobriety. Robert M'Carlncy, with ono nrevious conviction, was fined 605., in default seven days' imprisonment, A first offender was convicted and orcred to como up for sonlence when called upon. In Auckland (he Mayor (Mr. J. HGunson) has asked the citizens to observe a half-holiday on Anzac Day (Thursday next). In Wolbngton tho Mayor has made n request for tho observation of a whole holiday. At tho Oily Council meeting on Thursday soveral councillors suggested that a half-holiday would meet the case, but the Mayor explained that it did uot make- much difteronce, as citizens could observe the day as a holiday or not ns they chose. Ihts, it is believed, will lead to a certain amount of confusion among the trading and commercial community, who would naturally wish to do the right thing so long as others in tho same class of business do so. It is understood from several retailers that it is their intention to close their' business premises as from l p.m. ■ Tho professions will, it is understood, observe the full holiday, which runs coincident with St. Georges Dny.

"For somo years" (states ih-a Koicne.iw j School Committee in its annual,• report) j "wo litivo lmcl advantago of tho City ! Council's system of soiiool circulating libraries. Tho books are changed every ! year, and we receive SIX) per an"""'- j None of these books cost less than 2s. Gtl., and many of them are valued at ss. and 6s. Thus, (it a modest estimate, j wo have.now libraries ovcry year valued nt about ilfl. In addition, and what is moro important, tho books are carefully selected by experts, and whilst giving | R rcat pleasure to tho readers, materially assist tho geography and ■hirtory.lessons of tho school. Children, with their highly imaginative and romantic instincts, , lovo reading, and the schools of Welling-: ton should bo very grateful to the library authorities of the City Council for the great work they havo undertaken. A three-barreled moral is. contained in tho details of an incident which.happened recently in a motor garage in a country town in Canterbury, says tho Press. A. passer-by threw a lighted matoh into tho gutter-apparently a very safe Jung to do. The lighted match, however, set ablaze somo petrol floating -on the top of the water in tho gutter, and tho Unme travelled along tho gutter up a drain loading into a garage, and along to the motor-car from which tho petrol was leaking. Tho result was that the car was soon on fire, but fortunately before much damage was done tho flames wcrO put ont by tho agency of two hre oxtinguishors of a make recognised by Ihe Vire Underwriters' Association. Ihe incident illustrates tho high inflammability of petrol, and tho three morals it conveys are: Don't have leaky petrol tanks, don't underrate tho value of fire extinguishers, and don't throw lighted matches about, even into a side-channel. There was a proposition made some months ago by tho Christchurch 1 eclinical College authorities to the Defence Department concerning tho making ot artificial limbs for soldiers, the college to provide a room for tho work and place whatever appliances it had at tho disposal of the workmen. At the time there were two returned, soldiers m Cnnstchurch who had had training in the manufacture of artificial limbs in Lugland, and one of ihese, was a frequent, caller at the Technical College to inquire as to the establishment of. such a system there. He had an artificiallymade leg, and was desirous of employment here, as the flat nature of the Christchurch streets suited his disab - ity The Department's reply to tho lechnical College memorandum was. reports tho "Lyttelton Times," to send this man to Wellington as it was intended tojhave a central workshop there for the construction of artificial limns. The other returned soldier was not so patient m awaiting a decree from the Defence authorities, and it is understood took employment on a farm. Since thAfc train no further move has. been made by the Technical. College in the matter of the manufacture of artificial aids to limbless soldiers. ..