LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 177, 22 April 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A falling-off was disclosed in the number of applications for assistance dealt with at this week's ineetin? of the District Repatriation Board. Nineteen loans were granted for the purchase of furniture and one loan was declined. Eighteen applications for l}u=ii\csg loans were considered. Of these 12 were granted, three declined, two deferred, and one withdrawn. In ten eases grants of fees were made to students, and seventeen training allowances were authorised. Wojrs subsidies were granted to three applicants, and it was decided to assist another man to complete his apprenticeship.

For reasons over which the Defence Department' had no control, the issue of privilege rail tickets to returned soldiers was greatly curtailed some months ago, and as a conrequcnco it was decided to extend the period of avnilability to June ]. the Railway Department stipulating tlint -the issue should not exceed SOftO per month. The position on March 31 was that approximately 17,000 tickets had still to bo issued, despite the fact that the actual tickets disposed of averaged iu the neighbourhood of 3000 per month. Tho failure to make full use of the privilege during the holiday months was probably due to soldiers having resumed their civil occupations, and the difficulty tliev would have in obtaining leave from their employers so soon after the resumption of employment. The Defence Department announces that by special arraueement with the Railway Department privilege rail tickets nro now to he extended to November SO next, which is the final date. This means that all orders must be exchanged for railway tickets not later than November 2. Owiui: to the heavy call that will he made upon tho railways during the visit of the Prince, returned soldiers eligible for tho issue of privilege rait tickets are requested to delay exchanging their _ orders until the departure of tho Princo from New Zealand.

Information has been received f'om the Naval Adviser that the i:ndermentioned Government nassengers embarkpd on the b.s. . lonic, which left Southampton on March SI—A. Cornish, chief motor mechanic; It. Cormack, leading stoker; Sir Chnrles nnd Lady Davson a'nl maid; Dr. Slrathaim and wife; Miss West.

The Minister of D?fcnce has expressed liip keen Appreciation of the valuable awvistanej rendered his Department by members of the various Volunteer JWiv Corns throughout the Dominion in the conveyance of returning,troops from the wharves and stations to their homcsi or other destinations. The chwrM and consistent manner in which their nura-, hers tuiyied out at irregular hours and often under inclement weather conditions during the trying vears of war is, fays the Minister, deeply appreciated by the Government, and there is every reason to believe tlio work is regarded with thanks and pratctudo.lty the soldiers and their dependants.

"Every responsible member of tlio community should take particular notice of the iww wave of influenza which has como along." remarks the "Lyttelton Times." "Fortunately nearly all the cases are of a mild type, but the fact that humlredsjf ijotifications have been made in Christchurch dnrhiar tho ilast few days should make everybody realise that the position is serious. Members of the community will bo wise to take sj.ecial precautions. They should keep from crcwds, and particularly cbildron should not be pillowed to m unnecessarily into the dangers of infection that come from congregating together. A little extra attention to cleanliness is very advisable, and it will be beneficial to see that there is no economy in tho matter of fresh air. What appear to be Eidiiinry 'colds' ought not 'to 1)0 neglected, while sufferers from influenza, mild or serious, wi\l bo unwise if they treat the complaint lightly. We believe there are no grounds for alarm, but there is ample warrant for care and for precautionary measures, Fresh air, which costs nothing, is ono of the best preventives." Refyrenoe to the new Government regulations to restrict iiookmaking was made by the Rev. J. J, North at Mondav

night's nicptins of tho Ciiristclnirch Council of Churches. After to what tho cnimcil "lin.-l done in vrging the need of such legislati'in, Mr. £orth said that under the new regulations the bookmaker h:ul still! some sort of lecal position ill theeountry, and the llovcrmront tolerated his presence and hnd placed no bail upon him. Mr. North continued that he had evidence of a IrJttinic meeting at which bookmakers took doubles. As soon as the chief vacs was won, Ibe bookmaker could tell how tiling would pan out if any particular horse ill the minor event ran, and it became instantly an affair of thousands to the hookmakers that horses should not hie in that race. and it was notorious that that race was never an honest race, because tho "doubles business" operated to prevent horses winning, A swordfish which was washed ashore on the ocean boacli at Westshore, savs tho Napier "Teleirranh," has been bought by the Wanganui Muaouin, and lias been placcd in the freezing works pending instructions. Tho fish was lift. Gin. Ion?, 4ft. Gin. girth, its tail 3ft. fiin. from tip to tin. the actual sword a font lone, or, with the bony structure of the nose. •Ift. TU weight was between Icwt. and

sc\vt. The fish was evidently a fighter, one eve being gone and several recently healed scars appearing on the body. Two remora.. or pilot fish, were inside the hi* fish's gillU, and those remained alive for twenty-four hours. The swordlish was noticed :'n the breakers on Friday by a woman, and was lassoed bv Mr. t! ]>o,v<l- - tho aid of a boras it was dragged on to dry land. It is thought that it warm current must !« sottin? towards Napier from the tropics, as lecontly thresher sharks, n large Biinfisli, and now a swordlish (finite different from tins variety caught by -rod mid line at Russell) have been captured at Wcstsbore.

It is understood (telegraphs our Wairarapa correspondent) that an appeal is to be lodged against the judgment of Mr. ]?. Pnge. S.M., whereby the custodian of the JfßSterton Gentlemen's Club was Convicted on a charge of having Honor in store within n no-licenso district. Tho report of the principal (Mr. .T. S. Tennant) on the operations of tho Teachers' Training College at Kelburn for tho year 101!) was presented to yesterday's meeting of the Education Board. The report stated thftt tho total roll number for the year wan 155. Of this number 31 were men and 121 women students. There were 09 senior and Sfi junior students. Eleven returned soldiers were on the roll, of whom four had had no previous experience. _ The students came from tho following districts:—Wellington, Gl; Wangnnui, 43; TTawke's Day, 22; Taranaki, 115; Nelson. 8; Marlborough, 1; Cantorburv, 2; Olngo, 1. The continually recurring problem'of accommodation for the students was more acute than over owing to tho larger numbers and the congestion in Wellington. Twenty of tho girl students had to find lodgings in private boardinghonses. The male students had to shift for themselves, Seventy, three students coiunleted their course of training in December Inst. Many of tlrse wore young teachers who had now oC'uially severed tboir connection with (lie college, and had gone to positions where the circumstances of location, stalling, etc.. would escludo them from professional assistance other than that obtained from a very hard-worked headmaster or the rare visit of i\ busy inspector. However good the material, these conditions must make for the inevitable groove. For this reason the training cnllegc.s were unanimous in advocating some system of noetcollego prrihationership whoreby students could spond therr first teaching years in specially-selected schools.

At the request of the Technicnl College Board, the Education Board yesterday decided to co-operate in tho agitation for a site for tho now technicnl school buildings. "Ono of the best tests of a good actor, 1 " savs Mr. Herbert Hanson, the English' aclor at the head of the "Daddies" Company, "is his capacity to listen intelligently. Many actors arc only interested in tiie character they are playing whilst they are speaking, and omit to carry tho illusion when others arc engaged in conversation. To bo a good listener is almost as valuable as io be able to express the meaning of the lines correctly. Tho two best' examples of actors who lire great listeners was the late Sir. .Tames Welch, of England, and Mr. l)avid Wariiold, of America"

Manners Street was yesterday provided with its quota of masts for decorative purposes in connection with the visit of tho Princo of Wales, and ae eoon as tho weather permits tho task of painting tne masts win be put in hand. Tho narrow parts of Lambton Quay and Cuba Streot will also got their masts tjiis week, and the construction of tho pylons for the broad parts of Lambton Quay and Courtenay Place will be commenced forthwith. The Harbour Board have already flanked tho lower part of Waterloo Quay with masts, and the entrance to tho King's Wharf is being tastefully elaborated. As there aro only another nine working days before the date of the Prince's arrival a big mish will havo to be mado to get through in good time. Among the official buildings to lio decorated will be the General Post Office, but on this occasion the decorations will take the form of illuminations particularly on the eastern front (Customhouse Quay) of the building, where nil the windows and main architectural features will lie picked out in vari-colour-. Ed oleotric lights.

As many of the officers of tho .Wellington Military District who saw service in the late war have not met since they were, together on tho battlefield, a reunion dinner has been arranged to take place it Palmerston North (1 eadquarters of the district) 011 Saturday evening, and the King's Colours, presented by His Majesty to the three service battalions of tho regiment, will be consecrated and lodged for safe-keeping in AGI Saints' Church, Palmerston North. The Colours will bo actually handed over in tho church by battalion-commanders who commanded the respective battalions in action, viz.:—Brigadier-O/iieral .11. Hart, C.8., C.M.G.,, D.5.0., Sirft Battalion; Lieutenant-Colonel W. 11. Cunningham, D.5.0., Second Battalion; and .i.ioutennntColonel W. H. Fletcher, D.C.M., Third Battalion. The colour party of twenty n.c.0.'6 mid raen for each battalion colours will be composed of n.c.o.'s and men who have ssrved with their respective battalions overseas.

At the conclusion of a special nieotillg of fclio Brewery and Aerated Water Workers' Union, held in the Trades Hall on Tuesday night, two presentations were mado to Mr. J. Read, who has beeii acting as the union's secretary during the last twelve months. In presenting ,a ease of pipes, Mr. J. Ashworth, speaking on helialf of the members. s.rd they all appreciated the work which had been dono on their behalf jiv the secretary, nartiVularly in welding togethor and building up the orpanisalion. which to-day stood far stronger than ever before. Mr. E. H, Mention's, in presenting Mr. Read with a fountain pen, said that the' whole membership recogn-'sed they were deeply indebted to the work of the secretory ■ for the good progress of recent times. There is apparently a deadlock in the negotiation? between'the Auckland City Council and the tramwaymen in respect to the demand for increased pay. The best offer made by the council in ench of the three sections is an increase of fourpence an hour, while tho men 'demand iiineponce.—Press Assn.