LOCAL & GENERAL.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 178, 14 August 1937, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Havelock Or[vers. Twenty-eight motor-drivers' licences were issued at Havelock North during the month ,it was reported last evening at the meeting of the Havelock North Town Board. Two applicants failed to pass the test. The total licences jssued since May 1, is 304. Making School Easy. "It seems to rne that all this notion of making things easy for the child brings the serious danger of softening our intellectual and moral fibre," said Professor'W. A. Sewell, in an address to members of the Auckland Creditmen's Club. "I do not think school should be a delight to the child. It should to some extent be a labour; it should certainly be a. discipline." Destructive Dogs. Four dogs were noticed this morning playing about and scratching the newly-planted flower-beds bordering the. Marins Parade garden plot, Napier, in front of the Masonio Hotel, with' the result thaf at one part for several yards two rows of young plants were completely rooted out. The dogs were recognised and some ot them will probably find themselves in the dog-catcher's clutches. Operatic Society Revival? Efforts are to he made to call a preliminary meeting of the trustees of the Hastings Operatic Society with a view to its revival. The meeting is being sought by the Hastings and District Progress League, which is hopeful that the society can be placed on a sound foundation once again and be in a position to stage a production in the event of any carnival week being held in Hastings towards the end of the year or at any time in the future. Another Constable for Hastings. Constable P. J. O'Connor arrived in Hastings last evening to join the Hastings poliee force. This addition to the force has been made so as to reduce the working hours of police officers, a rnove which the Police Department is making throughout the country. A number of recruits have just completr ed their three-months training at Trentham and are now being assigned to various parts of New Zealand. Tbe Government's intention is to reduce the weekly hours from 56 to 48. To do this in Hastings at least one adc d.'c.nal man will still need to be appointed. During the past year the force in Hastings has been increased by tw> constables in the uniform branch, bringing the total force xip to 14. The detective branch has been raised in grade with tbe appointment of a detective-sergeant. Locomotive Instruction. Instruction for engine-drivers by means of a special car has been introduced by the Railways Department. A converted- passenger carriage, the car is equipped with models of every part of a locomotive and includes a complete working model of the improved triple Westinghouse brake. Most of the models were constructed in the Lower Hutt workshops. Mr B. Gilbin, instructor, accompanies the car, which has been in use for about two months. After completing the tour of the Maia Trunk line the car arrived at New* Plymouthi on Tuesday, where it will remain a week before proceeding to Wanganui and other centres. Singapore Carrison. "The garrison at "Singapore has recently been strengtliened by the addition of a third battalion of infantry, and other branches, ineluding the air force, have aiso been increased in strength," Mr H. N. C. Gudgeon, an infantry officer at Singapore, who is at present visiting New Zealand, told a reporter. He said tliat a few years ago there had been only one battalion, but another liad been added in April, 1936, and another last April. Work on the naval base was progvessing steadily. The new barracks which liad been built was thoroughly ntodern, he added, and would include a swiinmingbatk for each uuit and a cinema. It was often called "Buckingham Palace", and was considered tlie best barracks in the world. Mr Gudgeon said that a test attack liad been carried out at the garrison last February with troops brougkt froin Hong Kong. Brilliant Boy Unprovided For, Dr. Norwood was surely vvrong when he said that the brilliant boy could look after himself,5' said Professor W. A. Sewell, speaking before • the Auckland Creditmen's Club. In the course of giving his reflections0on the recent educational conference, he said he had cever heard a word about the brilliant boy, who some day was going to be a leader in the eommunity, or who was going to do researck work. "I almost said," the speaker added j 'wvlip might become a univereity professor." That might be all right in England, where there was a generous eystem of scholarships, but not in New Zealand. Here. he saidj in schools and universities, the outstanding boy did not have a chance. "Our university prescribes a course for the 'middle' boy or girl, and tbe brilliant studeut has to make tlie best of that course, We have not got speeialisation. We are doing much damage by going on with a teaching system which ignores the bi-illiant boy." Professor Sewell maintained that the brilliant boy could not look after himself.

Shopping-Week Abandoned. 'Ihe idea of holding a shopping week in Napier during the sjhooi liolidays has been abandoned for this year. That was the decision made at a meeting of the Napier Retailers' Association. A Pleasant Surprise. A pleasant surprise was received by the nurse on duty at the New ■ Plymouth Plunket Rooms one xnorning recently when she picked up an envelope inside the door. It was sealed and written on it were the words "To help the Plunket funds," and inside was a £5 note. The Plunket Society greatly appreciated this act and expresses its 6incere gratitude to its unknown benefactor. Prime Minister's Portrait. The three-quarter length portrait of the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, which is to be presented to tbe Auckland Labour Club by the Mayor, Sir Ernest Davis, has- arrived in Auckland and is shortly to be hung in the Public Library, where it will be on public exhibition for a month before being handed over to the executive of the club. It is the work of Mr John A. A. Berrie, a, well-known Engilislx portrait-paimter, and is an admirable piece of work, Seats for Women. A suggestion that additional seats should be placed in Russell street, in the vicinity of the bus stops. for exclusive occupation by women is to be made to the Hastings Borough Ooxxncil by the Hastings and District Progress League. The matter was discussed by the committee of the league at its last meeting. It was pointed out that very frequently women shoppers from the country were unable to secure seating accommodation handy while waiting for their buses to depart, the seating accommodation already available being occupied by men. In Appropriate Setting. To see a production of "A Midsummer Night' s Dream," in the- open-air theatre at Regent's Park, London, was the privilege of Mr Watson Turner, son of Senior-Sergeant and Mrs E. T. C. Turner, of New Plymouthi, in June last. Iji writing to liis parents of the occasion, Mr Turner said the c'ast included some "big names" in the stage world. "The lighting effects," he said, "on the trees and shrubs bordering one natural raised lawxx stage made a wonderful sight. Being midsummer' s nigbt, the play was appropriate to tlie time." Surplus of Oranges. The orange shortage, from the wholesaler's point of view, has given place to a surplus in Christchurch, says the Press. There are stocks of oranges "on the floor" in Christchurch which ^cannot readily be disposed of at the fixed price, and the merchants are con-r iident that if the fruit were put up for auction. the fixed price wpuld'^not be maintained." It is estimated ' f hat ihe present relation of supply to demand, if afiowed -free play, would reduce the price by a few shillings a case. Approaching Athletic Season. . One of the first items on the programme for the approaching athletic season wixl probably be tho interhouse sports meeting, which was inaugurated last year, and which proved an outstanding success. A meeting of the Napisr Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club bas already been held for the purposo of discussing preiiminary arrangemexits for the gathering, which it is proposed to hold on the,afternoon and evening of November 6. A suro of £200 is the objective of the committee organising the meeting, for the purpose of completing the brick wall at McLean Park. It is intended that the afternooix session should comprise marching. drill and athletic events, and the evening session marching, tableaux and spectacuiar dispJays. Entries have been received from 12 teams, each to consist of 12 members, and good tropbies are being secured. Last year's inter-house sports in Napier resulted in tlie netting of a substantial contribution towards tbe cost of tbe McLean Park fence.