LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1592, 29 July 1916, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The green oats in the .school garden plots are being turned in by the scholars in readiness Cor spring sowing.

Tlie collectors of (he patriotic boxes are reminded (hat the collection of duly donations will take place from Tuesday until Saturday of next week.

Swimming as a compulsory school subject on certain days is (he object of a deputation from the Wellington Centre of (he New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, which will wait, upon the Wellington Education Board.

Arbor Day was celebrated at the local State school last. Tuesday, a number of shrubs and trees being planted. The head teacher desires to thank the .following for donations: —H. H. dust (trees and seeds), A. d. Shailcr (roses), T. Waugh, Hull (roses), Cloldingham and Beckett (manure), Dodder and Tolley (seeds), Mitchinson, New Plymouth (seedlings). The monthly sitting of the S.D. Courl yesterday was presided over by Messrs A.lf. Eraser and llorubjow, d’s.P. A number of defended cases were adjourned until next Court, day. Judgment was entered up for plaintiff in the following civil vases; —i\l. M. Perreau v. John Young, £2 18s, costs ss; d. E. Gillespie v. A lex. .Morgan, Cl Is, costs ss: I?. N. Speires v. L, Ashwin, £8 7s sd, costs 235.

Over one hundred farmers attended (lie .meeting in Levin yesterday (says the Chronicle) to discuss live si oed; sales. The Mayor of Levin (Mr ('. Blcnkhuni)prcsidcd. The meeting alKirmed the desirableness of holding all the weekly stock sales on the one day, and recommended that Ihe auctioneers he .asked to consider the advisability of holding their sales conjointly. A eommitlee of farmers has been set up to represent the meeting and negotiate with I lie auctioneers.

Tite Prime Minister has invited all Mayors of the Dominion to convene public meetings on the second anniversary of the war, and submil the following motion; —“That, on this, Ihe second anniversary of the declaration of a righteous war, this meeting of the citizens of records its inflexible determination to continue to a victorious cud the struggle for the maintenance of those ideals of liberty and justice which are common and sacred to the mi use of Ukv allies.”

A popular idea in (he Dominion for some years has been that there are more women in the country than men. This idea, says the Christchurch Press, is exploded on reference to the last census, taken in 19.11, when it was shown that there were 531,1)10 males ami 47(5,558 females, or a proportion of females to each 100 males of 30.57. The hill It rate, ’on referring to last Year Bool: for 1914, shows that 14,535 hoy babies horn to 13,803 females, or a proportion to each 100 of the latter of 105.3.

“Latin is taught to budding farmers at the Technical College at Palmerston North, hat not botany,” said Dr Cockayne in an address at Wellington this week, lie described bow science was regarded as a grandmother’s hobby, while it nourished as an evergreen in girl’s colleges. The general ignorance of people with regard to science was well illustrated hy Professor Easterlielcl, who said that he had once been asked to make a scientific investigation for a company which ini ended to spend £40,000. The work took him a week, and the company considered it was paying well for the trouble when it sent him 30s. The Mayor of Christchurch stated on Saturday that he had had a conversation with a soldier down from Eoatherston camp, and from what he could make out the men there had received very little advantage from the gramaphoues which had been sent up for their use and benefit. The soldier said that he had seen one gramaphone in a bugler’s hut and also heard the sounds of one issuing from the dwelling of the Headquarter’s Staff, but there were none, so far as he knew, in the company’s hutments. The Mayor remarked that 25 had been sent from Christchurch alone, and he meant to look into the matter.

The Cinematograph Film Censorship Bill has been roiul a second lime in tli<‘ House.

The latest addition to the local telephone exchange is No. 73, F. D. Whiblev, Russell Street.

Mr Smith takas over the picture business from Messrs Fuller’s, Ltd., in the local Town Hall from Monday next, in Jut are four distinct programmes will be submitted every week to picture patrons from the leading (lint firms, including the World’s and Metro supplies. The proposal by the National Government to set back municipal elections for a year is coming in for a good deal of adverse criticism throughout the Dominion. It is stated by some critics that the move is to pave the way for a prolonged term of Parliament.

Only five more telephone subscribers are required io enable l*V>xlon to participate in the 8 a.in to JO p.m, service, as against the present S a..in. lo 8 p.m. The present number of subscribers is !)(i, and 101 are required. We hope this number will be forthcoming at an early date.

The hemp market continues very firm, prices having increased by fen shillings per ton during the past day or so. For delivery' during the next two months £3S 10s per ton for good fair grade is offering. Tow is also in good demand, the price offering being approximately’; First grade £ls 10s, second grade £l4 10s, and third grade £l3 10s.

The <le;iih is cabled from Paris of Professor Elio Metehnikoff, the famous bacteriologist. Ho was the discoverer of the functions of the while corpuscles in human blood, and propounded the theory that old age was a chronic disease for which science would one dav find a cure.

During the month the Buxton Ladies’ Patriotic Guild lias despatched the following goods: —24 housewives, 24 holdalls, 37 handsewn muslin shirts, 25 under-vests, I I underpants, 8 pairs pyjamas, 10 shirts, 20 hand-knitted sox, 50 triangular bandage's, 48 face cloths, 7 flannel bandages, 3 slings, 4 eyebandages, 1 chest protector, 4 bundles old linen. The muslin shirts were sent to our wireless corps in Mesopotamia.

The cribbagc tournament played in Mr Perrean’s rooms on Thursday night between teams representing tiie combined Druids nnd Oddfellows .Lodges and the railway employees resulted in a win for the

railway men by 27 games to 22. It was decided to hold a progressive tournament on Thursday, August 11th, and Messrs Rockell, Henderson, Mclvegney and Mc.Ewon were appointed a committee to arrange all details.

The committee which has in hand the matter of completing the National Register, as far as the borough of Eoxton is concerned, has secured the services of Private's McGrath and Tindall, two returned soldiers, to undertake this work, and a commencement with same will be made next week. A house to house canvass will be undertaken and the name of every resident of military age will lie recorded, and (Ids record compared with the list supplied by the Government of those who filled in their National Registration papers.

The Kev. \V. limvo will ho oecupN’iny 11 ic jmlpil ia Iho Methodist Church a I bulb services 10-moiTow. The morning sovvioo will bo speeially helpful t«* young converts, In wlmm Iho address will ho given. air liowe has lately boon making a. study of iho signs of iho limes as ihey refer to the seeuml coming of Christ, and Iho first of a series of eight discourses will he delivered on ihis subject on Sunday evening next. In order to understand fully (he preacher's conception of this I ruth, all those interested should endeavour to hear each address, which will he duly advertised in this miner.

.Mr E. H. B. Holhen, the Governmen! nominee on the Coxian Harbour Board, wrote to Thursday’s meeting of the Board, asking for leave of absence, as he was leaving for England to offer Ids services for duty at I lie front as a mechanical expert. “I am sorry,” said Mr Holhen, “that I sail not he able to remain to assist in bringing the longexpected Fox ton wharf into the hands of the Foxton Harbour Board. However, I think the Board will agree with me tha I my efforts could not he heller expended than devoting my lime to the interests of the Empire.” On the motion of Mr J. A. Nash, Mr Holben’s appliea.tion was unanimously agreed to.

At Thursday's meeting of the Foxton Harbour Board, Mr J. A. Nash referred to the work of Mr P. llcnnessy, the chairman of the Board, in connection with the acquisition of the wharf, and he moved that appreciation of Mr Hennessy’s services be placed on record. The'Board's position with regard to the finding of the Commission was all right, though the terms were not what they wanted, but what they had got they had to thank Mr Hcnnessy for, and the Board should place on record his services to the district and the Board. The motion was seconded by Mr F. E. Jenks. In returning thanks, Mr Hennessy said he had had a pretty strenuous time in advocating the acquisition of the wharf during the last nine years. The Board was not out of the fire yet, however. There was the rating area to define, which was bound to raise a lot of opposition. He thanked the speakers for their kind remarks, and hoped that this day twelve months they would have everything in order for the taking over of the wharf.

At the Farmers' Conference at Wellington yesterday, Mr J. Boddie (Auckland) moved: —“That in view of the demands of educational development, the rseult of changed conditions and national progress, the time lias now arrived for a modification in the public school syllabus so that after a certain age or state of advancement the child's education be specialised so that it will prepare him for his future occupation.” This was seconded by Major Lusk, and carried.

Every Friday the supper-room at the local Town Hall presents a very animated appearance, because that is the day when the woodwork classes meet for instruction. The boys of Standards V. and YL take a keen interest in their work, both theoretical and practical. There are twenty benches equipped with vices, etc., for them to work upon. The benches are very rigid and up-to-date. The tools as supplied by 7 the Department are of the best. Each boy is supplied with a drawing board for scale work and design, and is thoroughly taught how to use and handle the tools before setting out upon practical work. It was very interesting to watch the boys at work, and Mr Verry, the instructor, informed our representative that the pupils were particularly apt. We were informed that the equipment was equal to the best to be found in any 7 similar class under the Board’s jurisdiction. The training the boy r s are receiving should stand them in good stead in the wears to come.