NEWS IN BRIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2705, 8 March 1924, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The average number of passengers travelling from Lyttelton to Wellington annually is 93,006, and from Wellington to Lyttelton 94,992 making an annual total of 188,658. It can be definitely stated says an Auckland message, that Mr McVilly will not retire from the Railway Department for 12 months as it will require at least that time to permit the Assistant General Manager recently appointed to become fully acquainted with the work. Apart from the importance of the coming session there appears to be no valid reason why Parliament should not meet earlier every year. A late start means an inevitable rush in October to clean up and permit of the farming members of the House getting home for shearing and other spring work. A student at the Waitaki Boy’s High School, Herme Swindley, of Oamaru, put up a remarkable performance in the recent matriculation examination, Taking Latin in a single year without any previous knowledge of the subject at all, he

gained the handsome mark of 18 per cent., which figures among the very highest totals given by tin- examiner. “I have for a. long time been in search of the ideal scheme of organisation in the matter of attending to the social comfort of hospital patients, and at last 1 have found it in Hamilton." This was the reference made last week to the activities of the Waikato Hospital patients’ Sunshine League by Dr. A. R. Falconer, superintendent of the Dunedin Hospital. Dr. Falconer visited Hamilton for the purpose of investigating the methods of the league, with a view to establishing a similar institution in Dunedin. Most hospitals, he said, enjoyed benefits similar to iln>,se conferred by the Waikato Sunshine League, but in no ease was the scheme of carrying a little sunshine into the lives of hospital patients so complete and so efficiently organised as it was at Hamilton. The well known Australian magazine, “Life,” the March issue of which lias just been published, lias made remarkable progress during the past twelve months. The current issue is' full of interesting urticales and fiction. “Life” has amongst its contributors some of the leading writers of the day. A few of the principal features, are: — “The Exit of Battling Billson,” by P. G. Wodehouse; Jim Maitland and the Seven Missionaries,” by Girl from Tooting,” by Geoffrey Rawson; and many others. The variety and quality of special articles and departments with which “Life” is filled is excellent. Such articles as “Capital and the GVCanny Clan,” by Lord Leverhulme; “Stalking Big Copy,” by Sir Philip Gibbs; “Two Months in Morocco,” bv the famous Australian artist, Harold Herbert, and “Freak Art and Freak Artists,” by Charles Nuttal, can hardly fail to appeal to readers. Tn addition to the fore going there are many pages devoted to business, motoring, science, etc. All things considered, “Life” is excellent value for the shilling at which it sells.