SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 6714, 5 June 1900, Page 2

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.

At the last meeting of the Auckland i Education Board a strong protest was ! made by the members against the system inaugurated of late by the powers that be in ignoring the Education Boards, and communicating direct with the School Committees about closing the schools every other day or so. It was sensibly suggested that there would be no objection to a week's holiday at a suitable time, but the. demoralisation of the school system by these interruptions right in the teeth of the examinations was a most improper method of pro- | cedure. It is also a question whether < these frequent holidays will have such ]

of the younger ' generation/as a holiday on the t>rocla- ! "ioation of peace, accompanied by a celebration fitting fco the great occasion;' Fourth I»age.—On our fourth page to-day will be found war news and and other reading matter. On Tour.—Mr A. Matheson too k his departure from Palmerston this morning en rpiLte for South Africa. Patea Seat.—The Hawera Star says that Mr C. E. Major has been asked to stand for the Patea seat. Diamond Wedding.—Mr and Mrs G. W. Keys, of Lower Hutt, have just celebrated the sixtieth anniversary o£ their wedding. Obituary.—The death is recorded of the Rev. H. E. Taylor, vicar St. Augustine's, Napier at the age of 46. He camo to New Zealand in 1895. Filling His Place.—Mrs Wauchepe, widow of the general, has baen elected to fill the vaeauey on LibeL'ton Sahool Board created by her husband's death. Removed. —An altered advertisement from Mr H. Haydon, who has removed his grocery business to premises in Broad-street, opposite the Bank of Australasia, appears in another column. Drunkenness.—Mr Greenfield, S.M., at the Police Court this morning, fined a first offender, who did not appear, 10s, . or 48 hours' imprisonment, for being drunk while in charge of a horse. Inquest.—Mr G. M. Snelson, District Coroner, left for Rauinai this morning for the purpose of holding an inquest on the body of the late Mr T. E. Fabling, who was drowned in the Pohangina river. Official.—Mr &- Mackay, of the [ Labour Department, was on an official visit to Palmerston last night. He went on to Feilding this morning, returning to Palmerston by the evening train. Mr Ronayne, General Manager of railways, was also a passenger by to-day's express train. Labour. — Yesterday the Labour Department started a gang of men felling bush on Block 6a, Horowhenua. It is the intention of the Department to fell the bush, road and grass the land, and then dispose of it, the cost of the improvements thus effectectod, being added to the capital value. Skyscraper.— A firm of New York architects have just completed plans for the largest office building yet erected. It is to be twenty storeys in height, 336 feet by 106 feet and will cost 4 millions. The Americans apparently intend not to let even Jacob's ladder beat them.

Unseated. —In a coach accident which occurred near Mangaweka, Mr Wilford, M.H.R., was one of those who were thrown heavily to the ground. He, however, picked himself up and blandly remarked, " That's the second time I've been unseated, but I'm still game.'' Personal.—We notice that Mr E. J. Prendergast, solicitor, has purchased Mr W. L. Fitzherbert's practice at Levin, as from to-morrow. Mr Prendergast has been brought up here and has many friends in this district, and his unswerving industry and genial disposition are bouad to ensure him success in his new location.

Prophecy.—Though the gift of prophecy may not be Madame Hellers', still she may claim to have made a good shot at some of the leading events in the present war. While in Hawera at the beginning of the year, she predioted that Ladysmith would be relieved in February, and that the British would be in Pretoria in May. Strange to say, the first was right, and the second, if not quite correct, will only be one or two days out. —Star.

A Patch.—Mr Charles Taylor, of the Western Spit, on Saturday found a large quantity of ambergris (from a spermaceti whale) on the beach there, no doubt thrown up by the recent heavy seas. Mr Eccles, chemist, tested the ambergris and found it to be the genuine article. As ambergris, which is much used in perfumery, is worth about £6 per ounce, Mr Taylor's find is a very valuable one.—Napier Herald.

Fire Brigade.—At a special meeting of the Fire Brigade last night it was decided to vote for Supt. Tingey (P.N.) and Smith (of Christchureh) to act as representatives of New Zealand at the Paris Exhibition. The othei- candidates nominated as delegates were Secretary B. C. Bobbins, of Hawera, and Secretary J. G. Gilberd, of Napier. The first of the Brigade's winter socials will be held tomorrow night.

Stock District.—We understand that it is the intention of the Stock Department to create a new stock district, taking in the country round Hunterville. The exact boundaries have not yet been fixed, but it is probable that the new district will consist of portions of the Palmerston, Wanganui, Hawke's Bay districts. This stsp has been found necessary owing to the increasing settlement, and the distance from any of the cbiof offices. Mr Hull left for Wanganui today to confer with Mr Blundell as to the most suitable boundaries. The change will necessitate another Inspector being appointed.

Volunteers.—There was an excellent muster of the Palmerston North Rifles at the Government parade last evening under Captain Mounsey and Lieutenant Watt. After the usual inspection of arms and accoutrements the men were taken out and exercised in movements similar to those of last Monday night.— At a meeting of the Shooting Committee held after parade it was decided that the third round for the New Zealand Clothing Factory's trophy be fired on Wednesday and Saturday, 6th and 9th, and continued on the first Wednesday and following Saturday and third Wednesday and following Saturday in each month.

_ Melba's Intended.—The San Francisco Call, of April 17th, contains the following message telegraphed from its Paris correspondent:— " Madam Melba has announced that she is engaged to be married to Mr Haddon Chambers, the Australian playvight. 'My divorce from Mr Armstrong delights me,' she said. 'It is what I have longed for. I have never had any desire to live in those awful Dakota and Texas places. Now all is done. As for me, I will soon marry Haddon Chambers. I never thought of marrying ±ierr Joachim. Why, he is 80. I have already bought a house in Great Cumberland-street, London, where I expect to bevcryhappv as Mr Chambers' wife.' " F<X

Treasure in Dunedin.—Stories o f misers' hoards and treasure concealed in old buildings, chimneys, and under hearthstones, not to mention in stockings, arc frequently read of in books, and occasionally crop up in real life. It wag, therefore, perhaps natural that when the cleaning of Dunedin's slums began, an instance of hoarded wealth amoag " seamy " surroundings (says the Otago Daily Times) should have been brought to light. In an ancient house in George street the police not along ago found deeds, deposit receipts, gold and silver to the value of £2000. This was wrapped up in a mass of old rags and papers and concealed in a chest of drawers in the house. The owner is an old woman who ladlon^ been suspected of being possessed ol means, and the money has since been taken charge of by a solicitor on her behalf. It is understood she has no relatives in the colony, but has a couple of nieces in Ireland.

Bankruptcy.—The following are the lists of assets and liabilities in the estate of Messrs Strong and Lambert:—F. S. Strong (private estate) : Unsecured creditors, £12 13s; other liabilities, .£2 2s. Total, .£l4 15s. Secured creditors, £,15. Less estimated value of' securities, 420; surplus to contra, £5. Deficiency, .£5 ss. Unsecured creditors : E. Grove, .£5 13s; Todd and Charter, £1; J. Wingate ; £3 10s; George, £2 10s; Pearce and Ravenhill, £2 2s. Secured creditor, J. H. Hocking, £15. W. Lambert (private estato): Unsecured creditors, £5 12s. Secured creditors, £10. Less estimated value of securities, £20; surplus to contra, £10. Deficiency, £4 2s. Unsecured creditors:

E. Grove, .£1; J. McMurray, £1 $s; D. M. George, £$ 9s. Secured creditor, J. H. Hocking, £~d. Joint estate: Assets, £281 13s 9d. Liabilities, £308 Os 4d. Deficiency, £26 6s 7d. The list of unsecured-creditors in the joint estate has already been published.

"Obituaby.—A Press Association telegram received last night! states that Major E. Hamlin, ex-M.H.R. for Franklyn, is dead. Tfie deceased gentleman was for some time Chairman of Committees in the House of Representatives. Returned.—The Hon. Sir George Whitmore, K.C.M.G., who has been residing in England since the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 1897, was a passenger from London by the Waiwera yesterday. Sir George is still in comparatively good health. Ambulance.—At a meeting last night of members of the Palrnmton Fire Brigade interested in ambulance work, Lieut. Browning in the "chair, it was j decided that the fee for the course of five i ambulance lectures should be 5s fsr members of the Brigade, and 7a 6d for non-members. The Secretary, Fireman Hitchings, was instructed to procure the necessary bandages &«., from I "Wellington. i Railway.—This morning while the 1 Foston train was approaching Palmer - aton, and when near the ICawau stream, the piston rod broke away from the I cross head and knocked the end of the ' cylinder out. Afte» a delay of about 15 minutes the breakage was sufficiently repaired by Mr Wilson, the driver, to permit of the engine being brought onto the station. This, and, other delays , down the line made the Foxton train--1 nearly an hour late. The accident also caused a delay in the Wellington train of about 25 minutes, as the engine could not be despatched to Longburn until the lino was clear.

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