HALCOMBE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8835, 11 June 1907, Page 3

HALCOMBE.

Prom Our Own Correspondent.

Onr school committee met on Saturday night, when besides the firiliuary business ■ several matters of interest to the school and education ■fere dealt with. Among others the gnestiou of an agricultural science class was discussed and it was unanimously resolved that the committee canvas for students and send in names to the chairman, who will forward them to Mr Amos, Director of Technical Education for the district. If twelve pupils are obtainable, and there should be no troublefa get that number in a district like ibis, the cost to each wculd be only ills per term. In requesting my assistance in this good work Mr Amos feys truly; “It is only by farming on scientific lines that we can hope to hold our own in competition with Iher countries.” Pew there be l‘hd are too old to learn. Some Ibere are who fancy they know (Bough, and their case is hopeless. Among the former is a journalist Wend of mine who, when in London recently, wont to school again. These arc the sort of men who realise the fact that if wo wish to do good work and get the most out of be soil and out of life we must keep on learning. The committee considered the fact that during the past five weeks, four teachers have been sent to and withdrawn from onr school much to the detriment ol the scholars, and the secretary was instructed to ask the Education Board to send in a teacher who shall have charge until Mr Strachan is able to resume duty. Sympathy frith Mr Strachan was embodied in i resolution and the hope expressed tliai lie would soon b'a restored to robust health. , .... Messrs Adam and W. Bell wore appointed a visiting committee, who would seo that certain repairs were effected.

I have to thank an unknown leader of my notes for a copy of the Glasgow Evening Citizen of April Sth, in which Lady McDonald’s protests against the cruel statements iado that her husband has boon seen in the flesh and pointing out the fact that none had spoken to the supposed Sir Hector, whom indeed "she wishes were alive.” I have also to acknowledge receipt of stamps for the Halcombe invalid from Miss Hammond, Kawhatau Talley, and “A Well-wisher,” Timaru, and thank them sincerely on his behalf.

Friday and Saturday nights were nippers, hut the snu rose gloriously over the still white world and made % delightful. On Sunday at 3.10 p.m. we had a .sharp earthquake. I, with many others within the Advocate’s orbit, have been cirMarised by an astrologer who, for S' consideration of course, will tell ns all about our future. He quotes the Bible and Shakespeare to prove to ns there is something in it. So there is. There's money in it ’for him if he can induce the average percentage of the credulous to respond to his appeal. This appeal has had the effect of making me think, or perchance dream of my beloved instructor Dominie Sampson, of prodigious fame. He it is, or his creator, Scott, who arranged my horoscope, portions of which certainly afford scope for speculation. It * appears from the ‘ ‘ Twelve houses, signs of zodiac,” or some Other signs that during ray pre-natal existence I was a twin screw and gave my sister‘‘what for” because she would not part. I alone survived the struggle and my natal star thus became Beta O. ? Of course you do. Well here’s my trouble. I want to visit Beta hut she does not hang out over the (milky) way. Nor is she in the same street but she is located some 3,528,064,200,000,000 miles away and it follows as the night the day, that her-astro planetary vibratory influence, when she winks, is necessarily attenuated when it reaches me.