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Shannon News, 13 April 1923, Page 2

Mr. Augustus Eugenie Ingram lias be-n appointed American ConsulGeneral to succeed Mr. 15. F. Wilber, who returns to the United States this month (states a Wellington message). Mr. Ingram, who is at present Consul -Genera! at Havre, is expected to arrive in May. He lias had a distinguished career of service for his Government in various parts of the world.

Recently a home missionary, who had been in New Zealand for ten years was transferred to. a station .In a southern district, it being taken foi granted that he had learnt to ride a -horse. But such had not been the cas.e, and now, till he has mastered the art of riding a horse over the rough roads, lie will be compelled to walk long distances to liis preaching stations. Tire Rev. James Paterson, of "Wellington, who is still alive and who was in charge of one of the biggest churches in the Empire city, had frequently to ride right through to Wanganui to attend to Presbytery matters, and on 011*6 occasion at least his noble steed carried him right through to Hawera, which meant that the whole journey, including the return to Wellington, would amount to about 350 miles. Along the journey there were rivers to ford and deep sandy b.--aches to traverse, but the sparsely populated, districts possessed many good-hearted i.ett’-ers, who were ever ready to help the wayfarer, and often 1 mt him clothing while his own were taken off and dried before the big open fireplaces which used to bo common in the early settlers’ homes. A 50-m;le journey was considered a fairly good one considering the roads in Hie early times. At a County Council meeting in the Foilding- district recently one member of the dounmiJ asked the Overseer if a certain roadman was a good man, “because,” said the Councillor, “I passed him at; 10 0 ’clock the other morning and lie had his coat on.” “lie always lias liis coat- off when I am about,” replied the Overseer, “and he works very well.” Another Councillor said lie had ’ seen, a roadman with running togs on, but his mates, with their coats on, were doing more work. This was capped by a third member of the Council, who said lie Lad -worked all (lay in a metal pit once with his coat on. “The boss told me to take it off, but I said 'No, 5 I would go shovel for shovel with him-a 11 day with my coat on.” I did so, too. The next day the boss asked me why I had kept my coat on, and I told him my shirt was torn from top to bottom, and I would have got sunburnt all over had I taken my coat off. But it was the only time I ever did such a day's work with the coat on.

For the brightening of the lives of tbe children of outback Queensland the-Government- is inaugurating a novel scheme of education by pictures. Cinematograph machines were proposed, but transport was the difficulty, as most of the itinerant State school teachers cover their huge districts by motor cycle. Further inquiries, however, resulted in the discovery of what is believed to be a mechanical contrivance for throwing pictures on a screen. It is called the Balopticon, and is described as a very handy, ingeniously-con-structed appliance, possessing all the optical and mechanical features essential to the correct projection of pictures. It can reproduce in and excel-

( lent perspective at distances up to 15ft. pictures of a size up to six square feet. In addition to showing the ordinary lantern slides, the Balopticon can also project pictures from books and magazines without making it necessary to tear out any page, and also pictures from postcards, as well as reproductions in magnified form of small objects such as botanical specimens, insects, etc. Queensland is the first. State in Australia to adopt, this form of instruction for children in wayback districts.