LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81851, 26 September 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The railway superannuation fund last year was .£68,670, and on March 31 last it was £90,984. It is reported by the Taihape News that the men on co-operative work in that district have raised £Hi 7/9 for tne Wanganui Hospital. The Government subsidy will bring the am ount up 'to about £179.

Professor von Bergmann, the celebrated German surgeon, who was re centlv summoned from Berlin to see die Sultan's third daughter, Piincess Refia, who has been suffering from appendicitis, has received a fee of 90,000 marks (£4500) for his services. As the country e'erk, Mr R.Ellis, is at present engagitl in compiiin-t-ie half-yearly balance-sheet, whicn requiies a.l his time, he was, on t,.e application of Mr Roy, excused fr.m jury attendance at the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The Bell BLck School Committee has made a forma' complaint against the "Graphic" system of writingtaught in the Taranaki schools. T.xsystem is condemned by tli'm as un suitable for business purposes, as 1.1. straggling spread-out writin»- wou.o neve, be peimillod by busiiuss ni.r, in book-keeping or business correspondence, ihe committee asked that the Board should obtain a wide ex pression of opinion on the question.

The census statistics of newspapers in the United States are interesting. Last year, the average daily output tin weekdays was 19.624,757 copies, and on Sundays 11,539.521 copies; and the daily circu'ation has increased by 4,500,000 copies in five years. The total subscriptions for copies during the year amounted to £22,Sj/,()jS, and for advertisements io £-o,Sj4,o'<J. mtiking together £52, 651,647. The capital invested in newspaper enteipii.-e was jS>-, showing a five veaiV increase ~f ,iiS,7SS,3Si.

"A Gctman maiiicd to a Spanisi, woman" is one of liio latest inquirers about tin- conditions of lid: in New Aa.and. lit is at present 'iving in -Madrid, where his eye met an advertisement in a paper emphasising' tne vntues of Greater Britain. With a view to convincing the authoiiiics that ho would be a desirable immigrant, he submits that he can speak ■ >n - Spanish, French, and hngJish"f' i «.'-n(.y. T ' ,u !i ' st " lail i,um San Francisco brought .1 number of letters from settlers in l'" 1 Lnifd States, Canada, and even South America.

A parent's complaint to the Taranaki Chief Inspector :—"Mr Spensei m regards the oiikircn been knocked about at the end of february three ol ihem came home with biuki-n thumbs also broken stick in her leg sever! times she ust to hit them over the head and back ihave mad several complaint to the conduce sin- aso sioppe ihem telling they got strap ai scliool she puled ears knocked them against the wall she went so far that i made complaint to Constable Kyne Husi you will see into ii and make change t am not telling lies nor l have not tould you half of her cruelty i ask you to pioct the ehrdien lrom so inucii strapping.''

The unusual and interesting sight of two huge cetacean monsters disporting themselves within a few yards of terra liima was witnessed yesterday at the breakwater. They were ol the true sperm whale fami.y, and each of them was over 70ft in length. \\ hen the dredge was proceeding to the cutting ground from .is moorings lii the moining, one of the monsters bumped head Inst into ii, and for a iime was apparently dazed, but later on livened up and with its ma*e sailed about the inner harbour for the greater part 1 f the day, several times coming within five feel of the, dredger. One of the cachalots was thickly encrusted with barnacles. Captain Hood, who was on the dredge, and was at the time unab e to procure efTeciive weapons to make a capture, endeavoured to strand tne monsiers, and was successful in gi limg one on top of the llauea wreck, but it managed to extricate itself. After spouting about for some time' ftnther. they disappeared, but Captain Hood is of opinion they arc still in the vicinity of the harbour, and may resume llnir gambols to-dav. in which event an effort will be made 10 secure the valuable prizes, which aie estim-n.-d in I),- mini, over /Jooo.

Tip- cciuplainis of ccitain ccmmit("mi'ii against the teacher al ill'' It id raid mliohl and from the teacher (if unfair treatment at ilie hands by Messrs Morion a,id' I Triml"'.',' members ef the Education Hoard. Tile charges made against the teacher wen- :—! i (That on August 2nd, Allies Brecn was uot allowed In go outside after having asked fir permission to do so. and dial by reason of such a refusal she "made a mistake" in the school, for which she uas punished by (he ceach-r; (j- that tlie teacher was in the habit of keep-

ing the school open until after 4 p.m., and (Ten later; (.-;) that the oacher «as undulv severe in punishing the . hi'dren, and that she had used the buckle end of a strap. The school l.or,unity !,, adduce evidence,' after which th- leadicr was alioucd io explain or icftile the various statements which had been made, The Hoard (ommillce came t„ the following conclusions:—That, as regards the fust charge (the facts of which were admitted;, the matter is one cf school procedure, which must be left to the

discretion of the teacher, and that 1110 explanation of Jli,., .Stephen was (pote salr-faetoiy; th.v the second ch.iigo was nut borne out bv the evidence, and thai Ihe fch«: l' has not been kept open more t]ian was no c"-sary in the best interests of the children: (hat the charge of undue punishment has not been sustained. The committee added that there was ev'dence of a considerable amount of frhtion between the teacher and a majority of the school committee, but after careful consideration, and also no'ing the fart that the majority of limit" members of the committee who complained had not any children attending the school, the Board's committee could not rccomnimend that the teacher be transferred from (lie ■school,

Tlio Mclliourne-Driiulisi despatch of the ajm! August arrived in London ou the morning of the 23rd inst.

The ke.idiuiister of the C.nlral School wishes to rcknowiedge, with thanks, the g'\ of :i guinea from Mr Murinering towards the prize fund. The tender of M- li. Taylor at .C3SC 10s Gd has been accepted for the erection of a teacher's residence at Opuuake. Otuer tenderers were:— Callaghan ami George, £3S!); U. B. Sims, Jf'lOS; Boon Bros., £115; J. A. Lusk £421.

Last night a meeting was held in St. Joseph's schoolr. 0111 to consider the question of holding a social in Connection with the Hilnrniiin Austrulu-ian Catholic Benefit Society. Tne meeting ivns largely attcuded, and it was decided to hold the sjc-i.il on tile 11th October A strong ladies' committee Was formed to carry out ihe culinary and other most essential arrangements The meeting of ladies held on Tuesday afternoon to make arrangements for the forthcoming annual hue Brigade Ball was largely attended, Mrs K. Dockrill presiding. Capt. Bellnuger attended and stated that the funds of the Fire Brigade were in a very low condition and that a special effort was needed to raise money for the institution. A strong committee of ladies was set up to canvass for subscriptions and arrange for the supper. Mrs D. O'Brien donated a prize to the valuo of £1 Is, to be given to the girl wearing the most original costume at the ball. Children's dancing practices will commence in the Brougtiam street hall on Saturday next, at 2.30 o'clock. We understand tliat the ladies intend making the funciion a record success and they hope to raise as large an amount as last year, when considerably over £IOO was secured.

A juror was excused from attendance at the Supreme Court yesterday on the ground that he was over sixty years of age. lie stated to the Judge that he had not been on the jury list for about twenty years in the South Island, on account of his special class of work. He was advised to have his name removed. With reference to the Education Department's letter, complaining- of delay in forwarding returns, the Taranaki Education Board will reply pointing out to the Department the delay in forwarding the annual report with returns attached was not owing- to any fault of the Board, but

was caused by the delay of the Audit Department in auditing- the Board's accounts, and that it be also brought to their notice that owing to the number of Departmental returns which are now very much increased, the Board is put to extra expense in preparing them, and that the Department bo asked to make the Board an extra grant to meet the additional cost.