GENERAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 131, 25 May 1908, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS.

The newly-appointed Director of Ordnance mill Commandant of the New /'.cm In ml Permanent I'orecs, Ma |or Harry i'rancis Head. U.A.. arrived in Wellington by the Athenie. with Mr*. Head iuul tlicir fniiiily. Ala for Head joined the Royal Artillery in 'iSSO, and gained his captaincy in lilOli, and his majority in l!)n4, One of liis former positions was ordnance officer at Allahabad. He had experiences of active service in Tirnh campaign, and subsequently held a position in the Ordnance Department connected with the Hyderabad native forces. His most recent position was as commander of Company 14, l{o3'al flanison Artillery, stationed at Shocbiiryness. His local rank is colonel, A former resident of New Zealand, writing from Johannesburg on April S, to ii member of the stair of the Lyttelton Times, says:—"Tilings here are gradually settling down and getting sounder. Of course, the financial stringency is really the result of an artificial condition of things. The gold mines spend in the Transvaal about C1.'i.000,(10(1 annually, and our white population does not exceed -100.000. The Band is siill'eriug from over-speculation,, and liie farming districts have not fully recovered from the effects of the war They are, however, steadily increasing their Hocks nml herds, and bringing more hind into cultivation, if New Zealandcrs owned this country, it would be One of (lie most prosperous on earth." The scientists of all departments who took part in the recent investigation of Ibe snb-Aiilnrclic Islands hay,, not been idle since. Half-a-dozen of them are combining to produce a work which will bring up to dale »l| the information possessed about (liese islands, including an account of tile recent scientific visit. A sum of money was voted last session for the production of this work. Kach contributor ( 0 the volume will write on the particular scientific or other aspect of the group with which lie is specially acquainted. Captain llollons, of the Uinenioa, will furnish an "(■count of the bird life of the islands, which has not been fully described l,efore. Dr. Chilton, of Cliristcuurch, will be general editor of the work, which is expected to reach bulky proportions, and the Hon. K. MeNab has undertaken In contribute an historial introduction. The work is now well under way. Mr. George Petrie, headmaster of the Opawa School, Canterbury, writ»s to the _ Press stating that some years ago he inaugurated a savings bank system at the school, and the fact that .0338 lias been deposited by the pupils speaks tor success. In short, the method has been the following:—The children have brought their savings at any time and in any amounts. They stand by and see it noted in a small hook kept for the purpose. Each child has the. ordinary bank-book. These are all kept hy me and are open for inspection by lie child's parents. Upon the child caving school he lakes his book, and there need be no break in the account (He odd pennies are represented by stamps plan! on shilling cards. The results beyond school days have been most pleasing, air Petrie'know.s of several scholars who have kept up the saving habit, and one living close by to me, from the small beginning made at the school, has put away over '£<>ooanodic,, over £IOO. The master complains that since the C-overmnent has ceased to acknowledge through the post o uic, individual depositor amounts of fc* than .a, the deposits have fallen