HAWERA.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1917, Page 3

HAWERA.

TEACHING WOUNDED SOLDIERS. (From our own Correspondent.) Hawera. August 22. The facilities offered by the Technical School are being taken advantage of by returned soldiers who are taking up c«- I cupations which will serve.as a means i of livelihood to them when they are . ready to be absorbed into civil life. Tin l Government assist these men with free tuition, boarding iillowance, and permitting them to continue in receipt of ! their pensions. Commercial and engineering courses are the main lines which the local institution has to offer. In the first, a man has a choice of English, arithmetic, type-writing', shorthand, and book-keeping. Equipped with a knowledge of any or several of these subjects. and endowed with an adaptability for business life, a man may fairly count upon making good " progress in commerce. The engineering course 1s mere of an accademical character, and to gain full advantage of such a line it would be better for a soldier desirous of learning this trade at the technical school to live in one of the cities, where tli« equipment at the educational institutions is much more extensive than is the case in the smaller towns. One returned man is making splendid progress in the commercial course at the Hawera school, despite the fact that he is handicapped by the loss of several fingers, and others contemplate taking up the course. There is every promise of the technical school a most important part in providing knowledge to returned men, and in assisting them to improve upon the positions they occupied before going to the war. The "liberty loan" is a subject of many inquiries have b<sen made at the much interest to local residents, and post office by prospective purchasers of certificates. A meeting of citizens has been lieuT and a committee set up with a view to making the circumstances connected with the loan more widely known and for the purpose of encouraging employers to make advances and arrangements with their workers in order to enable the latter to take up certificates. The banks are also being approached for the purpose of seeing what arrangeI ments can be made in the direction of making advances to their clients who have sums of money invested with these institutions.

The Taranaki quota of the 33rd reinforcements proceeded to camp to-day. The quota was considerably below full strength, a circumstance which -was j largely due to the fact that there has been no ballot this month, and to the prevalence of sickness in the district. Among those who left for camp this morning was Mr. Georgc T.eddington. a resident who was held in high esteem ■by all who knew him. He too*' an active part in connection with St. Marys Church, and has been secretary of the annual flower show for sonic years. He was a member of t*ie Tennis Club, and of the male choir, and was a Freemason. Prior to his departure, Mr. Leddington was made the recipient of a number of gifts by members of the various organisations with which he had been connected during the period of his residence in Hawera.