LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 October 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The price of cement fell last week in Taranaki by 9s per ton.

Residents of Manaia have decided to form a company to improve the seaside resources near the Kaupokonui river and to buy the necessary land for the building of seaside cottages.

Heavy rain fell in Taranaki throughout Saturday, and the ground got a thorough soaking, which it needed to ensure a rapid and continuous growth of grass. The prospects for a record season so far as production of butter-fat is concerned were never brighter.

The day of the dominee has gone,” declared Mr. J. A. Valentine,, senior inspector of schools, in an address at New Plymouth on Saturday. "The children now know that their teacher is their friend and not their enemy.”

Heavy rain fell in New Plymouth on Saturday, and, in consequence, all outdoor fixtures had to be postponed. The opening of the season for cricketers, bowlers, and riflemen was to have been held, but the rain was too heavy to allow any of these sports being carried on. Golfers, too, had to content themselves with a day. indoors. The rain had ceased by yesterday morning, and except for a few scattered showers towards evening the day was fine.

Nearly twenty-seven hours was spent at sea in a gale by the small steamer Rimu in her journey from New Plymouth to Onehunga on Friday night. The vessel, which left New Plymouth at 4.45 p.m. on Friday, did not pass the Manukau Heads till 24 hours later, whilst Onehunga was reached at 7.20 on Saturday night. The lot of the passengers on a vessel of 411 tons and in the teeth of the gale that was raging at that time must surely have been an unenviable one.

‘ The Adolescent Girl” formed the subject of a lecture- given by Dr. Elizabeth Gunn, medical inspector of State sclioois in Taranaki and Wanganui, to a very interested audience of women teachers at New Plymouth on Saturday afternoon. The lecture lasted upwards of an hour, and was followed, throughout with the keenest interest. In the course of her remarks Dr. Gunn took the opportunity of expressing her appreciation of the support she had received from the teachers in her efforts to improve the children’s health. Commenting on the introduction of tooth-brush drill, now a common practice in Taranaki ■schools, she said that had ft not been for the support accorded the scheme by the teachers, it could never have been the wonderful success it had proved to be. At the close of the address many questions -were asked, and the opinion was expressed that it would be an excellent idea if mothers could be given the opportunity of hearing Dr. Gunn on a subject which so intimately concerned them.

Confidence, in the future of New Plymouth as a port Was a feature of the discussion at the special meeting o-f the New Plymouth Harbor Board on Saturday concerning the proposal to proceed immediately with the erection of a wooden wharf instead of the ferro-con-crete one previously decided on. The opinions of the engineers were to the effect that a wooden structure could be completed in about half the time necessary for the erection of a concrete wharf, and this point was specially stressed by various members in connection with the urgent need of having wharfage accommodation to meet the rapidly growing needs of the port. “I have discussed it with the shipping people,” said Mr. Bellringer (chairman of the board), “and their plea is for wharfage accommodation.” He thought that during the course of the next four or five years there was going to be a development of trade at the port that would astonish them.

"I hope the day will dome when no such thing as proficiency certificates will be awarded on examination results,” was the way in which Mr. J. A. Valentine, senior inspector of schools, expressed himself in the course of an address to teachers at New Plymouth on Saturday, in which he shed a new light on the present system of education in our primary schools. The speaker incidentally mentioned that sixth standard pupils in country schools were generally smarter than their brothers and sisters of the town schools, as they were thrown more upon their own, resources and cultivated more self-reliance in consequence, whereas town children had greater attention shown to them. “Any inspector will back up this opinion.” said Mr. Valentine in lending point to his contention that, under the Dalton plan, the child would develop* more selfreliance and initiative by finding out knowledge by his own efforts as far as possible.

Messrs. A. W. Donald and P. A. Hadley, who recently purchased the plant, etc., of the Taranaki Oil Wells, Ltd., have been granted a concession for oil boring on the New Plymouth Harbor Board’s land along the foreshore. The concession is similar to that granted to a previous company and is for twelve months.

Messrs. L. A. Nolan and Co. report having sold Mr. Maitland Jennin’s choice little 60-acre farm, situated on the Waitara Road, to Mr. Dan Barry at a satisfactory figure. The sale of work, held at St. Mary’s Hall. New Plymouth, on Friday, was organised by Mrs. Eberlet, the secretarial work being done by Miss A. Wilson.

Messrs. Newton King. Ltd., repdrt the gale of Mr. A. S. Hasell’-s old-establish-ed business to Messrs. Cook and Lister, who take possession at the end of this month.

Messrs. Newton King, Ltd., report the sale of Mr. Abel Gamlin’s old-establish-ed Inglewood butchery business, together with shop property and 77-acres slaughter-house farm, to Mr. Frank Ree’sby, Kaimata. Also Mr. Reesby’s farm ‘of 310 acres, with stock, to Mr. Gamlin. The total amount involved is over £16,000.

It will certainly be to your advantage to sefe the properties advertised by •J. R. Hill and Son in this paper.

Speaking at the meeting in connection with the dairy pool, Mr. Grounds paid a tribute to the Taranaki newspapers on the excellence of the reports of various meetings he had read. These, he said, were very much fuller than he expected to find in any provincial paper, and quite surpassed those of most country districts. The papers, he added, are serving the people well.

An objection has been made against the new junior high school movement to the effect that it will prejudice the interests of primary and secondary school teachers. Referring to the matter at Auckland (states the Herald), the Minister of Education, the Hon. C. J. Parr, said that the truth of the matter was that the junior high schools offered a means of promotion to the best elementary teachers, from whose ranks the new staffs would mainly be recruited.

“To-day is an age of experiment in all departments of life; it is an age of development and progress, and there can be no standing still,” said the Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister of Education, at the opening of the Curran Street School in Auckland (states the Herald), in making an appeal for the application of more modern methods in the Dominion’s educational system. He declared that New Zealand, in her isolation, should not become stagnant away from the world’s tide, but should keep abreast with it. Old shibboleths and methods were being examined in the cold fight of science and reasearch and were being cast aside; New Zealand could not afford to cling to those for which others had already no use. "Even a bishop never attracts anybody unless he’s drunk,” said Archbishop Julius at Christchurch (states an exchange). He was referring to the equality of attractiveness which was so marked a feature of the Founder of Christianity, but which he said was conspicuous by its absence in modern days. "There are a good many Christian people as sour as vinegar itself who would not attract anybody, let alone a sinner,” said the Archbishop, who exhorted his hearers to take an interest in public affairs and get into the City Council, where they could bring in a little light and grace. A statement that sixth standard pupils of the country schools were smarter than the same class of pupils in the town, was made by the senior inspector of schools in Taranaki (Mr. J. A. Valentine) in an address to teachers at New Plymouth on Saturday. His explanations of the fact was that in the towns the children received too much teaching and did not learn for themselves enough. In the country schools the children were thrown upon their own resources to a much greater extent than were town children.

At a meeting at Wanganui on Friday, to consider the Dairy Control Bill, Mr. J. R. Corrigan, chairman of the Hawera Dairy Company, stated that there was one firm in Taranaki which made a quarter of a million last year out of the dairy industry. The chairman (Mr. J. Robb) asked him if he had proof of the statement. Mr. Corrigan replied in the affirmative. He went on to state that the Mangorei company’s output was bought for Is 2Jd, and the next day the same concern bought the Hawera company’s output at Is sd. This season the Stratford company was offered Is BAd for its output, and on the same day the same firm would only offer the Kakaramea company Is 7|d. The meeting approved of the Bill with a few dissentient voices.

Members of the Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth (Third and Fourth Groups) are notified that subscriptions will be due and payable today, Monday, Oct. 9, at the Secretary’s Office, Currie Street from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.—Advt. Madam, do you wish to save time, money and work in the laundry department of your home. Use “ Fairy JVonder” Dry Soap and dispense with washboard drudgery and more than half your fuel bill. “Fairy” also obviates the necessity of using extra soap and excessive rinsing. Give it a trial. Stocked by all grocers.

The Melbourne’s stock has been augmented by a new shipment of splendid quality English crepe, 30in. wide, in white and colors, and to retail at 1/11 yard. Another importation consists of tussore silk, free from “loading,” at 4/6, 5/6 and 6/11, the respective weights being 14, 16 and 21 momme widths, 27 to 31 inches.

In this issue Mr. F. W. Carrington notifies a change in the travelling arrangements for the Clydesdale stallion “Jum.”

Particulars of a clearing sale to be held at Kaimata on Friday next, on account of Messrs. Clifford Bros., are advertised in our auction columns. The herd consists of over 60 young cows, mostly in milk. There is also a full range of farm implements and machinery, included in which is a four-cow Ridd milking plant in first-class order,. Buyers of dairy .cows and implements should attend this sale. See-our auction columns for a final reminder re the New Plymouth Jersey breeders’ bull fair.