GENERAL NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, 14 May 1925, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

A full postal holiday tvill bo observed to-day on the Occasion of the late Prime Minister's funeral, and, in consequence, tho “Timaru Herald’' Company’s mail services will not be run.

A message from Westport states that the Stockton coalmine dispute over the minimum wage has been settled, and work wdl be resumed on Friday.

At the Magistrate’s Court in Timaru this morning a* young man will be charged with leaving trespassed on Lake Alexandria on the opening day of the shooting season, the fake named bc'ng a bird sanctuary.

Cabinet has requested that all citizens of the Dominion shall cease

all activities to-day. for a period of ten minutes, commencing from 1 p.m. a All trains, and telegraphs and tele- - phones will cease operations for that time.

, • At the meeting of the Main School ■ Committee last night a member stated that children in at least one family in W-ai-iti Itoad were, not attending school, and he added that there were four children of school age in this , family.

j The notice given by the South Can- ; terbury Acclimatisation Society, prior to the opening of the shooting season, th,at anyone found out with a gun who had no gun license would bo prosecuted, was disregarded by some people, and as a result, two men are j to be prosecuted shortly. | Harbour fishing of late lias proved ' very disappointing, there being very few fish caught. Trcvalli, herring, and cod are very scarce. Fishing at the rubble wall yesterday, an angler had the good fortune to land a fourpound turbot, a fish that is rarely caught in Timaru waters.

In conversation with a local fisherman yesterday, a “Herald” representative learned that groper, ling, and red cod are very plentiful at present, but that other fish wero scarce. All the boats Were getting out lor a full day’s fishing, hut their catches were composed mostly of line fish. Gaurnard are very scarce, and there li,avo been none caught for some time.

Owing to the heavy passenger bookings by the ferry steamer leaving Lyttelton last evening, the Union Company decided to send the Maori north, instead of the Mararog. The latter vesel was originally fixed to take up the ferry running last night in conjunction with tho Wahine, but she will remain at Lyttelton until Friday evening.

! At the meeting of the Timaru Main ‘ School Committee Jast evening it was ’ stated that during the infantile paralysis epidemic the teachers had made a very fiiie doll’s house, and the children were going to do the work furnis.iing, the best work made to De used. It was stated that a lot of skillul work had been put into the house, and it was hoped to have it on exhibition at the next committee meeting.

“In these days, when we start' our rgees by machinery, and bet by machinery, it might be wonderd why we do not have mechanical horses, said Mr Justice Alpors in the Supreme Court at Auckland. ‘ 1 eople who frequented the racecourse were so engrossed in the mystic numbers nicked across the totalisator face, and showed such little interest in the beautiful beasts that took part in the races, that it might be they would be just as content if the horses were not ot flesh and bone.”

One of the most enjoyablo functions held in the Caroline Bay Pavilion for Bonio timo was tho annual dance and presentation of prizes of the limaru Bowing Club. In the past the club functions have been outstandingly successful, but that of last evening was voted the best yet held. Alter tho trophies had been presented the dance was resumed, and continued until an early hour. That the evening s entertainment proved so enjoyablo w,as duo to tho efforts of the committee, especially tho ladies, who went to no little troublo in preparing suppci.

The fortnightly meeting of the Court Southern Cross, 3123, A.0.P., was held on Tuesday evening. Bro. I. Aeis, pC It presiding over a good attendance. The woodwards reported tnat four members had been declared oil tne sick list since the last meeting. It was decided to again affiliate with the W.E.A. movement, and Pro. b. a. Odelf-was appointed the Court s representative on the W.E.A. council. Bi°. J. Gliddon, P.D.C.R., notified that the if F S card tournament would commence on 16th May- Accounts amounting to £23 were passed ioi payment.

To-d'ay (Thursday) is to be observed as a dav of mourning. All post office-’ throughout tlve Dominion are to iw closed. All mails for to-day were closed at 8 li.m., yesterday, except at tuosc j places at which morning newspapers aio , published. At such places mails arc to be closed at 6 a.m. to-day. Oidmaia liolidav liours aro to bo observed b> telegraph offices and telephone ex- . changes. In telephone exchanges observing continuous attendance, the | attendants aro to cease work between ; 1 p.m. and 1.10 p.m. 'lbe limaru telegraph office will be open from .) , a.m. to noon, and from 7 p.m. to midnight. “The infantile paralysis outbreak has caused an upset of tho school work, and it will he hard to obtain a good standard of work for tho year,” stated Mr J. B. Hopkirk, headmaster of tho Brooklyn (Wellington) School, at the recent householders’ meeting. “I he Department’s proposal to lengthen, tho , ; school hours is not, in fnv estimation, a ! remedy. Increased interest and will , power on the part of both teachers and 1 • children can do much to put things right. Except in a few instances, the : correspondence work has not proved' of 1 1 much avail, and that goes to prove that ' < there must ho contact between child ■ and teacher to get tho best results.”- 11

On Sunday last at the evening service at St. John’s Cliurcli, Winchester, a memorial tablet to the memory of the lato J. It. Qrford was unveiled by the Rev. A. H. Norris, Vicar of Cashmere. 'J lie church was packed, many being unable to get in. A large number or the old boys of the Waiiu School were present, some coming from a long distance. The tablet, which was a handsome one, bore the inscription: —“To the Glory of God, and in memory of Joseph Robinson OiTovd; born August XO, 19(32, died June 20, 1924. Founder and first headmaster of the Wailii School. Erected by old boys of tho school.”

The secretary of the Employers’ Association explains that it adopted the suggestion made by the Tim,aru Borough Council, that all business places be closed as from noon. The Acting Prime Minister wired the Mayor late on Tuesday night-, suggesting that all places be closed for the whole of Thursday. This wire came too kite to make any alterations in the arrangements. It is rather unfortunate that earlier notice had not been given, so that the whole Dominion could have been unanimous in the matter.. The Association hopes that no one will suggest that Timaru is any less sympathetic in tho matter of paying respect to tho honoured dead, and it is very much regretted that the request qamo too late to make any. alteration in tho arrangements made.

Mr A. Bain, a young Invercargillite, who has been thirteen years in the New Hebrides, told tho Southland “Times” that, besides cotton and copra, a good deal of cocoa and coffee is grown on the islands, while fruit, such as bananas, limes, etc., are there in profusion, and some of the fruit wo get here -would not he given to even the pigs in the islands. It certainly is a great pity that facilities are not gven for the markets hero to secure some of the island fruits, because the greater portion of them is allowed to go rotten. In his opinion, a very profitable market could be opened up with the islands if ,a steamer service was opened up. At present the only service is that with Sydney, which give 3 a steamer about every five weeks.

“Mr Massey knew the Bible by heart,” says Sir Christopher Parr. “From its pages he rejoiced to draw the apt illusion and the happy simile. I recall once a deputation of clergymen which waited on him. One speaker said he objected to racecourse- gambling though he loved a good horse. Whereupon Mr Massey intervened to ask whether thero was anything finer in literature, about the horse, than Job, chapter 39, verso 9, and he then recited the whole passage, beginning with the noble lines, ‘Hast thou given the horse strength ? Hast thou clothed his nook with thunder?’ Truly he remembered, as few do, his Bible. In. his later days I know he wished the Good Book to be in the schools. So much indeed did the Bible contribute to his intellectual equipment, that his everyday speech possessed the Bible quality of simple, direct and vibrant English.”