LOCAL & GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 May 1939, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL

Dog Guards Dead Body. With the dog, with which he left home on Sunday still standing guard four days later, the body of Mr Robert Francis Hemphill was found by searchers about noon yesterday at the back of Tangowahine, in the Dargaville district. It is believed that Mr Hemphill, who was more than 70 years of age sat down to rest, while on a shooting expedition, and died where he sat.

Florence Nightingale Day. Florence Nightingale Day will fall on Sunday next, and in this connection a special commemoration service will be conducted by the Rev David McNeur in the Lansdowne Presbyterian Church. Arrangements have been made with the Masterton Hospital nursing staff, and nurses present will be in uniform. The Rev McNeur extends an invitation to all nurses interested to take part in the special nurses service.

Card Tournament. The weekly card tournament held in the Parish Hall, Masterton, last evening was well attended, seven tables being in use. Those present thoroughly enjoyed themselves, the winners being as follows: —Ladies, Mrs Marchbanks 1, consolation, Mrs Barber. Men: Mr Palmer 1. Mesdames Betteridge and Woods had all the arrangements complete for the tournament. Lack of Employment for Teachers. The serious difficulty facing many teachers leaving the training colleges through their inability to obtain permanent' employment, was referred to at the annual conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute in Wellington yesterday. A committee set up by the conference to consider remits dealing with staffing said that it considered as the key remit one from Auckland urging that probationary assistants be made additional to the ordinary staff.

Discovery of Moa Bones. When wandering over lava fields behind the Auckland Zoo, Len Castle, a Mount Albert boy, came across the bones.of a moa in a cave. These have been given to the Auckland War Memorial Museum, and from them it has been possible to identify the species as one of the smallest classes of moa bird. It was possibly a little over two feet high. It is supposed that the bird fell into the cave and was trapped. The remains of comparatively few species of moa have been found close to Auckland. The latest discovery is of particular interest, as it provides a record of the particular species having been in the district.

Pickpockets at Work. Pickpockets have been operating in Auckland. Late on Monday afternoon an elderly couple, visitors to New Zealand, entered a hotel lounge and ordered refreshments before going to their room on the third floor. The husband paid for the refreshments with cash from his pocket. His wallet, containing £9 in notes and a letter of credit for £6O, was then in an inside breast pocket. Two men entered the lift after them. “To which floor are you going?” asked one, and on receiving a reply reached across and pressed the button for the third floor. After the couple left the two men descended in. the lift and soon the visitor discovered that his wallet was missing. He notified the police and the letter of credit was cancelled. University Entrance.

A proposal that entrance to the university should be given to pupils who have, first, passed the school certificate examination to be conducted by the Education Department with machinery modified to allow of the use of school records in doubtful cases and t in the case of illness; and, secondly, have completed at least one post-certificate year’s work to the satisfaction of the department, was endorsed by the annual conference of the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Association in Wellington yesterday. This decision was made following discussion of the report on accrediting recently issued by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research, which recommended a complete system of accrediting from secondary schools to the university. Child Labour.

“The amount of child labour in this country is simply appalling,” said Miss V. Curtis (North Taranaki), during a discussion on the school leaving age at the annual conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute in Wellington yesterday. Miss Curtis said that the raising of the school leaving age to 15 would have a beneficial effect on the physical as well as the mental development of the child. A remit from Taihape urged that the raising of the age to 15 be brought into force in 1940. Mr M. Riske (Wellington), moving as an amendment that the words “as soon as practicable” be substituted for “in 1940,” said that the change could not be brought into force so quickly. Mr A. Breward (Northern Bay of Plenty): Many of the technical colleges and high schools are already seriously crowded. The president, Mr T. Kane: Quite. The remit was passed in its original form. Future of Education Bill.

A request is to be made to the Minister of Education. Mr Fraser, by the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Association to give an early indication whether the Education Bill is to be proceeded with during the next session of Parliament. Moving to this effect at the annual conference of the association yesterday Dr W. M. Smith (Palmerston North) said he was not suggesting either that the Bill was, oi was not. to be proceeded with. It was a very proper reouest to make in the circumstances. The association had had some replies from the Ministei stating that he could not give a decision on matters raised in view of the fact that there was a Bill in the offing. “There is no indication in the Press reports of the caucus meeting of the Government party this week that the Education Eill is to be brought down this year," Dr Smith said.